CHAPTER ONE
Percy couldn't help but smile to himself, as he watched his ship's hatch open with a hiss, revealing the dusty and barren landscape outside. He flicked the switch on one of the various panels, putting the vehicle in stand-by, before walking down the steps.
His combat boots crunched against the gravel. Percy took one whiff of the dry, hot air before pulling a face, and he quickly tapped the side of his ear twice. A blueish glow erupted out of the earpiece and enveloped the bottom half of his face, covering his nose and mouth, until it solidified into a black mask. It would help him breathe, and keep any poisonous smog out of his airways.
The young man let his gaze wander across the desert. Its ground was cracked and littered with caves and cliffs. Nothing grew here, except some reddish colored plants that didn't seem to need water to survive. He anxiously gave his belt a few pats, feeling his flask of water still in place. He wouldn't want to lose it in a place like this. Various mountains and plateaus loomed over the fields in the distance, barely visible to his eyes due to the thick layer of dust that hung in the air.
Percy glanced back at his ship, double-checking if he'd parked it correctly. It was a small ship, compared to those of the more wealthy ravagers in this galaxy. His ship was a Howler-X, a more antique one meant for interplanetary travel. Its main body was metallic grey of color, but he'd sprayed the two wings with blue, heat-resistant material a while back. He'd had the ship in his possession for about two years now, after finding it trashed on a junkyard. The main engine parts were sorely outdated, and the interior wasn't the cleanest, but he treasured it nonetheless.
He reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and took out a worn looking black box. He tapped the screen a few times, causing it to flicker to life. Beeping every few seconds, it showed him any irregularities in the area, like large heaps of a certain material or weird energy pulses. A dot appeared on the map, not too far ahead of him. He looked up from the box, focusing on the direction the map was leading him.
"Dusty caves, creepy tombs." he hummed, stuffing the device back in his pocket. In the distance, he saw the cliff that rose up from the flatlands; that's where the object would be. "Just like in the movies."
The buyer he was currently retrieving the object for, an old merchant on planet Zilia, hadn't actually told him what said object was. Percy was told he'd know what it was when he saw it. He hadn't gotten any more info out of the man, no matter how hard he tried. Then again, what did it matter? The pay was good, excellent even, so he wouldn't ask questions. Ravagers, bounty hunters, they rarely asked questions.
Humming a tune, he strolled along the cracks in the ground, occasionally glancing down at the swirling lava pools far below. This planet used to have a name, he was sure, but it had nameless for millennia now. Its name had been lost in time, just like its inhabitants and vegetation. According to the (limited) research he'd done, this place used to be quite tropical, but now the rivers had dried up and forests had died.
Percy couldn't imagine living in a desert like this, surrounded by nothing but sand and death. He was from Azuria, the water planet, and had spent most of his youth there before his mother had died to her illness. He still loved the water, and the warm weather, so places like this were a no-no for him. He'd leave it to the sandcrawlers and the more desperate refugees to reside in this place. Yuck.
He leapt over a particularly big gap in the ground, before stopping a few feet in front of the cliff. It was about twenty feet high, with no way of possibly climbing it if you valued your life, which Percy did. The side of the cliff was riddled with holes and cave-mouths though, so he took that as a good sign. Hell, anything that wouldn't result in death-by-broken-spine was a good sign.
Ducking low, he ran his fingers along the inside of an oddly circular crevasse in the wall. When he pulled back, his hand covered in blueish slime, and he gagged. "Disgusting." he said, wiping the stuff off on a rock. He suspected something did live in these tunnels, but the device pointed towards this place, so he didn't have a choice but to enter. He stared into the darkness, catching a whiff of the scent, and grimaced.
"Think of the money, Perce." he told himself, pulling his flashlight off his belt. He shone in into one of the larger caves, one that would fit him, but couldn't spot anything but darkness and weird, slimy goo. He felt his boots sink into it, and gave a deep sigh, before marching into the tunnel.
A few minutes later, the tunnel came to an end, leading into a circular room of sorts, with other tunnel endings on all sides of the walls. A sliver of light came from a hole in the ceiling, and Percy caught sight of the sky, far above him. He must have been in the centre of the system, meaning something had most definitely dug these tunnels. He cursed his own luck, digging into his pockets.
He tucked the flashlight under his chin and turned on the device. It gave a few fast beeps, then a beat of silence, and repeated this pattern. That meant whatever he was looking for was close, incredibly close, but where? He stored the box in his pocket again, before shining the light all around him. It all looked the same though; rocks, slime and more rocks. Some odd claw-marks here and there.
A cracking sound echoed through the tunnel to his left, and Percy jumped, aiming the beam of light at said tunnel. When he saw nothing, he sighed in relief. This place was starting to give him the creeps, it was almost as if it was a nest. Something told him he wasn't too far off the mark.
He felt himself stepping on something hard, solid. Looking down, he noticed an object hidden under a layer of mud and goo. He gave it a few nudges with his foot; it was revealed to be a pipe of some kind. A two-foot-long cylinder of metal, which gave off a slight bronze gleam in the light. Percy gingerly picked it up off the floor, and began wiping the mud off. He almost yelped when the object hummed in his hand, making his whole arm shake for a second.
This was definitely it, he thought, but why was it here? If it was that valuable, then why was it lost in some cave?
He clipped the cylinder onto one of the magnetic patches on his belt, on his right hip, and took another brief glance around the room. When he confirmed that he hadn't missed anything valuable, he backtracked out of the room, back into the tunnels. He jogged to the exit, crouching to fit through the smaller opening, and stumbled back into the dim light of day.
"Wow." Percy muttered, dusting himself off. He took another look at the metal cylinder now that there was more light. It really was just a bar of bronze, nothing special about it. Why was this shoddy thing so valuable anyway?
Behind him, the stone cliff rumbled and shook, dust falling off the top of it and raining down on the young man who stood at its foot. Percy was on high alert, slowly backing away from the cliff side. He could hear growls and snarls coming from deep within the stone, which made him think he hadn't been so sneaky after all. Suddenly, something burst out of a tunnel a dozen feet above him, creating a cloud of dust.
From the cloud emerged a creature, a massive one with yellow eyes and sharp teeth. It had the body of a snake, lined with green scales. It made a horrendous growling sound as it slithered out of the tunnel. It hadn't spotted him yet, he realized, so Percy abruptly turned around and began running for his ship. He cursed himself for parking it so far away.
The monster spotted him immediately and leapt away from the wall. Percy heard it crash into the ground behind him, hot on his heels. He dared to glance over his shoulder, only for his vision to be filled by sharp teeth and razor-sharp claws. He realized he'd seen the creature before, it was a monster from legend. It was in every bestiary across this galaxy.
"A drakon, really?!" Percy yelled in disbelief, diving over a large fissure, which the drakon cleared without any issue whatsoever. He rolled to a stop, seeing that the monster was about to pounce on him, he cursed and reached for his belt. He felt his hand close around the familiar leather grip of his weapon and pulled it off.
It was just a handle, at first, but when he pressed the button on the cross-guard, the object extended into a three-foot blade of metal. The edges on either side sparked and crackled to life, turning crimson red from the heat. Riptide was one of his own creations; a plasma sword he'd made out of an old retractable xiphos and some tools he had lying around. Pretty nifty, honestly.
Percy ducked under the monster's paw, before slashing it off through the wrist. The drakon howled in pain and backed off, holding its steaming stump in its other hand, but it seemed he'd just pissed it off even more. It opened its maw, giving him a view of its spear-like teeth, before a stream of green liquid sprayed towards him. Percy managed to avoid most of it, except for a small drop on his shoulder.
He watched as the liquid steamed and burned the rocks below, and even his jacket was affected. He scowled up at the beast. "Bad snake." he said, leveling his sword with its face. "Very bad snake."
It roared again, breathing a cloud of disgusting air onto him, before snapping its teeth again. Percy avoided it once more, and wildly slashed it across the face. Riptide sliced through its right eye, causing the drakon to screech in pain again. This time, it reared back and began scurrying away like a frightened animal. Taking his chance, Percy began running back to his ship.
"Note to self," he muttered as he reached the hatch and ran up the ramp, "the eyes are the jackpot."
He punched a button on the side-panel, causing the ramp to close with a hiss. Through the closing gap, he noticed the drakon crawling around its nest, screeching non-stop. He grimaced, deactivating his sword and clipping it back onto his belt. "Sorry about that, beastie. Business is business."
Percy jogged through the tight hall of his ship, reaching the cockpit. It had two seats, each with a blue leather finish, though one was more worn than the other. He slipped into that one, tossing the object onto the passenger's seat. He pressed a few buttons, allowed the system to do a face-scan, and the ship's engine roared to life. The thrusters creaked as they turned into place.
He lifted off the planet's surface and took off, leaving the nameless desert behind. After penetrating the planet's atmosphere with a pop, he punched in the coordinates to Terminus, a haven just a few jumps away from there. He needed fuel, after all. Fortunately, this was also where the buyer had opted to meet him after he'd retrieved his item; what a lucky day. Apart from the near-death experience.
Kicking his legs up onto an empty spot of dashboard since his ship was on autopilot, he grabbed the bronze pipe and examined it with a frown. Bronze wasn't exactly the most valuable alloy in the galaxy, so he wondered why the client wanted it so badly. He'd paid generously too. Hmm...
He laid the thing on the passenger's seat again. A few thousand creds for a damn pipe? He'd take that deal any day.
In the distant darkness, he could see the flickering neon lights of a jump beacon. Adjusting course ever so slightly, his Howler floated its way towards its goal.
As he entered Terminus, docking his ship in a free spot, Percy was immediately assaulted with noise. People of different races, shapes and sizes raced across the steel platforms, barking commands at their crewmates or hauling cargo. He kept his rebreather in place to mask his identity somewhat as he strolled through the haven.
On the opposite end of the hangar though, a stark white battleship was preparing to take off. He recognized the single golden letter on each wing. An omega, the symbol of Olympus. Percy pulled a face. What were they doing here? Zeus had no business in this system, let alone on Terminus. Last he checked, an info broker had told him Zeus and his lackeys were busy thwarting some rebellion in Erilia, lightyears away.
The white hunk of metal floated through the force field, into open space. Percy watched it go with a frown. The Olympians were tyrants wherever they went. They had half of the known systems under their command, and had questionable treaties with the rest. Zeus ruled with an iron fist. Percy had heard horror stories of those who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and were incinerated for it.
He took one of several elevators, glass ovals that were ejected through metal tubes, leading to several different sections of the space station. When Percy exited the elevator, he found himself in the cafeteria. He narrowly avoiding bumping into a tall man with scales for skin who shoved past him to take his spot in the glass oval. Percy huffed. The people around here were as polite as ever. Most of them were hoodlums, but still.
On the other side of the room, seated by a table close to the bar, he noticed a young man who matched the description he'd been given. Dirt blonde hair, a thin scar across his eye, dressed in baggy clothes.
"Castellan?" Percy asked as he walked up to the table. The man perked up, glancing at Percy over his shoulder. His lips stretched into a tight smile.
"That's me," he said. "You're the bounty hunter?"
"My official occupation is a little more complicated than that, but sure." Percy pulled out a chair and sat down across from the man, who leaned in close.
"I assume you got it?"
"You got the credits?" Percy countered. "Wouldn't want you to run off after you got your... prize."
Luke pulled out a device from his pocket. With the click of a button, a blue screen shimmered into existence between them. Seven thousand credits, ready to be transferred to his account. "Your turn," he said.
Percy reached under the table, sliding the backpack towards him. Luke zipped it open almost too eagerly. Percy could see the glow of the bronze staff reflected in his blue eyes. Luke smiled.
"Perfect," he said, clicking the transfer button. The number drained to zero, and Percy could feel his own wallet device begin to vibrate in his pocket, signalling that he'd been paid. He nodded.
"That's all?" asked Percy.
"That's all." Luke said, standing up from his chair. His smile was gone, replaced by an expression of wariness. His eyes darted around the room as he clutched the backpack to his chest as if it was made of something much more valuable than bronze. Percy huffed internally. No one would steal from him here, let alone a bronze pipe barely worth the metal it was made with. It wasn't his place to ask questions though. He watched Castellan leave in a haste, the sliding doors closing behind him as he entered a different hangar.
Percy signalled the bartender with a hand gesture, asking for a drink. He needed it after that encounter with the drakon. None of the datapads had told him there would be such a creature there, and yet there was. Drakons weren't attracted to that sort of climate either... was it posted there to guard something? It couldn't have been the bronze pipe, that wasn't valuable enough. Maybe it was a circus animal, dumped there after the owners couldn't manage it anymore. Wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. It was illegal, of course, but the authorities couldn't give less of a damn.
The waiter brought him his drink, but just as he was about to take a sip, the sliding doors opened again, followed by the sound of drumming footsteps. Percy frowned, watching the two strange individuals enter the cafeteria. One of them was a satyr, a boy with curly black hair and an anxious expression on his face. Being a satyr, his bottom half consisted of two furry legs and hooves. He noticed two small horns sticking out from his curls.
Percy's eyes locked onto the satyr's friend however, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up.
It was a tall woman around his age, with flawless dark skin and dual-coloured braids, black and blonde. Her eyes were grey like storm clouds. She scanned the room with an unreadable expression, unlike her friend who seemed to be overcome with anxiety. The woman nudged him, and the satyr quickly pulled out a circular device from his pocket.
It emitted a faint green glow that pulsed every other second. The satyr held it up- was it scanning the room? It seemed to have found something, because both of their gazes snapped up to one particular person in the room; Percy himself.
"Fuck," he muttered, finishing his drink in one gulp. He was suddenly very aware of the sword that was dangling off his belt, his fingers itching to grab it. The two strangers swiftly weaved through the maze of tables, heading straight towards him.
Authorities? He thought. Or bounty hunters?
Percy stood up as nonchalantly as possible, turning towards another exit, the one closest to him. The doors slid open, leading him into hallway with large windows, offering a view of the darkness outside. He could still hear two sets of footsteps behind him. They were tailing him. He ducked into another hallway, further towards the centre of the space station.
Terminus was like a maze when you didn't know your way around here, which Percy did, so if he just kept walking for long enough, he'd eventually-
He almost bumped his nose into a door that blocked his path. Percy frowned, looking at the little screen on the wall next to it.
CLOSED DUE TO MAINTENANCE
Percy sighed. The one hallway he could've taken, of course. He supposed getting away from the drakon unharmed had depleted his luck for the day. Meanwhile, the two strangers had rounded the corner behind him. It was then that the woman finally spoke as she strode into the hall.
"The bolt," she said. Her voice had this sharp edge to it, as if she was about to snap at a moment's notice. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot too, from sleep depravation he guessed. "Hand it over."
She had unclipped a bronze knife from her hip, pointing it right at him. There was that alloy again- bronze. Why was everybody so obsessed with it today? And a bolt? Percy shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about, but I suggest you put that away," he said, "if the guards catch you threatening someone-"
He barely had time to dodge the weapon as it was thrown right at his face. Percy ducked as the knife rebounded of the metal wall, causing sparks to fly, before it flew right back into the blonde's hand.
"What the fuck," he said, "that could've killed me!"
"That's the idea!" The woman charged at him head-on, flipping her knife into a reverse grip. Percy cursed, sidestepping her first swipe, before blocking the next one by grabbing her arm. He kicked her in the side, and she skidded away on the smooth metal floor.
"Fucker," she hissed, pressing a hand to her left ribs. She was winded, but otherwise unharmed. This woman was tough.
"Annabeth, be careful!" yelled her friend, the satyr, but the woman disregarded his words.
"Annabeth, huh?" Percy said with a quirk of his lips. On the inside, however, he was starting to freak out just a tiny bit. "You're good with that dagger and all, but I think you've got the wrong guy. Seriously."
"Our scanner detected traces of the bolt's aura on you," she said, ignoring his words. "We know you've at least been in contact with the thing. Lying won't do you any good."
Suddenly, something clicked in Percy's brain. "Bolt... That old bronze pipe? That's what you're after?" he asked incredulously. "You almost killed me over that?"
Annabeth scowled. "It holds more value than a bounty chasing rat like you could ever know," she snapped. "Now where is it?"
Percy decided to ignore the insult and shrugged, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't know. I handed it off to the guy who paid me for it. That's the person you should be chasing. I think his name was..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Castelly? Castellan?"
He noticed the flicker of recognition in the woman's eyes. So she knew the blonde haired man then? Percy knew of him too, of course. He'd contacted at least ten different low-key bounty hunters in his circles to find the object. At least now Percy knew why none of them had ever returned to collect their payment. The drakon had taken care of them.
"Luke," said the satyr, "he got her before we did. Of course."
Annabeth huffed, but didn't seem surprised. "We need to move." She turned to Percy. "You got a ship?"
"Uh, yeah. A Howler, but why-"
"Give me the keys." she commanded.
Percy frowned. "The fuck? No."
"I need it more than you do."
"Well, it's fucking mine."
"Just give me the damn-"
Her sentence was cut off by the sound of the satyr's whimper, right before his body hit the floor. He seized and thrashed for a moment, before he layed still, unconcious. On the other side of the hallway, three of Terminus' guards stood with their stun guns aimed right at them.
"Grover!" yelled Annabeth as she kneeled beside her friend.
"He's alive," Percy reassured her. "Just unconscious. Their guns aren't lethal. But we've got a bit of a problem on our hands."
They frowned, staring down the barrels of three stun guns. The last thing Percy heard was the high pitched chirp of the gun charging up, and the sickening pop of the electricity leaving the weapon, before the darkness consumed him.
So yeah, this was a random cool idea I had a while back. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but if you want more, I'll probably continue the fic. Thank you for reading and review, review, review!