Not gonna answer reviews this time around because they were so divisive, you'd swear you were in a political debate by how much the opinions diverged. Anyway, just a heads-up, I haven't pulled anything out of my ass in regards to powerscaling and abilities in this chapter. Straight out of the wiki. Have a nice time reading, I'm out.
It had been thirteen hours since the summer solstice, and Artemis was practically tearing the ship apart in frustration. Which wouldn't gain her any points with the now-missing captain.
Really, of all the things he could have done, jumping into an unknown quest without any preparations was incredibly, incredibly, risky, but at least he had instructed his pegasus to reach her if anything happened. It had come as a shock to her when Nine-Eyes, the second in command of the Flying Dutchman, had come to her with a piece of napkin in his hands.
"What is this?" She questioned, skeptical.
"Message from the captain." The ghoul explained bluntly.
"Oh." Artemis's expression softened, and she grabbed the paper. "Thank you."
With a final nod from the undead spirit, she was left alone to read the message. When she unfolded the napkin, Artemis found a message written in a beautiful bronze ink that was less visible than the normal black or blue, but still very much readable.
Artemis,
My father has briefed me on the fact that I have a sister, Roman for that matter, that has been kidnapped around Philadelphia. I was just as outraged as you can imagine. I suspect Kelli could have some involvement since having demigods hostage and Lupa's pack being unable to find the child indicates Mist manipulation or at least some sort of deception. If Kelli is involved, she definitely won't be the main culprit. If I don't return, someone will. I believe I have a contingency plan, just in case. Also, I think there's something we need to talk about in person. I see you soon.
Yours, Percy.
And this was all she had heard from him since Poseidon grabbed him from the party. It didn't surprise her that the sea god had yet another child, even if it was a Roman. But having Percy do his dirty work? That was outrageous. Satyrs were paid to do what Percy was doing for nothing in return. The only reason Artemis was yet to call a meeting was that she was still waiting for that someone to arrive as Percy had said, but it was almost four in the morning and there was nothing that disrupted the night's quiet.
And what was that last message? Something we need to talk about. What could that be? When Artemis read it for the first time, she had to repeat the gesture at least three times to make up the words that were written in bronze ink. Could it be that sort of talk? Artemis had seen how Percy sometimes looked at her. How out of nowhere he became nervous, or like his breath was taken away when faced with her. It was a normal reaction around a goddess, especially when Artemis chose not to appear as a twelve-year-old anymore – for reasons that were probably related to this internal drama –, but this was Percy Jackson, for Zeus's sake. In this day and age, he wouldn't be drooling over someone for so long if he didn't have actual feelings. The man was incredibly composed, after all.
But was Artemis interested? That was the question currently pounding her brain mercilessly, making the goddess incredibly confused. It wouldn't be much of a dilemma if not for her oath. Perhaps. Even if she didn't swear on the Styx, she wouldn't be out there offering herself away like she wasn't worth anything. But Percy… he seemed… different. Much in the same way, Orion had been, but with the certainty that he wouldn't turn out to be a rapist in disguise like the giant had revealed himself to be.
That on its own was enough for Artemis to appreciate Percy's company.
After hours of waiting, finally, the goddess spotted something in the sky. The sound was faint, but it had to be a flapping of wings, only noticeable thanks to how quiet the night was at the moment. When looking into the sky, it wasn't long before Artemis saw a large winged figure between the stars, rapidly approaching her. The pegasus circled around the ship, and landed in the deck, immediately starting to trot nervously.
"Blackjack?" Artemis called. Talking to animals wasn't an alien concept to her, but with pegasi it was different. It was more of Poseidon thing after all.
By all gods, he has been kidnapped! The pegasus spoke in a panic.
Of course, it just had to be her suspicions confirmed. "And where is him? You were there, right?"
Yeah. Blackjack confirmed. A creepy old house. North of Philly. I think.
North of Philadelphia? This information at least helped in narrowing down the potential places for a search. "And could you identify any traces of Mist at all?"
I… guess? The pegasus answered, his tone sounding doubtful.. I think boss was onto that. But I can't say for certain. Sorry.
The raven winged-horse seemed genuinely guilty like this was somehow his fault. Much like the owner, then.
"You have done more than enough, Blackjack," Artemis assured him. "You have my gratitude. Wait here, rest. I will probably need your guidance to get to him."
Of course! I'll be here.
Satisfied with the answer, Artemis turned around and focused on the image of the throne room. There were questions that needed to be answered and actions that needed to be taken.
Unsurprisingly, the room was empty. Not even Hestia was present at the hearth. It wasn't groundbreaking, after the solstice, but what she needed now was for this room to be filled. As such, she shot a single arrow to the roof and headed for her throne. Zeus and Hera were the first to appear, both in formal attires. Artemis would be damned to imagine her father wearing pajamas. Poseidon on the other hand, who had been the third to appear, was wearing casual shorts and a flowered blue shirt. Artemis had to do her best not to glare at the sea god.
Slowly, the rest of the seats were occupied, with most gods looking like they wanted to be in bed right now. Even if they didn't have the necessity to sleep like mortals they did, no one could deny that it was liberating, even for gods.
"Artemis, you have called a meeting in the middle of the night." Zeus stated bluntly, not matching the sophistication of his suit.
"That is correct, Father, I want to inform you all that Percy Jackson has gone missing."
"He has what?" Poseidon cried, startling Ares who was seated nearby.
"Indeed, Poseidon." Now Artemis didn't prevent herself from glaring. "Would you like to brief us on what made our most prized demigod to be kidnapped? Since you were the one to dispatch Percy on a mission."
"I've said it once, and I will say it again, it is none of your business, Artemis!" The sea god bellowed, his sea-green eyes full of anger, but the way they looked in this state differed a lot from Percy's.
In response, Artemis smiled coldly. "It is a shame that I know the reason behind it," At that, Poseidon froze. She turned to her father, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. "May I brief you all on the case?"
"Go on," Zeus instructed, waving a hand.
"Well, it has come to my knowledge that the man that, shall I remind you, is under my custody, has been tasked with rescuing his kidnapped sister."
"But, Percy does have a sister," Apollo said, seeming worried. "I've seen Sally Jackson pregnant."
"I am not talking about Sally Jackson's child, Brother," Artemis said venomously. "No, instead, it appears that it is a daughter of Neptune, the one who has been taken."
The silence that followed her words was unnerving. Only the creaking of the fire from the hearth could be heard. If looks could kill, she would have dropped dead thanks to the glare she was receiving from Poseidon.
"Is this true, Poseidon?" Zeus spoke angrily. "Have you spawned yet one another of your children in this world?"
The sea god deflated as his anger evaporated, replaced by what seemed to be sorrow. "I have. She does speak the truth."
"Do we have clues on a possible location?" Athena inquired. It seemed doubtful that she would care for the children of her rival, but she better than most would understand their value. Even if that wasn't all too moral in Artemis's eyes.
"Yes," Artemis confirmed. "Apparently a house of some sort, north of Philadelphia. There seems to be a concentration of Mist, since not even Lupa's pack could locate the child. Percy suspects an empousa he knows could be behind this, serving a bigger figure most likely."
"And what can we really do?" Hermes asked, looking absolutely hammered.
"I shall go," Artemis announced.
"That cannot happen," Zeus said, confirming her fears.
"Father, are you really going to bring those stupid laws into this?" The goddess of the Moon asked angrily.
"This isn't a god's place to act–" Zeus started.
"Then when is it?!" She raised her voice, the anger and worry overcoming her common sense. "When are we, mighty gods that we are, supposed to intervene when your children are dying? How can you be so senseless?"
"You seem very passionate about him, Artemis," Athena observed, flat-out ignoring what she had just said. "Any reason as to why you would be so worried about a mortal?"
Artemis slowly turned her head to her half-sister, gray eyes meeting silver. They both had many similarities. Both fierce warriors, symbols of what a strong woman should be like. Both maiden goddesses. Both are powerful deities. Even their eye color was similar. But there was one major difference between the two.
"Unlike, you, Athena, or most of you in this room, I do have a heart. I care for the ones I consider friends. I wonder when was the last time you actually mourned for someone. Pallas, perhaps?" She asked, satisfied when the Goddess of War winced ever so slightly. "Most of you should learn about humanity. It doesn't take you to become a powerless mortal to learn about compassion and care for others." She got up from her throne. "If you excuse me, I won't sit idle in here."
With that last stunt, she flashed away from Olympus, not caring that this was the second time she had pulled that off in less than three weeks. Appearing in front of Cabin 8, she opened the door loudly, startling many of the sleeping Hunters;
"Milady?" One of the youngest recruits, Vera, a daughter of Hebe, groggily called. One by one, the rest of the Hunters woke up, but many didn't bother to even come out of bed as they looked at the goddess. Not that Artemis could blame them. Apollo wasn't even roaming through the sky yet.
"I am sorry to interrupt your sleep," Artemis said, noticing the looks of concern of all her followers, especially Thalia who was already on her feet. "But there's a problem."
"And what is it?" Reyna asked from her bed, her eyes having dark circles underneath them.
"Percy Jackson has been kidnapped, and none in Olympus gives a single damn about it." She explained it bluntly. All of the Hunters already knew Percy was a friend to her, but of course, Thalia and Reyna were the ones most concerned, clearly. The daughter of Bellona sat on her bed, straightening her posture.
"So we need to rescue him," Thalia said, to which Artemis nodded.
"That we do." She agreed. "I want Thalia and Reyna to come with me. Hunter is gonna be leading you in the meantime."
The silver-haired girl on the bed below Thalia's, Hunter Kowalski, nodded. "Do we need to stay here?"
"It would be most optimal. But if you do leave, stay around Long Island." Artemis glanced over to her lieutenant and the daughter of Bellona, who were already packing things up. "Meet me at the Flying Dutchman in ten. Bring a pegasus with you."
Without wanting to hear Thalia complaining about her fear of heights, Artemis left the cabin, sprinting across camp toward Long Island Bay. It didn't take long for her to arrive at where the crimson-glowing ghost ship was docked. The sky above wasn't all black anymore, purple and orange tones already tinting the realm of her father.
Climbing over the ramp that gave access to the ship, she found out that Blackjack wasn't alone, as Cora was alongside the pegasus, caressing its head.
"Oh, hey, Artemis!" The ghoul greeted, not showing any signs of tiredness. It made the goddess wonder if they even slept. Why was she so interested in undead biology recently?
"Hi, Cora." Artemis on the other hand, had her voice dripping with exhaustion. Not physical, of course, but mental.
"Did something happen?" Cora asked with concern. "Did Percy manage to get himself kidnapped or something like that?"
Artemis blinked twice. "That's exactly what happened."
"He isn't as unpredictable as I thought then," Cora said, still looking at Blackjack who seemed content with the attention. "Must be giving you a massive headache right now."
"It is." Artemis confirmed, laughing bitterly at the situation.
"I'd to be worried if someone special to me was that reckless. I am worried and I'm only his subordinate. Imagine how you must feel."
Now Artemis felt puzzled as she looked at the dead sailor. "Someone special, you say?"
"Oh, I don't mean it like that." Cora quickly said. "I think. I'm not the best person to read feelings. Even if I'm aware of your status and all, you two seem to get together so well."
"You really think that?" Artemis asked sincerely.
Cora hummed positively. "I'd have guessed you two were a couple if it wasn't you. Honestly."
If the ghoul had been talking about a different person that wasn't Percy, then perhaps Artemis would have vaporized Cora on the spot. But now? Even the goddess could see why one could think that of them. That type of banter and scolding was something that only people who cared for each other would allow themselves to do.
"Well, you were assumptions would have been wrong either way," Artemis stated in a friendly tone despite her words. "He and I are friends. Good friends, yes, one that I wouldn't have expected to make. But still friends."
"Sure thing, Lady Artemis," Cora answered, but something in her eyes denounced that she didn't fully believe the goddess. "I think the cavalry has arrived."
Turning over to where the ghoul was looking, Artemis facepalmed internally at the pun, since two white pegasi were flying on the horizon, two women in silver clothing mounting the winged horses. When they finally arrived, Artemis was surprised to see Thalia fairly calm at the top of her pegasus.
"We're good to go," Reyna announced.
That we are. The pegasus that the daughter of Bellona was mounted on said in the goddess's head. If Artemis wasn't mistaken, this was Guido, the same pegasus that Reyna had adopted. Or in that case, he adopted her.
"I still wish we could use the moon chariot. But I trust this one here." Thalia playfully kicked the pegasus that she was on top of.
After taking you across the country that's the minimum! Thalia's pegasus, also colored white, said, not minding it's rider's kick.
Cut the chat, Porkpie. Blackjack said, in a tone that was unlike himself. We need to rescue the boss.
"He is right." Artemis agreed out loud, earning looks from the other three girls, who, of course, couldn't hear the pegasi talking. Choosing to ignore it, she got on top of the black equine, turning to Cora one last time. "Stay safe."
"I should be the one saying that, you know." She answered with a smile. "But I guess you're the goddess here. Good luck, though. Is that acceptable?"
"Good fortune is always welcome." The Olympian responded, returning the grin before the three pegasi all took off from the deck. Artemis could only hope they would be fast enough before something happened.
Hours have passed. How many, Percy wasn't all too sure.
His so-called cell didn't have windows. Only the faint light of a candle prevented the darkness from taking over the entire place. Celestial bronze handcuffs kept his hands together behind his back, which didn't help with the fact that his nose had been itching for about twenty minutes. Overall, Percy wasn't all too worried for his safety. What could Torrington do to him that he hadn't experienced before? The son of Hecate didn't seem like the type to like physical torture, after all. Percy's mind already replayed his worst moments in life without the need for an outside force. It wouldn't be earth-shattering.
The problem was Kelli. Of course. The empousa being a wild card wasn't anything new to him, but this was seemingly out of her league. Sure, he had left her close by after the whole kissing situation, but how could she have found Alabaster, and then betrayed Percy despite her oath? Kelli was naive at times, but not stupid.
His mind drifted off to the thought of Camp Half-Blood and his ship. Would they be searching for him? Would Blackjack arrive safely? What was Artemis doing?
Artemis. The goddess's name stuck around in his brain like it was glued to it. All he could think about at times was her. Surely she wasn't all too happy with his little stunt here. An angry goddess wasn't on his list of preferred foes, and he could only hope that the relief of seeing him again would prevent a violent situation. And she did care for him enough so that was a possibility. At least he assumed that she did. That thought reminded him of the hint he gave her with the letter. It was subtle, but the intentions were there. The truth was, despite not wanting to ruin their friendship, he couldn't let this feeling clog up inside his throat, not anymore.
The door to the cell opened slowly, with a feminine figure stepping into the doorway and locking the door right after. Kelli stood there, without any disguise, her blazing hair being a source of light in itself. Her skin, white as marble, reflected the flames, giving a slight orange tone to it.
"What do you want?" Percy bluntly asked. It was the first time he'd seen her since his imprisonment, and the grim look on her face denounced something was up.
"Do not be as obnoxious as he is." Kelli whined, walking towards him.
The demigod squinted his eyes. "What?"
"You know what I mean! He's a dick, honestly." She answered vaguely.
"No, I don't have a clue." Percy did in fact have an idea, but annoying Kelli seemed like a better option. Instead of lashing out at him, however, the empousa just glared with her crimson eyes.
"Being bound to you is so annoying." She said between gritted teeth. "I can't even kill you!"
"I'm sure you would love to taste my blood," Percy said without much emotion in his voice. "But I need you to release me. Now."
"And why would I do that?" The empousa said defiantly.
"Because you made an oath on the river of hatred, don't you remember?" Percy reminded her, glad to see her smug smile fading. "Surely you want to continue living your monster life for eternity instead of being tortured by Styx herself.
"Even if that's the case, I don't have the keys, idiot," Kelli answered with a glare.
Percy stared at the empousa for a second, surprised that she was willing to help her, even if it took a slight incentive. "Pardon, I thought you were my jailer?"
Kelli rolled her eyes. "I'm your torturer, it's different. And he isn't dumb enough to blindly trust me. He doesn't know of the oath, but he believes I have… a thing for you."
"A thing." Percy repeated. "Kelli, please, don't elaborate."
"Why can't you like me?" The empousa asked, her voice more annoyed than anything.
"If you didn't keep trying to kill me then perhaps we would be friends."
"I'm not allowed to kill you now," Kelli argued. "How does that sound?"
"You still want to cause pain to me."
Kelli scoffed at that. "You know, many men love to be on the receiving end of pain."
"Thanks, I'm not a masochist." Percy quickly clarified, not liking where this conversation was going.
"I'd let you hurt me as much as you wanted as well." The monster said in a seductive tone, charmspeaking flavoring her words.
Percy took a deep breath, trying not to fall for the trick. "I would just be glad if you would shut the fuck up."
"Don't be a prick. What kind of man rejects a hot cheerleader for a girlfriend?"
"A wise man, probably," Percy said, already fed up with this. "Can't you use your fangs to break the cuffs?"
Kelli seemed offended. "I'm not a rat to chew down on metal, Percy."
"How did he even manage to cut my connection to water anyway?" The demigod asked, more to himself than to the empousa.
"Alabaster is annoying, but he is smart. He has had a vendetta against you since the days of the Titan War. Not even Luke spoke so lowly of you. Have you tested any of your other powers, though?"
Percy couldn't help but grimace. "Trust me, if it was just me, you, and him, I would summon the biggest storm ever or a magnitude 10 earthquake. But with her here…" He paused, trying to formulate a plan. "Where even is she?"
"The child?" Kelli said. "Around. I can't say for certain. If you do break out, he will want to use her as leverage."
"And can't you betray him when we are inevitably at a stand-off?"
"Do you know why I was helping him?" She asked.
"No. Enlighten me."
Kelli sighed. "Because Hecate commanded me. She demanded that I was to meet Alabaster and help him with his plans. She probably doesn't know what he's up to, however. She always said for her to avoid messing with you."
"Which means that we have a few ways out of this, the most efficient involving murder," Percy said, getting up from the ground. "Where's my sword?"
"Probably with him, if it hasn't come back to your pocket," Kelli said, crossing her arms.
"Just wonderful," Percy muttered angrily. "Can I even leave here?"
"Well, probably, but he is soon gonna notice something is up and probably kill me."
Percy put his mind to work, trying to formulate a plan. Finally, a spark lit up inside of his head.
"Tell me, Kelli." The son of Poseidon said with mischief. "How good are you with the Mist?"
Outside, the sun was already up, but with all curtains closed, it still seemed like noon. Alabaster sat in the same room he had received Percy Jackson, staring intensely into the flames of the fireplace.
Capturing Jackson wasn't really the problem with this whole plan. His mother had advised him of that in the past. Keeping him captured would be the issue. Kelli obviously had some sort of feelings for Jackson, as she had with Luke all those years ago, but it shouldn't be a problem. If anything, it would motivate her better to use him as she wished, and that was enough for Alabaster. He just wanted Percy Jackson to suffer, because of course, if he was killed, he would undoubtedly be welcomed into paradise, perhaps even the Isles of the Blessed without the three benevolent lives. Given how biased the gods were, it wouldn't surprise Alabaster.
His best leverage was the child. A daughter of Neptune. The revelation that Roman demigods existed had been shocking to him in the past, but not anymore. Camp Jupiter had proven itself to be just as naive as Camp Half-Blood in its service to the gods. The child would undoubtedly be powerful, but she was too vulnerable. Keeping her chained with Celestial Bronze also repelled any potential outbursts of power.
The same applied to Jackson, but in turn not really, since he was a threat even with his bare hands. The spell that Alabaster had crafted prevented the son of Poseidon from controlling liquids, something that made the son of Hecate fairly proud. He had made progress before finding this girl, but only after kidnapping her, it had been possible for him to cast a spell that would cut the connection of water-based beings to water, especially demigods. He hadn't believed for something like this to be possible, but it most certainly was.
Of course, there was the problem of the other powers that Jackson possessed. Namely the earthshaker and stormbringer abilities. But if he wanted the girl to live, he wouldn't destroy the manor with a tornado. It's unlikely she would get out of this if he did that.
"Torrington!" He heard Kelli calling from outside the room. Sighing, he grabbed Jackson's sword, still in its pen form, previously placed at the armchair. Alabaster walked down the hallway, opening the second door to his left, finding a glaring empousa inside.
"So?"
"He's unconscious. I sure did a number on him." Kelli grinned viciously, revealing that her fangs were tinted red, a thin line of blood coming out her mouth.
"Whatever," Alabaster said with a slight shiver. Even to his standards, Kelli was too much. "And are you interested in the girl?"
"Not really…" Kelli said, a finger over her mouth. "I much more prefer the blood of men like him," She said, licking the blood. "Don't worry, though, you're not my type" The empousa added when she noticed the look Alabaster was giving her.
"Just… leave, alright." He said nervously. "I will see him now."
Kelli shrugged. "Fine. If you want, I'll keep an eye on the girl."
Alabaster narrowed his eyes. "You're not allowed to kill her today, Kelli."
"I already said it, I'm not interested in her." The empousa told him. "We should be sure that she doesn't break free or anything. Where are you even keeping her? Don't you trust me with that information?"
"My best bet would be to not do that, but if your awful mannerisms mean anything is that you're at least on board with this operation," Alabaster said, eyeing up her bloody fangs. "First door to the left when you leave this room. Do not kill her, Kelli, or else I will tell Hecate and you will have to deal with her ire, not mine."
"Yeah, Torrington, call your mom, be a baby." Before Alabaster could answer, the monster stormed out, leaving him on his own. Storing Jackson's sword in his own pocket, he carefully strode towards the makeshift cell that the son of Poseidon was in. When he opened the door, the scene inside immediately made his stomach turn in repulse.
That amount of blood shouldn't belong to a still living man, but Jackson was still breathing, his body splattered across the ground. He was shirtless, with deep cuts all across his torso and probably his back as well. His face was bruised, with blood coming out of his mouth. Both of his eyes were closed.
Alabaster approached the man he held despide so much at a slow pace, staring at the work Kelli had done. He didn't feel pitiful for him, but this was too much. He wouldn't live past another round of this. Reluctantly, Alabaster kneeled down near Jackson and started chanting quietly a row of healing spells he had learned from Hecate himself during his service in the Titan Army. But a frown appeared on his face when the spells didn't seem to do much, the bruises and wounds remaining the same. This wasn't right. Turning back to face Jackson, Alabaster was frozen when he found two sea-green orbs staring at him, like a predator eyeing its prey. A bloody grin follow, before Jackson jumped on him ferociously.
Alabaster barely had time to react before he was tackled to the ground by the son of Poseidon, who didn't seem to be minding the wounds present on his body, instead focused on holding the son of Hecate, who had knocked his head on the floor.
"How?!" Was all that Alabaster could muster as Jackson looked at him from above, overpowering him despite the chains.
"A little trickery," Percy answered with his right foot pressing Alabaster's neck, making the blonde start gasping for air.
"N-No!" Alabaster let those words out with difficulty, but not in the tone of pleading. At least he wasn't a coward, Percy thought. Out of nowhere. however, he felt a pain in his leg and was thrown away from the son of Hecate. Percy landed uglily on the ground, hitting his nose on the cell's cobblestone floor.
"How ingenious," Alabaster said getting a hold of his breath, getting up from the ground to face Percy, who was already on his feet, albeit still dizzy from the fall. "I'd imagine Chiron would teach you how to manipulate Mist. But you seem awfully good at it." He said while staring at the fake wounds, the Mist disguise fading off, revealing that Percy's chest and face were free of injuries. "Too good."
"Practice leads to perfection." Percy weighed his options. Without a sword and with his hands chained, he wouldn't be able to hold for too long if Alabaster cast a spell for him to levitate or anything that would incapacitate him. No, he needed something better.
"Does it?" Alabaster asked with a glare. "How exactly do you picture yourself winning under these circumstances, Jackson?"
"I'm not usually the guy with a plan, Torrington. No need to overthink situations."
"Is that true?" Alabaster raised his hands menacingly, both palms becoming engulfed in a black cloud that screamed danger. "Let's put it to the test, then."
The first raven ball of whatever the hell that energy was flew towards Percy at a speed he wasn't accounting for, barely managing to dodge it. This brought back memories from so long ago, playing dodgeball against Laistrygonians alongside Tyson. Flaming dodgeballs, he could probably manage that, but those black orbs seemed too deadly for comfort. He kept running and ducking, trying as hard as he could to avoid getting hit, but Alabaster didn't seem to stop. slowly closing the distance between the two. Eventually, he would get hit, and he needed to exploit it somehow.
Soon, Alabaster shot orbs with both of his hands, crying out as he did it. Percy widened his eyes, he wouldn't be able to avoid both of them. The only thing he could do was to turn around on his back, trying to make the orb hit the handcuffs. The impact was painful, and he was once more thrown away, this time to the other side of the room, hitting the wall hard. He was sure some of his ribs had been broken, but to his delight, his arms were free. He was somewhat weakened, tired, hungry, and wounded, but even in this state, he was better off than being chained.
"What do you think?" Percy provoked with a grin, receiving a piercing glare from the green eyes of the son of Hecate as he showed the broken handcuff.
"You are still defenseless. Chainless or not, you don't have either of your weapons!"
"Is that so?" Percy responded with a grin as he felt something inside of his right pocket. "Or were you stupid enough to walk near me when your magic is at your weakest?"
Alabaster seemed taken aback. "What?"
Percy grinned even more. "You probably should have kept the sword with Kelli if you were coming here in the daytime, which if I had to guess, it already is. I've been around your siblings enough to know that most of them aren't at their best when the sun is up." With that, he removed his pen from his pocket and uncapped it, revealing Riptide's might, the celestial bronze xiphos glowing in the dark cell. "And you actually approached me at this time. What did you really expect? Clearly, your spell faded off."
Instead of answering, Alabaster once more cried in rage, shooting the dark orbs toward Percy, who by instinct positioned the sword in front of him, praying to all gods that it wouldn't break, and break Riptide did not. The impact knocked him a few feet away, but apart from that, he was fine. Grinning again, he ran towards Alabaster, who began shooting frantically, slowing Percy down through the process of dodging the orbs, but eventually, there was an opening that the Butcher exploited, sliding down on the floor and knocking Alabaster to the ground again.
The son of Hecate yelped in pain as his head hit the ground once again, and Percy didn't lose any time from that, grabbing Alabaster through the shirt and headbutting him. True, Percy himself felt the pain, but it was the blonde who got it the worst, falling limp to the ground. The son of Poseidon soon also dropped to the floor, feeling the tiredness come to light as the adrenaline of the battle faded. The door to the cell opened moments after, revealing a Kelli now in her cheerleader disguise grabbing a small girl by the hand. The child didn't look as scared as before, perhaps she had not seen Kelli in her human form and thought it was a different person.
"That was intense." The empousa said.
"All you can say after all of that is that it was intense?" Percy said as he limped towards his shirt and jacket, putting them on.
"I was appreciating the view, you know," Kelli complained as he zipped the jacket. "But I guess there are other priorities. I think someone's trying to break into here."
At that, Percy got up, ignoring his body's protests as the pain returned. "Really? And why didn't you open it?"
"The keys are with him." Kelli pointed with her head in the direction of the fallen son of Hecate. Percy scrambled through Alabaster's pockets, quickly finding a set of ancient-looking keys.
"We should be good," Percy said, examining the object. His attention was turned away from the keys when she noticed the girl – his sister – staring at him with what seemed to be faint recognition. Undoubtedly because of his eyes. Did Poseidon – or Neptune for that matter, ever visit the girl? Perhaps that was the reason for her look. "Can I trust you to open the door?" Percy said to Kelli.
The empousa looked between him and the daughter of Neptune, understanding the situation. "Fine, whatever. If I get killed by whoever is at the door, I will hunt you until you die when I reform."
"Just go."
Kelli shook her head angrily and left the cell, leaving the door open. Now it was only Percy and his sister, who was standing at the doorway, visibly reluctant of approaching him.
"So…" He started, trying to break the awkward silence that had emerged. "Marilla?"
The girl nodded sheepishly, still staring at him expectantly. It was scary how much her eyes were the same shape and color as Percy's. Marilla's raven hair was visibly dirty and splattered all across her small face, it made his heart clench to see someone in that state and a relative to him nonetheless.
"Who are you?" She asked weakly, but her voice was still pleasant to the ears.
"I'm…" Percy tried to find the best way to explain this. It wasn't usual for him to deal with children as young as Marilla. That thought made him remember that Annabeth had been just a year older than his sister when she first met Thalia and Luke. "I am your brother."
Marilla's eyes widened. "Brother?" She repeated.
"Yes, I'm here to rescue you." He approached her slowly, making sure not to make the poor girl even more scared.
"Where were you?" Those words felt like a dagger to his heart. The pain was palpable in her voice.
"I… I didn't know you existed until very recently. There's a reason for your life, our lives, to be so complicated." He paused, kneeling down so he was making direct eye contact. "Have you ever heard of the Roman gods? Or the Greek gods?"
"My… my mom used to speak of them a little bit. When she brought me to bed." A weak sob followed that information.
"Well, I have a secret to tell you." Percy didn't care for claiming in this situation, especially because the girl was a Roman, and at any rate, everyone would know her parentage. In his case, Chiron and Mr. D. without a doubt knew who his father was the moment they set their eyes on him. How Annabeth thought he was a son of Zeus was beyond him. "Your – our father, he is one of those gods. Neptune, the God of all seas and oceans."
For one so young, Marilla seemed to be receiving the news fairly well. If anything, there was a glint of hope now present in her eyes that made Percy's chest warm up a bit.
"Can I see him?" She asked innocently, which once more brought Percy back to the cold reality of the half-blood life.
"I will see if that's possible." He answered sincerely. At least one meeting. Poseidon could do worse. "But in the meantime, there's a safe place for you to go, where there will be more like me and you. We're called demigods, or half-bloods. Half mortal, half god."
"And where is it?" Marilla asked the previous spark of hope in her eyes now burning like flames.
"San Francisco. I will bring you there. Well, kind of. You will understand it all soon."
Marilla nodded, and at that moment, loud yelling was heard outside of the cell, startling both siblings.
"For the last time, I'm with him!" Kelli's voice sounded off in the distance.
"And for the last time, when we see him safe and sound then maybe I won't behead you!" The voice of Thalia Grace answered, quickly becoming louder.
"We're saved," Percy mumbled to Marilla and sat on the ground beside his sister, who eyed him curiously. Seconds later, four figures appeared at the doorway. Both Thalia and Reyna had their bows pointed at Kelli's head, while behind the three, Artemis stood with a serious and stoic face, but her eyes betrayed relief at the sight of Percy being fine, albeit injured.
"See?" Kelli spoke loudly. "Now get these cursed arrows away from my head. Stupid hunters." Kelli mumbled that last part in a whisper as Reyna and Thalia lowered their bows.
"Say one more word and you will not leave this manor in one piece," Artemis spoke coldly, before once more turning her attention to the sea siblings. "So, you've succeeded."
"At what cost, though?" Percy replied with a question, to which the goddess nodded, not taking her eyes off him, a weird look on her face. Reyna eyed the still figure of Alabaster on the ground.
"Who is that?" The daughter of Bellona asked, approaching the son of Hecate.
"That's Alabaster Torrington. Prodigy of Hecate, major a-hole, and probably enemy number one of Olympus considering that everyone else is either dead or on our side. He was the one to kidnap Marilla here." Percy pointed towards his sister, who seemed in awe as she stared at the group.
"Hi." The daughter of Neptune greeted sheepishly.
"Hello, young one," Artemis answered with a smile that Percy recognized all too well.
"Come on, let her see Camp Jupiter before trying to recruit her." He said, trying to dissuade them from pressuring his sister.
"You do know of the risks, right?" Reyna asked while she chained the unconscious Alabaster. Of course, his former praetor colleague knew how it had been when he had shown up as the son of Neptune.
"I'm willing to take them." He answered with resolve. "If Lupa doesn't think she will fit there, then you take her. How does that sound?"
"If such an arrangement can be made, then we will take it," Artemis announced, but even she didn't seem convinced. Of course, they all knew what happened to children that didn't pass Lupa's test.
"Good." Percy lay down on the ground, running his hands through his face. "May I pass out and hear the rebuking later?"
"I'm not gonna be carrying your sorry… face, with you unconscious," Thalia said, censoring herself when remembering Marilla still hearing the conversation.
"Good thing we have a goddess to help out with that," Percy said while looking at Artemis, who gave him a slight eye-roll. Taking this as her permission, his mind caved to the exhaustion and tiredness he was feeling and drifted away from consciousness.
To InsaneMakaioshin: I lied. Kind of. If any of you think I did Alabaster dirty, go read "Death and Magic" by Le Connoisseur. It's gonna be a better experience regarding him.