Chapter 9 - Chaos
Disclaimer: Yep. I still don't own anything. That hasn't changed.
Percy stared at the immortal deity. So... this was Chaos? He supposed she looked like Chaos. Looking at her dress more closely, Percy noticed tiny swirls of white, dotted throughout. Probably stars and galaxies. Her eyes had a similar effect. She was smiling at him patiently. It felt like she did that a lot. He felt a sense of peace around her. But he got the impression that was because she wanted him to feel at peace. He figured she could just as easily inspire pants-wetting terror into anyone she pleased, and Percy was no exception.
"You... want me... to join you?" he asked, more confused than was possible to put into words.
"Yes, of course," she replied as if he had just asked her if the sky was blue.
"Uhm. And, why is that?"
"Well, that's all a bit complicated. And I suppose the term 'Army' might be a little bit misleading. We're more of a police force. We haven't had a proper war in a very long time. We step into them from time to time, but we haven't had one of our own."
Percy stared at her. She was rambling a little bit. She seemed to realize.
"Sorry," she said, smiling sheepishly, "I got a little off-topic. Basically, a very very long time ago, the various planets of the universe were starting to get a little bit out of hand. There was a lot of crime to deal with, on billions of different planets. It became too much for even me to deal with alone. So, I started recruiting. It started out as a member or two, here and there, but it's built up quite a bit. Right now, we have billions of members, each of them going where needed, to maintain peace throughout the universe, in whatever capacity they can."
Percy sat for a moment and absorbed what she had told him. It was quite a bit to comprehend. He had heard a few myths about Chaos, but there were very few of them. Very little was known about her. And here she was, the single oldest being that had ever existed, and would ever exist, sitting and chatting with him.
"Annabeth would have loved this," he thought glumly.
"So, how exactly do I fit in?"
"Well, I like to keep my eye out for talented individuals who might make a good fit for our Army. You are one such person."
"Seriously? You think I would do well in your Army? I don't see why you'd need me, based off of the welcoming committee I met earlier."
Chaos laughed lightly.
"Again, sorry about them. They're good warriors, but sorely lacking in the 'people skills' department."
"If they're so crappy with people, then why did you send them to welcome me?"
"Honestly? They're the most friendly options available."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" he said to the creator of the universe.
"I really wish I were. But over here, we're far more focused on efficiency than pleasantries. I'm sure you'll get used to it. Eventually."
"You know, I still haven't agreed to join you."
"You will."
"Is that a fact?"
"Yes, actually, it is."
"And what makes you so confident about that."
"I haven't made my full offer yet."
"Ah, so is this where you tell me that you'll give me a great position within the army, and I'll have some really cool room, and awesome powers?" he said sarcastically.
Chaos, the mother of all existence, snorted.
"Yeah, right! You'll start out as a grunt, you'll sleep in the barracks, and you'll get a few minor improvements, but that's it for now."
"Ok, what the fuck?"
"Sorry kid. But no, that wasn't my offer. My offer is this. If you join me, then I will guarantee you, that someday, somehow, you will kill your brother."
Now she had Percy's attention. At that moment, there precious little Percy would have wanted to do more, than kill his traitorous, murderous, psychotic 'brother'.
"And what's to stop me from leaving here right now, and killing him on my own?"
"I'm afraid that won't work out very well for you. Do you remember the first thing I said to you?"
Percy thought back.
"The word 'sleep'?" he asked.
"Yep. That knocked you out for around 2 weeks."
"It WHAT?" he asked, eyes going wide as saucers.
"You needed your rest. Then, after your little fight, you were unconscious for another 3."
"Fucking hell!"
"Yeah."
"Shit, I wasn't expecting that."
"That's alright."
"How does that relate to my brother?"
"What; you think he's spent his time sitting around? He's a lot smarter than you ever gave him credit for, Percy. Since you never explained what you had discovered to anyone, Jack has had full control over the narrative, back on earth. He's managed to convince everyone, including the Gods, that you attacked him out of nowhere. That you lost it when your mother and fiancee died. He's made himself out to be the victim. He even managed to talk them into giving him Godhood."
Percy felt his insides go cold. No. No fucking way that sack of shit would get to do what he did, and then just live happily ever after as a fucking GOD. Percy wouldn't allow it.
Chaos seemed to read his thoughts.
"Remember my offer. You'll get him. When the time is right, but not a moment before."
Well, that was something. He still couldn't quite believe it. His brother had actually managed to weasel his way out of everything. He had somehow won. Add insult to injury, he had managed to convince everyone that he, Jack, was in the right, while Percy was just some grief-stricken lunatic.
"Chaos," Percy began slowly, as a realization dawned on him, "When you said 'everyone', does that include..."
"No, your friends don't believe him. In fact, I could have phrased that better. He mainly convinced Camp Half-Blood, since they saw the actual attack. The Romans are adamant that their former Praetor wouldn't do such a thing. Your friends, Jason and Piper, live there now. Clarisse LaRue, Will Solace, and Connor and Travis Stoll believe that there must be some kind of explanation but have chosen to remain at Camp Half-Blood to train the campers. Katie Gardner and Lou Ellen are the same."
That served as some small comfort to him. He had been through enough lately without his closest friends losing faith in him. Knowing that they believed him was something. He didn't really care that the campers thought he was a murderer. He didn't care what they thought of him at all. The fact that the Gods were against him, could prove to be a complication. He'd deal with it.
"You swear that I'll get to kill him if I join you."
"I swear."
Percy said nothing for a few moments, trying to figure out if she was being completely honest. In all his experience with deities, he had found that they so rarely told the entire truth. But he found himself believing her. Not for any reason that he could put into words; he simply did. Either he'd become far more naive in his 5 weeks of unconsciousness, or she was trustworthy. Percy opted for the latter.
"Fine."
Then, and only then, for some reason, something occurred to him, "Wait a minute. Why did you pull me out of the fight? You said that you pulled me out, found that I was in rough shape, and I've been unconscious ever since, and that's how Jack consolidated power in camp and with the Gods. Why did you pull me out though?"
Chaos raised an eyebrow at him.
"Percy, you were about to die. There was a reason I didn't waste any time once you got here. You needed to be treated as quickly as possible. Jack's cut to the stomach sliced open your abdominal aorta. If I hadn't brought you here, you would have bled out, roughly 7 seconds later."
Percy wanted to believe her, but there was no way for him to be sure. There was a good chance she was manipulating him. Taking the kill away from him when he had it, and dangling it over his head like bait so that he would join her army/police force. But he wanted to believe her. Not that he had a choice, really. If he went back to Earth, there would be no way to get to Jack. Even if he let it go with Jack and just tried to live a normal life, the Gods would find him and kill him. He wouldn't get the chance to explain his side of the story. And he didn't even have any proof of what Jack had done.
His one and only chance was to join Chaos.
"Alright, I accept. I'll join you. Is there any way we can negotiate the starting position though? I spent a long time working my way up the ranks at camp, I really don't want to start from the bottom now."
Chaos just laughed at him.
"Nope. You start where everyone else starts. People would complain, otherwise. But don't worry. If you work hard, push yourself at training and studying, then maybe you advance to the next stage of training in 200 hundred years."
"I'm sorry, I think you misspoke. I might advance, when?"
"I never misspeak, my dear. 200 years. My people are the very best, and there's a reason for that."
"Come on! You said yourself that you chose me because I'm good, why do I need even more training?"
"You are good. I need you to be flawless. Work hard, you'll advance in the time frame I gave you. If not, it will take you longer."
Percy took a deep breath. He reminded himself that he had no choice. He just didn't want to spend the next 200 years doing nothing but training. But apparently, he needed to.
"Alright. I accept."
Chaos grinned at him.
"Great! Now come on, I'll give you the tour. There's a lot to see."
Percy got up and followed Chaos. For the first time since he had arrived in her realm, he left the medical room. He had a vague thought about how he had been sustained while he had been asleep for so long. He figured Chaos would answer during the tour.
"First, we're going to walk down to the training area, since that's where you'll be spending the vast majority of your time."
They left the building they had been in, and Percy's jaw fell agape. He was stunned. Chaos' realm was beautiful. There was a series of skyscrapers throughout a massive city, which looked massive from their point of view on the street. They were all black, but they weren't painted black. They looked like that was simply their natural color. Looking more closely at them, they didn't look like they were made out of any material Percy had ever seen on Earth. Chaos saw him wondering, and must have decided to fill in the gaps for him.
"They're made out of a special kind of material, which can only be found here. I call it 'Chaotic Obsidian'. I know it's not exactly the most creative name, but oh well. It's really strong and very light. Plus, I think it looks cool, so there's that."
Percy nodded mutely. He felt like it would be for the best if he didn't try to participate much during the tour, instead focusing on taking everything in. They strolled down the streets casually. He supposed they were heading towards the training area as she had said, but they were taking their time. Chaos was pointing out whatever random thing she saw that Percy might be interested in. There were tons of bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys, stadiums, and concert halls. He doubted he would go to any of them. He liked doing that stuff with his friends. With Annabeth. Annabeth was gone. And his friends weren't with him. He couldn't see himself having any real kind of fun without them. Without her.
After an hour of walking through the amazing city, they reached an enormous structure. It looked 5 times taller than the Empire State Building. It looked 5 times wider too. It was difficult to comprehend, even though he was looking right at it. As if his brain was struggling to compute what his eyes were sending it. Before Chaos said a word about it, he knew. That was the training center. It would have to be. It made sense that it was the size it was. If training new recruits took 200 years, and Chaos recruited people somewhat regularly, then there would have to be tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in training currently. They would need a massive facility to handle them all at once.
"Now, this," Chaos told him excitedly, "Is where you'll be spending the next 200 years. You'll learn here. You'll train here. You'll exercise here. You'll sleep here. And then you'll do it all again."
"I'm guessing I'll eat here too? I mean, there has to be a mess hall somewhere in this thing, right?"
"Ah, that's right. I forgot to tell you. No, Percy, you won't be eating here, or anywhere else for that matter. There's no need for sustenance here, Percy. All of your needs are taken care of by the atmosphere. You're kept saturated and hydrated automatically, as long as you're here. Some recruits drink protein shakes as they work out, and there are bars and cafes, but you don't need to drink anything."
Percy blinked. That seemed insane. But he supposed he had seen crazier. He was, after all, in a conversation with the woman who created the entire universe. A planet that sustained its inhabitants might not be too far-fetched.
Percy and Chaos walked into the building. It looked appropriately grand on the inside. It looked like it was made for kings and queens. Everything was ultra-modern. The floors were made of black marble, which was so clean that it literally gleamed. The room was lit by a chandelier that hung from the ceiling. There were also lights mounted to the wall. There weren't many surfaces in the room, since it was just the entrance, but Percy guessed that they would all be made of black marble matching the floor. It was very well made.
Chaos led Percy down one of the hallways. He wasn't sure where, exactly, she was leading him, but he was willing to follow her. They passed several people on the way. Each and every one of them, glared at Percy with obvious disdain as they walked by, but didn't dare say anything. Now when he was with Chaos. Percy didn't know what he had done to deserve such a thing, but he gave as good as he got. He glared right back at them. He made a note to ask Chaos about that later. They couldn't possibly be so unwelcoming that they would just hate anyone on sight. There must have been something special about him, that brought it out in them. He made a note to ask her about that once they were somewhere slightly more private.
At the end of the hallway, it opened up to a massive room. It was bigger than the Throne Room on Olympus. It was bigger than anything Percy had ever seen. It was clearly some kind of training room. The ceilings were insanely high. A God could stand on another God's shoulders and stretch his hand up, and still not even come close to touching the ceiling. There were several boxing rings set up throughout the room. There were also floor mats, like Percy had seen in a few dojos. There were dozens of punching bags around the place. There were also some exercise machines spread around. Deadlifts, bench presses, free weights, pull-up bars, and running machines.
The room was full of people. Percy couldn't even begin to count them. There were probably more than 5000 people in there, and they were all working out. A lot of them had paired up on the mats and in the rings, sparring with each other. Percy tried to watch them, but he could barely even follow them with his eyes. They were moving far too quickly. All he could really see was a blur of limbs.
"This is the unarmed combat training area. You never know when you might have to get down and dirty with someone without a weapon. Sometimes missions don't go like you expect them to, and you're forced to take care of things up close. We like to make sure that any member of our organization is prepared for such an event."
There were dozens of drones flying around, giving pointers and instructions. Apparently, Chaos used machines to instruct. She must have seen him reach that conclusion, so she spoke up.
"We don't use drones exclusively. There are around 100 people in here, that provide instruction to the trainees. They're full members of the army, each of them with over 1000 years of experience. The drones are just there to help out; the trainers provide all of the main instruction."
That made enough sense to Percy. Best to get the people with hands-on experience to guide the newer generations. Plus, it told him something about her organization. Something he liked knowing. If the trainers had 1000 years of experience, and there were 200 years of training, that meant that all of the trainers had been actively serving for over 800 years. That was a long time. And they obviously hadn't been killed in that time. The fact that someone could go 800 years without being killed, meant one of 2 things. Either they were given very easy assignments the entire time, or Chaos didn't lose very many troops. And Percy was willing to bet that Chaos gave out no easy assignments. As a future member of her army, Percy was glad to hear that he would have great odds. If he made sure to become the best possible version of himself.
There wasn't very much else to see in that room, so they moved on to the next. They walked all the way through the training room, which took a damn long time, and came to a door that Chaos opened. On the other side of the door, was another room almost exactly like the one they had just come from. Percy was kind of stunned. He hadn't expected another room quite so similar. But there were some small differences. This one had the same boxing rings and floor mats. There were more exercise machines. But there were racks of weapons in this one. All of them were close-quarters. There were thousands of knives, swords, daggers, spears, and everything imaginable. It was kind of amazing to see. There were thousands more people in this room, just like the last. But in this one, they were all using weapons. Mainly they were using knives. If Percy had to guess, he would say that knives were the main backup weapon of the army. If something happened to your main, you pulled out the secondary.
"This is where we do armed, close-quarters combat training. The main weapons used in my army, are guns. We'll see those next. But we mainly use knives as backups. There are also swords and spears and stuff, but we don't spend too much time with those. You probably aren't going to be in a situation where you need to use something like that."
"Then what's the point? Why train to use them at all, if we aren't going to?"
"Think of it as a precaution. You never know what might happen on some mission. Maybe your main weapon gets lost or damaged. Maybe your knife gets blown out of your hand. Maybe the only weapon you can get your hands on is a sword or a spear. As I said, that's very unlikely, but we like to train for every eventuality."
Percy found that to be fair enough. If his experience with quests had taught him anything, it was that plans rarely went as you expected them to. It was for the best to be prepared for anything.
They moved on again. They walked all the way through the room and came to an elevator. They rode down a level. They'd been on the ground level before, so they must have been underground. Once the doors opened, Percy was presented with another enormous room. This one was larger than the other 2 combined. It was obviously a shooting range. They stepped out into a section of the room. One wall was made into a gun rack. There were thousands of different types of guns. There were pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and even rocket launchers. Clearly, Chaos liked her troops to be well-armed. Opposite the gun rack, there was a waist-high barrier, and beyond that there were targets. It looked like the massive shooting range was split into sections. There were targets as close as 50 yards, and as far away as 5 miles.
Percy was in awe. He had never seen anything like that in his life. He had a feeling he would be spending a lot of time in that room. He had a decent grasp of hand-to-hand combat, both armed and unarmed. He could handle a knife, and he was pretty good with his fists. But he had never even held a gun before. That meant that he would need to put in a lot more work, for far lesser results. But there was no way around it. He simply needed to put in the practice. Taking another look around the room, Percy noticed something he hadn't seen before.
"Bows?"
"Hmm? Oh, right. Yes, bows."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you use bows and arrows? You've got sniper rifles here, why would you need bows?"
"Another precaution. You see, not all planets in the Universe are as advanced as Earth. Some are far further along, and others are far behind. If you had to kill someone on a planet that has only just discovered aqueducts, you can't exactly use a high-powered rifle."
That might lead to a bit of a problem for Percy. He truly hated archery. He had always sucked at it. Maybe he could improve with a good amount of practice. He had the next 200 years to train, so he supposed he might manage to become decent in that time.
They had pretty much seen everything they needed to see in that room, so they moved on one more time. They got back into the elevator and went down one more floor. Once the doors opened, Percy wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. It was a small room, closed off in cement. There was a gap in one of the walls, where it looked like there was a hallway, but that was just about it. Chaos noticed his confusion.
"I thought this might stump you a little bit. This is our tactical room. Or, 'scenario room' if you prefer. Throughout this floor, we've got a bunch of different rooms set up. We do role-playing. A team is sent into one of the rooms, where there is a scenario in play. It's usually used to train for hostage situations. A team will be sent in, and there will be terrorists and hostages spread throughout. The team has to clear the room of hostiles, without hurting or killing a hostage. The floor is littered with a bunch of different designs so that the teams can train for any environment."
Percy was impressed. He had heard about something like that at Quantico, where they trained the FBI. He should have figured that Chaos had something similar. He could see himself spending a long time down there.
Percy and Chaos got back in the elevator and went to the very top floor. She told him that the first 3 floors above the ground floor, were gyms. After the gyms, there were several floors of classrooms. He wasn't entirely sure what they would be learning, but if Chaos thought it was important, he was willing to go with it.
Then everything between the classrooms and the top floor, was barracks for the recruits. Apparently, the regular members of the army/police force were assigned apartments in the city. She also explained that there were a few buildings that she would show him later. Buildings with courses that were more acrobatically oriented. Percy tried to ask her what she meant, but she just smiled and said that she would tell him later.
The doors to the elevator opened, and Percy was confronted with the most beautiful room he had seen so far. While the rest looked very good, they were far more geared towards function, rather than fashion. He had expected nothing less. But the top floor looked like the exact opposite. Everything was so ornate. Like everywhere else, the room was floored by the 'Chaotic obsidian', as Chaos had called it. There were several bonsai trees spread through the office. There were a few waterfalls, which Percy appreciated. The room was dominated by a massive oak desk that was stationed near the far wall. There was a giant black leather chair behind it. Percy knew without being told, that he was standing in Chaos' personal office.
Chaos stepped out of the elevator and walked straight toward her desk with the grace of a panther. She may have acted aloof earlier, but he was suddenly fully aware that this was the most powerful entity in the universe. Her entire demeanor seemed to have changed as soon as they had arrived. She hadn't exactly lost her charm, but she was certainly far more business-like. A lot more serious. Percy could almost taste the power that was radiating off of her. And he knew that she was keeping it in check. He was sure that if she let her aura go free, he would be forced to his knees from the sheer pressure. He became very aware that this was not someone he wanted to piss off.
The creator of the universe sat behind her desk and motioned for him to sit in the empty seat across from her. He strode forward, trying to project some confidence. He wasn't sure if he succeeded or not. He was an excellent liar, and he was sure that any outside observer would have thought that he was the most confident man in the world. But with Chaos, it was more of a 50-50.
"This, my dear Percy, is where we seal the deal. There's one more little perk that you get with signing with me."
"And what's that?"
"You get my blessing."
"Your blessing?"
"Yep."
"And what exactly does that mean for me?"
"Well, that's a little bit complicated. You see, my blessings don't work as any normal deity's would. There are... stages."
"And by stages, you mean..."
"It's all a bit complicated. When a God blesses a mortal, it's like they're carving off a very small portion of their power, and giving it to the mortal. As a result, the mortal receives a little boost. The blessing will either amplify a certain trait they may have or give them an entirely new power. It depends on the God offering the blessing. But, that doesn't really work with me. As the creator of the universe, I'm quite powerful, you see."
"If I may ask, just how powerful are we talking?"
"Well, I could kill all of the Olympians, simultaneously, with a thought."
Percy's eyes went wide. He had known that Chaos would have to be powerful. He had certainly realized that she would have to be more powerful than the Olympians. It just made sense. But he hadn't expected the balance of power to be quite so steep. His earlier assessment that he didn't want to piss her off, was confirmed yet again.
"Because of my level of power, if I were to simply bless any individual, that individual would combust instantaneously. It would be quite a waste to have that happen to you, I think you'll agree."
Percy agreed.
"So, my solution was to do it in stages. Unfortunately, no one has ever been able to handle my full blessing. There are six stages to it, and most have to stop at the third. A fair amount have made it to the fourth. Some have made it to the 5th, but not many. There has never been anyone to make it to the 6th. Different people's bodies can handle different amounts of power before popping like a balloon."
Percy took a second to absorb that.
"Alright, that makes sense to me. So what are the stages?"
"The first stage is quite boring. It will give you an extensive physical boost. That means that your strength, stamina, durability, and all of your senses will be enhanced considerably. You'll be made immune to the vast majority of poisons and toxins throughout the universe. And obviously, you'll be made partially immortal."
Percy took a moment to absorb that. It didn't seem boring at all. But there were a few things that needed to be clarified. He didn't want to get involved with anything until he knew precisely what he was getting himself into. The part about the toxins was pretty clear-cut. As was the part about partial immortality.
"And just how 'considerably' are we talking?"
"You remember your welcoming committee?"
Percy did remember them. The girl had been so damn fast, that he could barely register her movements. And that big guy had been so strong, that he had lifted Percy off the ground, by the neck, with one hand. He hadn't even struggled with it. The girl had been really strong too. The big guy had also managed to rejoin the fight, mere seconds after getting his eye nearly poked out. And Percy had shoved the girl's head into the ground pretty viciously several times, and she hadn't even gone unconscious. The pair were clearly durable. If Percy were able to become as strong, fast, and durable as them it would be a game-changer.
"What about the boost to my senses?"
"Ah. Well, naturally, the results vary from person to person. Some people only pick up slight enhancements for all five senses. Others, can hear a conversation from five miles away, as if it was being shouted in their ear. Obviously, most fall into the middle ground between those two. You'll probably even be able to navigate your surroundings with your eyes closed, just by mapping out the area around you with the rest of your senses."
Percy was stunned by that. It was an amazing ability to have. And it was the ultimate power for an assassin. Chaos hadn't outright told him that that's what he would become, but it seemed like a part of the job, based on what she had said by that point. Having an all-encompassing radar sense would certainly come in handy.
"I'll be honest Chaos, that doesn't sound all too boring to me."
She smiled at him.
"You just think that now. Wait until you hear the next stages."
"And what might they be?"
"Well, all of the stages of my blessing are designed to make you all better at what you do."
"And what we do, is kill for you."
"Precisely," she said brightly, "Everything I give you is geared towards making you all the perfect killing machines. The physical boost is just the first step, though an important one. The second step is a massive boost to your healing. It will be enough to allow you to heal from most wounds in a matter of hours. You'll still be able to be killed, unfortunately. I couldn't make you fully immortal, without making you Gods. But broken bones will heal in a few hours, rather than weeks or months."
Percy nodded. That made enough sense. What good is a soldier that can't fight? Better to make sure that they were always able. It was a good second step.
"What's the third?"
"You're familiar with the powers of a child of Hades?"
Percy's eyes almost bugged right out of his skull.
"Seriously?"
"Mostly. There's nothing to do with the dead, but there's a lot more shadow stuff. You'll have the ability to manipulate shadows, become completely invisible in darkness, and shadow travel."
Again, it made sense to Percy. Depending on the assignment, the ability to move through shadows with perfect stealth would be invaluable.
"The fourth?"
"Shapeshifting."
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Nope."
"Shapeshifting?"
"Yep."
Percy stared at her. It made sense. What better way to blend into a crowd, than to transform into an entirely different person? It just seemed so far-fetched.
"There are a few limitations, of course," Chaos said.
Of course, there were. Percy wouldn't have been able to believe it otherwise.
"And those are?"
"Well, your height will never be able to change by more than 4 inches. Your weight will never be able to change by more than 50 pounds. You cannot shapeshift to resemble inanimate objects. Other than that, you'll be able to shift as you please."
Percy stared at her, open-mouthed.
"And there's no limit on how often I can do it?"
"You can do it as much as you please. I'm told it can take some practice at the start to get it right, it can be somewhat tiring, and quite uncomfortable, but that's it."
Alright, so there was a little bit more to it. Chaos said that it was somewhat tiring. But she was Chaos. Who knew what she considered 'somewhat'. But Percy was willing to wait to find out.
"Alright then. That'll sure be interesting. What's the fifth?"
Chaos smiled at him.
"The fifth is my favorite, by far. It's like putting an encyclopedia right into your brain."
Percy blinked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard me. Practically unlimited knowledge at your fingertips."
Percy was truly amazed. That seemed insane. It was probably the most powerful ability of any she had just told him about. Percy was extremely smart on his own, but with the extra knowledge boost, he would get a lot smarter. If he could consider every situation, from every angle, then he would be able to perform virtually any task. He was aware that Chaos said that it was an encyclopedia in his head, so that would give him a lot of information, but it wouldn't change the way he thought. But the added data, plus the way he already thought, would make him equipped for virtually any situation. He had a goal. He would be one of the few to reach the 5th level.
He swallowed hard.
"That's... umm... wow."
Chaos smiled at him again.
"I'm glad you appreciate the 5th stage. A lot of people think it's boring compared to the rest. It seems I made the right decision in bringing you here, Percy."
"Well, I aim to please," he tried to joke, but without much success. He was still stunned.
She laughed a little bit before continuing.
"The 6th stage is truly unique. You couldn't possibly get it from any other source. I am the only way to get it, in the entire universe. The 6th stage is 2 things. The first is flight. It's highly adjustable. You would be able to move at supersonic speeds or float perfectly still. All dependant on your wishes. The other part is a fraction of my main power. You would be given control over matter."
Percy blinked at her.
"Is she saying what I think she's saying?" he thought.
Chaos nodded at him.
"It means exactly what you think it means. You would be able to pull molecule from molecule. Or, if you were so inclined, piece them together. You would be able to tear anything to pieces or assemble any structure. You would be able to change any type of molecule. You could change dirt into diamond if you wished. There are a few limitations to this, of course. You wouldn't be able to do it to anything living. But aside from that, you would have free range. But as I said previously, no one has ever managed to handle it."
That seemed... distinctly unfair.
He had one last question for Chaos before he could get started.
"Could I ask you a question?"
"Sure, anything."
"When we were walking through the training rooms earlier, and through the hallways, everyone was glaring at me like I'd murdered their parents. What's that about?" I know you said that they aren't the friendliest bunch, but it doesn't look like they hate anyone else like that. I couldn't have already done something to piss them off, right?"
Chaos took a breath. She seemed uncomfortable. And maybe a little bit annoyed. If not, angry.
"Yes, that's something I really should have mentioned. You see, we recruit from any planet where we see someone with potential. And... Well, you're the first person from Earth we've ever recruited. All of our members, or trainees, are from other planets."
"So... what? It's a species thing?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes I suppose so. Percy... It's very hard to say this politely... But all of the rest of them, are naturally far more powerful than you."
Percy blinked at her again. That was a shock. He truly hadn't been expecting that. Ever since he was 12, he had always been seen as a kind of a leader. He had never asked to be seen that way, but he had been. As a son of one of the Big Three, he was pretty powerful. He had always had a decent grasp of his powers. Aside from Thalia, Jason, Nico, and Bianca for a while, he was the only child of any of the Big Three. People had always seen him as powerful. And now being told that he was at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy felt strange. Of course, he would soon show them all that he was no one to be fucked with, but it still felt weird.
"How, exactly?"
"A lot of them just come from much tougher planets than Earth. They've grown up having to contend with tougher atmospheres, or harsher gravity. Some of them already had heightened strength and speed before they even got my first blessing. Trust me, comparatively, humans have it pretty easy."
"Gee, thanks."
Chaos beamed at him.
"You're very welcome!"
He wasn't entirely sure if she was just fucking with him, or if she genuinely didn't understand that he was being sarcastic. Reminding himself of the aura she had exuded when they had first entered her office, he decided not to question her.
"Alright. Is there anything else I should know before I get started?"
"I think you're pretty much set. You ready for the first part of my blessing?"
"I think I'm about as ready as I'll ever be."
"That's the spirit!"
Chaos reached out and put her hands on his temples. For a second, there was nothing. Then he felt it. It started as a low pressure in the center of his head. It grew considerably. His eyes felt like they were searing hot. His ears were burning. The pain washed over his entire body. It spread to his lungs. Breathing was agonizing. It spread to his arms and legs. It felt like his muscles were tearing themselves apart. He wanted to pass out. To escape the pain. But it wasn't happening. He couldn't even scream, his lungs were burning so bad.
Then, as suddenly as it had arrived, it was gone again and Chaos was removing her hands from his head. He went stumbling back. That had been a truly horrific experience. He wasn't sure how long it had gone on for. It felt like hours, though it had probably only been a few seconds.
The results were immediate though. He felt... powerful. His arms were buzzing with strength. His legs felt strong enough to kick through rocks. Everything felt slower. Like he had more time to react to things.
And his senses. He had never felt anything like it. He could hear the training going on beneath him. He could smell the sweat. He could taste the liquor in the glasses in one of the bars Chaos had shown him, 3 streets down. He could feel the electrical currents in the room, through the walls. His eyesight was the weirdest of all. It was almost like he could adjust it as he wished. Like he could zoom in and out. The rest of his senses were already working together to give him a 360-degree 'view' of the room, but his eyes were almost working on a different level. Looking at Chaos, he could see each individual pore on her skin. He could see the swirl on each grain of her wooden desk. Looking at the window, he could read the license plates on the cars passing below him, regardless of the fact that he was several miles above them, looking down through a window.
It all felt so... weird. He could tell that it would take a while to adjust to it. But he could already tell that it was so much better than before. He knew that, once he found the best way to use it, it would become an incredibly important tool.
He took a few more moments to collect himself, before he looked over at Chaos, to see her looking at him with a raised eyebrow. She looked mildly impressed.
"Interesting. Most people pass out."
He gave her a shaky smile.
"Glad to distinguish myself."
She smiled.
"You already have."
"Great. So, what now?"
"Now, you report downstairs. I was going to show you the rest of the training areas, but I think I'll let your instructors do that. Best of luck, Percy. I know you'll make me proud."
Percy smiled at her. They had only just met, and she was unfathomably different to him, but he still found himself liking her.
"Thanks. So, where do I go?"
"The class you'll be joining is in Unarmed Hand-to-Hand Combat at the moment. That'll be class 13 on the first floor."
Percy took that as his cue to leave. He got up and walked out of the office, back to the elevator. He pressed the button to go back to the ground floor. Walking felt strange. It was less like walking, and more like gliding. Kind of like ice-skating. It would definitely take some time to get used to it.
The elevator ride was fast enough. He stepped out into the main entrance area. He remembered the route he and Chaos had taken to get to the first training area, so he followed it. Even if he hadn't remembered it, he could have followed the scent of sweat, and the sounds of grunts. Everyone glared at him on his way. He ignored them. He wasn't there to make friends.
He reached the first training room and walked inside. Everything looked exactly as it had when he had left. But it was totally different. It was all so clear. He could instantly tell which ones were the instructors, and which were the trainees. The instructors stood out as clearly as the sun. The way they carried themselves. There were still sets of trainees sparring with each other. But he could actually watch them now. It was like they were moving at regular speeds. But Percy knew that wasn't the case. He knew they hadn't slowed down. His perception of time had simply slowed down. He could count the people in the room instantly and automatically. He had known the exact amount as soon as he had walked through the door. There were 5,437 people there at that moment. There were precisely 100 trainers, and an extra 200 drones zooming around.
One of the trainers was walking straight towards him. This guy wasn't exactly glaring at him, but he sure as shit wasn't friendly either. He seemed to regard him in total indifference. But there was a slight hint of superiority mixed in. Like he was better than Percy, and he just couldn't hide it. Asshole.
"Jackson?"
"Yeah."
"Here."
The trainer handed him a slip of paper. It was a timetable for the rest of the year. It looked brutal. Apparently, Percy was going to spend 18 hours per day training, every day, for the rest of the year. Percy fought the urge to cringe at it. He knew that wouldn't look good for him. These people already thought they were better than him, there was no need to give them any more ammunition.
"Ok," was all he said.
The trainer grunted and walked away.
Percy took a better look at the timetable. It was pretty horrible. He had to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and head down to where he currently was. He would spend the next 6 hours there. After that, he was to head to the next room. 6 more hours there for armed close-quarters combat. After that, there were 3 hours of weapons training at target practice, then he was to go to the agility courses for another 3 hours. Once he was done there, he was to return to his barracks to sleep for 6 hours, before restarting the entire routine. No wonder everyone was so miserable.
Percy felt movement in the air currents behind him. Someone was walking over to him from behind. He swung around and saw that it was another trainer. This one shoved a pile of clothes into Percy's arms and pointed at a room off to the side.
"Get changed and then find me." was all he said before he walked off.
Percy just walked over to the room that he had been sent to. It was a changing room, as he had expected. He took a look at the clothes. Black sweats, a black tank top, black socks, and black shoes.
"Fair enough." he thought as he started getting changed.
Once he was dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't like what he saw. The scars along the tops of his arms were visible. As were the ones at the top of his chest. He hated the fact that they would be visible to anyone that looked at him. They were like a sign of weakness. He hated showing weakness anyway, but apparently, he was in a new ultra-competitive environment, and he would need to project strength and confidence. He decided to try the 'fake it till you make it' approach and hope for the best.
He walked back out to the main floor. He wasn't totally sure how to find the guy. There was still a massive crowd. Then he realized. His new sense of smell would make him a truly excellent tracker. He thought back to his brief encounter with the guy. He had perfect recall, so it wasn't difficult. He locked on to the specific smell of the guy. It led him straight to him. Like a compass.
"What now?"
The guy turned around to face him.
"Now we test you. Think of it as an entrance exam. We need to see what you can do."
"Ok. What kind of test are we talking about?"
The guy grinned sadistically. Percy knew he was in for it.
"We'll start over at the weights. Follow."
And with that, he walked off. Percy followed, as per instruction, and they made their way to the weights area. There were a bunch of different machines there. Percy was kind of curious to get an idea about his new strength levels. He had been relatively strong before, but now that he had the first level of Chaos' blessing, he was eager to see what his new limits were. Once he knew where they were, he could start pushing them.
They started with a bench press. Percy was able to bench a maximum weight of 1500 pounds. He felt like he was going to explode under the pressure, but he managed. If the guy was even vaguely impressed, he didn't show it.
After the strength, they moved on to stamina and speed. Percy was able to run at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour, for 45 minutes before he couldn't take it anymore.
They tested his punching power. He measured in at 145 horsepower.
Once they were done, there was one more test before they could move on to weapons.
"Now, you're gonna spar against someone. Just to gauge your competence. You aren't gonna win this."
And with those encouraging words, he started scanning the room for someone for Percy to spar against. After a few moments, his face broke out into a vicious grin. He waved someone over. It was the gigantic guy from the welcoming committee. 6'5. Mountain of muscle. Blonde hair, cropped short. Still not happy.
The guy walked over and glared at Percy with such fierce hatred, that he almost felt like he would combust. His eye was almost fully healed, so Percy figured that he must have Chaos' second blessing. He would still be half-blind otherwise.
"You two are gonna spar. Get in that ring over there." the trainer said, gesturing at one of the boxing rings.
The big guy grinned. Apparently, he was glad for the chance to fight the new guy again.
"Yeah," Percy thought, "Because the last time went so well for you, huh pal?"
They walked over to the ring and climbed in. Suddenly, the room was quiet. Everyone wanted to see the new guy get his ass beat.
"No rules. Victory by tap out, or unconsciousness. Are you both ready?"
"Yeah," Percy said.
"Always," the mountain grinned.
It was the first time Percy had ever heard him speak words. Screaming in pain didn't count.
"Begin!" the trainer shouted.
Percy had been expecting the big guy to run right in. That was usually what big guys did. Their muscle was there to compensate for the lack of muscle in their heads. But this guy wasn't going anywhere. He was watching Percy carefully, but casually. Clearly, this guy knew better than to run right in.
"Shit," Percy thought.
Percy decided to go in hard. This guy had been training long enough to get Chaos' second blessing, so he must have been there for a long time. If Percy's schedule was any indication, then it was pretty intense for everyone. A few weeks of that would turn anyone into a killing machine, but this guy had to have been there for a lot longer than a few weeks. If it came to a battle of stamina, he would lose. If it came to a battle of strength, he would lose. His only hope was to end the fight before it could get there.
But Percy remembered how his last fight had gone against this giant. He had tried a similar tactic and had nearly gotten the life choked out of him for his troubles. So, Percy decided to switch it up. He darted at the mountain and pretended to go for the exact same strategy he had used last time. Due to his increased perception of time, he was able to see the guy grinning at him. Clearly, he thought he was about to win. He may well have been.
When Percy was just out of the big guy's reach, he pretended like he was about to launch upward, but instead, he dropped to his knees in a slide. He saw the big guy reaching for him, where he had expected him. He hadn't seen the bluff coming. He had thought Percy was going to go through with the launch.
Percy slid straight between the guy's legs. The guy had adopted a very wide stance, so it was easy enough. Percy jumped to his feet as quickly as he could and spun around. The guy hadn't turned yet. Percy jumped at him from behind, bringing his arms around the guy's fat neck. He managed to get a good grip and started squeezing as hard as he could. The big guy's hands went to his neck, trying to loosen his grip. Percy wouldn't budge. The big guy dug his nails into his hands. Percy wouldn't budge. The big guy was panicking. Was this it? Had Percy just ended the entire fight before it could even begin?
No.
The big guy took a moment to collect himself, and then fell straight backward, crushing him beneath his massive weight. He let go of the guy's neck on instinct. As soon as he felt the pressure on his throat relieve itself, the guy rolled off of him, sucking at air. Percy was trying to get back up. His body had just been crushed under 250 something pounds. But he needed to get back up. The guy was still gasping, which gave Percy the advantage. And he needed to show these people that he wasn't worthless. He was just as good as they were.
Percy forced himself up and flung himself at the guy, desperate to regain control. He had gone with the feet-first approach. He felt his right heel connect with the guy's jaw. He felt a satisfying crack. He knew he had loosened a lot of teeth.
The mountain's head snapped back, and he rolled off of his knees onto his back. Percy saw another opportunity. He climbed over the guy and started raining down punches. The giant did his best to cover his face, but Percy was forcing his way through his guard. A few moments went by before the big guy had decided enough was enough. He had recovered enough to think clearly. In between punches, he reached up and grabbed Percy's left arm by the elbow. The next thing he knew, his arm was broken. He heard himself scream in pain. It fucking hurt.
The big guy grinned sadistically and slammed his head forward in a massive headbutt. Percy felt his teeth go loose, and his nose break. He felt stars explode behind his eyes. The big guy pressed his advantage even further and unleashed a colossal punch to Percy's side. It was powerful enough to send Percy flying across the ring. He was 100% sure that he had broken at least 4 ribs, and he couldn't even count how many were cracked. That motherfucker could punch.
Percy landed on his knees, clutching his broken arm, and bent at the waist in an attempt to cradle his broken ribs. The crowd was cheering, clearly happy that the new guy had been shown his place. Percy managed to force himself up again. He was standing on shaky legs. He was swaying slightly. His mind was woozy from the intense pain. But he could still fight. Percy was right-handed, so his best arm was still in play, as were his feet. Headbutting was out of the question. It would do more damage to Percy himself than the big guy.
The big guy was on his feet again, and he must have decided to press his advantage. He dashed toward Percy with a speed unbefitting a man of his size. Percy pretended not to notice. He pretended to be so consumed by pain, that he was entirely unaware of the giant crashing towards him like a train. At the last possible second, Percy dodged to his side and unleashed a savage kick into the side of the big guy's right knee. The second the hit connected, Percy knew that the guy was done. Breaking an arm, or a nose was one thing, but having a knee torn apart with such ferocity was a whole other story. It was difficult to come back from.
Percy was rewarded by the sound of the massive man screeching. But Percy wasn't done. This motherfucker had broken his arm, his nose, his ribs, and he'd loosened his teeth, and he was going to suffer for it. The trainer had said that there were no rules. He had said that the fight wouldn't end until one of them was unconscious or surrendered. The big guy wasn't surrendering. And he wouldn't. If he surrendered to the new guy on his first day, then he was done.
Percy moved around the mountain of muscle as fast as he could. The knee he had already kicked was buckled inwards. But the guy was still resting on his good knee. Percy took a moment to aim, and then launched another savage kick. He shattered the guy's other knee. He was officially immobile.
He still wasn't done. This guy was going to pay. The big guy was on the mat, face down. Percy kicked him in the face to bring him around onto his back. He was pretty sure he broke his nose in doing so. He contemplated breaking the guy's arms. They would heal in a few hours anyway, so why not? He had to cement his reputation. People saw him as inferior. They saw him as weak. They needed to be taught that the was the exact opposite.
He steadied the guy's right arm under his leg, reached down with his functioning arm, and snapped it at the elbow. He went around to the other side and repeated the process with the other arm. The muscle man was left with no working limbs. Percy got on top of him and used his good arm to start choking the guy out. He still wasn't unconscious. A few moments went by. The big guy was thrashing around, trying to throw Percy off. He wasn't succeeding. And he wasn't ever going to.
Eventually, the guy went limp. Percy let go of his neck and stood up. He looked around at the crowd, but it wasn't necessary. He could already tell what their expressions would be before he even saw them. Their jaws were on the ground. The big blonde guy must have been in training for a good few years. He had been good. But Percy was better. On his first. Damn. Day.
Scanning around the room, he saw something unexpected. Chaos was standing in the corner, grinning at him. He hadn't sensed her with his superhuman senses. He hadn't heard her come in. Hadn't smelled her aroma in the room. Hadn't heard her heartbeat. He was sure no one else had noticed her either. They would probably be bowing to her if they knew she was there. He decided not to give away her presence in the room by acknowledging her. He held her gaze for a few moments before he went back to observing the crowd. He made a mental note to thank her for being there.
He tried to figure out something to say. What would be appropriate at that moment? As it turned out, he has sparred the need. The Instructor snapped at the rest of the recruits to get back to training. And then Percy passed out, right there in the ring.
A/N: Well, that's that. This was a lot of setup for things to come. Let me know what you thought of the Blessing Tier System. Anyways, see you in the next one. Stay safe.