A Different Kind of Princess
Chapter I:
Percy knew this was it. This was his endgame.
If only the Doors of Death weren't the last thing he'd ever see.
Riptide flew in a deadly arch, dispatching swarm after swarm of monsters that collapsed on top of him. Somehow, he was still managing to stand up straight, the golden dust in the air almost suffocating.
"Five minutes." Percy grunted, stepping back. A couple more inches and he might've lost his footing. "Just five more minutes."
Five minutes, and Annabeth, Bob and Damasen would be back in the overworld. Five more minutes, and they would have a chance to defeat Gaea and her forces. Then, he could die, and everything wouldn't have been in vain.
At least, that was his plan.
Bob and Damasen were too injured to fight, and Percy knew in his gut that they wouldn't have been able to last long enough to allow him and Annabeth to get back. Annabeth, of course, vehemently rejected his idea, but it didn't matter to him.
It broke every cell in Percy's body as he watched the Titan and Giant forcefully drag her into the elevator. But Annabeth had to make it back. The rest of the Seven needed her, not him. And with the help of a healthy Bob and Damasen, they would surely win. It was the only way.
"Promise you'll come back to me!" Annabeth had screamed, tears streaking down her eyes, leaving burning trails in her ashen face. "Promise me!"
Percy remembered placing his forehead on hers, etching the memory of her into his soul forever. "I love you."
Sea-green eyes bleeding with pure anger, he took out another five Laistrygonians with only his right arm. His clothes were in tatters, blood oozing from every part of his pulsating body.
Reaching out into the darkness, he searched for something, anything that could help him. If not water, maybe fire would do. Fire to burn. Fire to avenge. But no, fire was impossible.
Percy gasped.
All of a sudden, he was locked onto something strange. Clenching his fist to draw it close, the fluid felt... unnaturally thick and heavy.
A horde of incoming hellhounds instantly dropped, twitching once before going still. A wave of confusion hit him first, before a massive headache formed in the back of his skull. But he didn't have time to stop to think about what he had just done.
Taking a leap of faith, he reached out again, and when he closed his hand, three cyclopes fell to their knees. Right away the headache got worse, clouding his vision with a distorted red haze.
"Their blood!" Percy screamed crazily, realizing his newfound power. "I can control their blood!"
Never before had he even considered it to be a possibility. But the third time didn't go as smoothly, causing him to blackout for a split second, and almost cost him his life when a Dracaena came millimeters from impaling his heart.
"ENOUGH!" An Earth-shattering voice boomed, rattling the entire cavern floor. "Your time has come, Son of Poseidon."
Tartarus.
The god of the Pit loomed in front of Percy, in his ginormous hands a spear the size of the Empire State Building. It was like a black hole had just formed, drawing in everything with a pulse or a soul toward him. A frigid gust of wind swirled around his colossal frame, creating an unbreakable vortex.
As if they were a hive mind, the monsters stopped their attacks, retreating and leaving Percy alone.
They knew, that he knew that it was over.
Despite the bleakness of the situation, Percy's finger remained mashed on the button. He could already hear the cackling of the Fates, who were undoubtedly anticipating his inevitable death. Their scissors were probably beginning to cut his piece of yarn. Old pieces of shit.
He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating the bluish glow that hovered around Riptide's blade. It had served him well, becoming a true extension of his power and will. The best weapon a hero could've ever asked for.
The elevator dinged again, and Percy let out a sigh of relief.
It would be ok. They had done it. She had made it.
It was all over now.
The final words of the girl he loved rang deafeningly inside his head as Tartarus brought the spear crashing down.
-Ω-
In the end, he chose the path of rebirth.
The part of him seeking a fresh start convinced his other half that he had gotten enough closure at the Doors of Death, and that Annabeth would one day come to terms with his choice.
He knew he wasn't running away from his past, what was there to run from? He didn't regret the things he had done. The fact that he was able to decide his future proved that their plan had succeeded, and the Doors of Death were back under Thanatos' control. Imagining his friends and family, alive and well, only made the decision easier.
And who was he kidding? Percy Jackson knew deep in his heart that he longed for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. He would find none of that in the Underworld.
Thanatos motioned for Percy to step forward, showing him a knowing smile as the Doors were unlocked.
"May we meet again, Percy Jackson."
A faint scent of dusty mahogany and lavender seeped through the opening in the form of a white, billowing smoke.
For a second, Percy hesitated, taking one last look around before slithering his way through. Instantly, he was engulfed in an array of celestial light. His body became weightless, and he could hear the faint whispers of the Fates, forging his new destiny across the stars.
But their familiar voices were soon replaced by new ones, echoing inside the chambers of his head. Accompanying them were visions, blinking past in a flurry of light and darkness.
He saw a little boy zooming across an open plain in an aircraft. He saw a woman, dressed in white and tied to a pole high up in the air, calling for help. He saw thousands of men sharing the same face march in unison toward an invisible enemy.
A dull throbbing in the back of Percy's head began as he saw cities leveled, civilizations destroyed, planets vaporized.
He saw a cloaked figure jump from building to building, a soldier wielding a glowing blade fighting in a war, a team of misfits traveling through space. The visions kept coming, faster and faster until they all blurred together in a kaleidoscope of images.
The last thing he remembered was a voice he did not recognize, calling his name.
"Percy."
-Ω-
With a sudden burst, his life restarted.
Coarse air and a strong salty smell overwhelmed his senses. Percy gasped as he felt cool water surround him. Instinctively, he flipped over onto his back and kicked his legs, pushing himself up to the surface.
Eyes fluttering open, he embraced his new surroundings, only to be temporarily blinded by brightness. However, when his vision finally cleared, he was left staring at a less than favorable view.
Miles of debris and wreckage spanned out toward the horizon, outlining the remains of a city. The only sound he could hear was the gentle lapping of the waves.
No screams, no wails, no people.
Percy blinked in confusion, wondering where he was. He had expected to wake up in the mortal world, but this place was definitely not it. The sky was unfamiliar, filled with strange stars and moons. The water was different too, the air tinged with indiscernible smells.
As he tried to sit up on the shore, he felt a sudden jolt of pain in his head. It was like a bolt of lightning had struck him, sending him reeling back onto the sand.
Percy clutched his head, gritting his teeth, trying to fight through the agony. Memories flooded his mind, jumbled and chaotic, leaving him disoriented and confused. He saw faces he didn't recognize, heard voices he couldn't place, felt emotions he couldn't comprehend. The only solid thing he could remember was his name.
Stumbling to his feet, he took in the sight of the destroyed city before him.
It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Burned-out buildings and twisted metal were scattered in every direction, the rubble still smoldering. The strange smells in the air turned out to be the acrid scent of burning metal. If he had to guess, the city had been attacked by some massive force, leaving nothing but destruction behind.
Still no screams, no wails, but now…
It was hard to miss the bodies strewn across the streets, all of them dressed in the same futuristic, dark armor, their faces hidden behind helmets. Stepping closer, a notion of unease settled in his gut.
Every body had the same symbol on their shoulder pads, a white and blue insignia that he didn't recognize.
As he walked further into the city, Percy realized that the destruction went beyond just the buildings. The ground itself was scarred and burnt, the very soil twisted and blackened. The devastation seemed endless, and Percy couldn't shake off the feeling that he was missing something important amidst all the chaos.
Suddenly, he heard a sound, like the hum of a ship's engines, and he turned to see a figure approaching him. Or more accurately, flying down upon him.
His hand automatically reached for Riptide, only to realize that the ballpoint pen was no longer in his pocket.
With the figure landing a few feet away, Percy had to squint to make out anything. It was a woman, dressed in the same armor as the bodies lying around them.
For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other. Even with the helmet, he could tell her expression was fierce. Throwing in the jetpack and gun, Percy figured he should pick his next words carefully.
"You're not a clone, or a Mandalorian." The woman removed her helmet, revealing shoulder-length red hair and piercing green eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded, gun aimed at him.
Percy took a step back as he raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I come in peace," he said, hoping he sounded convincing enough. "I don't mean any harm."
Unfortunately, she didn't budge.
"Who are you?" She demanded again. "And give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
Author's Note:
Back at it again, with a new and improved version of my original PJO/SW crossover! Hope you enjoyed this prologue:)
Reviews are appreciated! Join the discord in my bio!