Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson
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Emerald Library: It is so big you can google it
Writer's Block: wttJDs62Dy
LAST TIME:
The energy domain expanded at tremendous speed while destroying the ground and air but was suddenly stopped as it began to collapse. Hera, Asteria, and Perses watched with curious eyes as the destructive energy was sucked inward and collapsed in on itself in a fraction of a second. It would have been like a flickering light to an ordinary human, yet to these gods and titans, they could see the truth. Standing at the epicenter of a newfound crater were both Percy and Menotius, but the titan had a strange look on his face.
"What did you do?" Menotius yelled in anger. As the last remaining bits of energy were absorbed into Percy's tower shield, the symbol of chaos started to shimmer on its face in a deadly light. The light suddenly vanished from the symbol as red veins started to run up Percy's arm and across his armor before reaching his sword, causing it to glow a violent red color. The energy emitting from it sent a chill down the titan's spine.
"I'm simply returning what you have lost, trash."
NOW:
Annabeth and the others stepped through the shadow portal, a little shakily as they got their bearings. None of them had experienced shadow travel before and couldn't get used to the sluggish and sticky feeling that had wrapped around their souls when they went through the darkness.
"I never want to do that again," Grover said before falling to his knees and catching his breath. The Satyr was not built to handle such dark energy. He even appeared to be having difficulty holding back today's dinner.
"Roll call!" Nick yelled as he knelt and laid the unconscious Nico on the ground before reaching into a small pouch on his hip and pulling out a small flask of nectar and performing the best first aid he could.
"I'm here." A voice called out as Thalia stumbled forward. She nearly fell but managed to keep her feet under her. She couldn't help but take a few deep breaths to steady herself before coming to Nick's side and setting Bianca down next to her brother.
"That was awful. It was almost as if the underworld had a hold on me and didn't want to let go." Thalia said with a shiver down her back as Nick nodded in agreement while he used the rest of the nectar on Nico's forehead wound.
"Take this, use as much as you need." Annabeth's voice came from behind the two as she handed them the bag Percy had given her while downing a bottle of nectar. With one last gulp, the bottle was emptied, and she let out a soft sigh. The magical liquid was doing its work as she felt their injuries begin to heal.
A sudden flash of light in the distance caught Annabeth's and everyone else's gaze. The light was like the sun had suddenly risen over the horizon, shining brightly through the cascade of snow. Yet, as she stared at the light source, she suddenly saw a sound wave quickly passing through the air, collecting a massive wall of snow with it.
"BARRIER!" Annabeth yelled as Nick moved in a split second. His training took over, and he raised his hands to face the incoming wall just in time. The snow wall slammed into an invisible barrier, creating a dome of pure white, lit up by the distant light. Then, the explosion ripped through the air, drowning out all other sounds as everyone winced at the intensity of the sound.
BBBBOOOOOMMMM!!!!
The ground-shaking followed suit, nearly bringing everyone to the ground. But they managed to steady themselves as Nick's water barrier continued to fend off the snow as it shook with the ground. Yet the explosion's light disappeared as soon as it came, and the shockwave dissipated. Before long, the ground stopped shaking, and with the explosion's light gone, everyone was left in pitch darkness due to Nick's barrier being completely covered in snow.
"Is everyone okay?" Thalia asked as sparks of electricity danced in her palm, creating a small light in the darkness. The light revealed the dome of white snow and tree trunks that seemed to act like pillars holding it up. After a quick look around, she saw everyone nod in return while Nick raised his other hand toward the barrier he kept afloat.
"Just a little shaken, thankfully not stirred," Nick said, earning a snort from Zeus' daughter before slapping his hands together and flinging them apart. Following his command, the snow he supported soon parted at the top and slid down the sides. The snow formed a perfect 30-foot ring around them, revealing the night sky for a moment.
"What the hell was that? Did someone drop a bomb on the school?" Grover asked as Nick and Thalia glanced over before Annabeth did the same. The two simply turned their attention back to Nico and Bianca and continued with their first aid as Annabeth answered his question.
"It was more than likely Percy. He must be fighting Menoetius right now." She said with a small sigh as Grover's face drained of color. Seeing Grover was busy contemplating his role in things, Annabeth began to look around and figure out where they were. It only took her a moment to spot a figure she had missed upon exiting the shadow portal.
He was currently propped up against a tree with blood dribbling from his lip, cuts and bruises covering his body, and tattered clothes covering the rest. He held the remnants of a Mets hat in his hand as he seemed to be catching his breath. The moment her eyes landed on him, his midnight-black eyes with amber specks looked up at her, and the two stared at each other for a moment.
"Think you could spare a bottle of nectar?" He suddenly asked as Annabeth moved closer to get a better view of him. He appeared to be in his early 20s, had dark brown hair with violet tips, and his skin was so pale that he could easily blend into the snow around him if he weren't wearing clothes. But his facial expression at the moment was unexpected; he seemed extremely bored, unbothered by the fact that he was covered in wounds.
"Percy did mention there would be someone to help us. What happened to you?" Annabeth asked as she slowly walked over and held out a bottle of nectar for him.
"I guess you can say I'm the help, against my better wishes. I can't believe I got caught in this mess. Today was the last day of my assignment." He sighed begrudgingly before popping the top and downing the nectar bottle in several large gulps. The wounds on his body began to close slowly, yet beneath his skin, she could see a golden fire wiggling about with nowhere to go.
Annabeth couldn't help but stare at the weird nectar fueled fire raging in him, and she had seen this a few times in a few demigods who had too much godly food. This was the fabled internal combustion that could occur when a demigod or any mortal drank too much nectar or ate too much ambrosia. She was sure he was a few sips away from combusting, yet he didn't seem worried as his wounds continued healing.
"Assignment?" Annabeth couldn't help but question. His eyes glanced behind her momentarily, but she managed to catch it.
Taking a moment, she turned around to see Nico and Bianca being tended to. Their lives were no longer in danger thanks to the quick work of Nick, Thalia, and Grover. But both were still unconscious, making any future escape plans a bit more difficult. At that moment, Annabeth's incredible mind started to connect the dots. Her stormy gray eyes swirled like mad as her gaze finally returned to the man before her.
"What?" he asked, finding her gaze annoying. But Annabeth continued to calmly stare at him before moving closer. Acting like she was retrieving the empty nectar bottle from him, her storming eyes stared into his eyes before finally whispering.
"An immortal son of Hades tasked with caring for his younger siblings, who is strong enough to take on the titan Menoetius and slip away alive. What is with these gods and their extreme babysitters?" She said with a quiet sigh, yet his face remained unchanged as he looked into her eyes. The nectar bottle in his hand is unmoving as he refuses to let it go and give it to Annabeth, even though her hand is on it.
"You children of Athena are way too smart for your own good." He grumbled as a tiny bit of killing intent slipped out. Annabeth couldn't help but flash him a grin in response as if he had just given her a badge or medal for her accomplishment.
"Thanks for the compliment, Mr…. What's your name?" She asked as he stared at her for a few more moments before finally relinquishing the nectar bottle, allowing her to stand up.
"Just call me Dex." He said with a reluctant sigh before finally standing up and propping himself off the tree. The pristine snow below him was tainted with several large blotches of blood. Annabeth couldn't help but glance at them before turning to him as he steadied himself on the tree. His injuries were worse than she had first imagined. She wasn't sure how much more help he would be.
"Ugh, fucking anemia. Nectar and Ambrosia never replenish blood fast enough." He grumbled before finally standing tall at 6 feet even, putting back on his badly burned Mets hat, and dusting off the snow on his clothes.
"I suggest liver and sweet potatoes to help regain some blood. Also, you're a Mets fan… huh…" He suddenly heard Annabeth say before turning to her as she rested a hand on the New York Yankees cap attached to one of her belt loops on her jeans.
"Best team in New York." He said in a plain tone, but the tiniest smirk played on his lips as Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed a little. If one were paying attention, they might see the tiniest sparks fly between them before Dex turned away from her.
"Alright, listen up you twerps!" Dex yelled as everyone's attention snapped his way as they finished patching up the rest of their wounds. With the word 'twerps' he not only managed to make Thalia's hair start sparkling in anger but Nick and Grover couldn't help but frown as well. Yet they couldn't even speak before he spoke again.
"Percy asked me to watch you all until he returned or the quest was finished. So, first things first, we need to move before we attract a whole horde of monsters. You all stink to high heaven," Dex said as he began to walk toward Nico and Bianca and gave them a quick lookover. Seeing they were out of immediate danger, he nodded before turning to see everyone's flabbergasted looks. Grove couldn't help but sniff himself as if trying to figure out what he meant.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Thalia angrily yelled as arcs of electricity on her skin joined the sparks in her hair. Yet Dex didn't seem threatened at all as he glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
"It means you stink of demigod smell, so much so that I'm sure a Monster upwind could smell you." He said as Thalia's eyebrows furrowed, she couldn't help but lift her arm and give a sniff, but couldn't find anything wrong. Even Nick did the same, and Annabeth followed suit, yet none found anything wrong.
"By the gods…" Dex mumbled while staring at them momentarily before reaching up with one hand, rubbing his head, and sighing. Seeing Dex's actions made them all feel self-conscious about any action they took. Thankfully, he released his temples and straightened his back.
"Hasn't anyone taught you how to constrain your aura? That's that smell." He questioned them, but nobody could respond as he gave them all a glance, and all he got were awkward faces.
"By the halls of the damned, what have I done to deserve this?" Dex grumbled to himself as the others glanced at one another.
"Percy mentioned something about that in passing once. Something about pulling everything you were into the pit of your gut to hide from monsters. But I can only do it while remaining still…" Annabeth said to the group, as Nick nodded in agreement, recalling the tidbit of information from his training.
"Never mind… I don't have time to teach you all how to do this. We have guests anyway," Dex said in an unpleasant tone as his eyes turned toward the trees. At that instant, a flash of silver light could be seen through the trees and cascading snow.
RRROOOOAAAAARRRRR
"They brought a friend, fantastic."
LINEBREAK:
A brilliant red flash lit the forest. A brilliant red aura covered Percy's sword. It moved faster than lightning, creating a beautiful red arch in the air. It crashed toward Menoetius so fast that the titan barely had time to pull his shield up before the blade hit him. The moment the blade struck his shield, Menoetius knew he was in trouble as the aura on Percy's blade exploded outward.
DDIIIINNNNNGGGG!!
Menoetius' shield was sturdy enough to block the blow, but the titan wasn't so lucky. Caught unprepared by the strength behind the blow, he was blown back at an incredible speed into the blizzardy sky. The sword beam became his propellant as it sent him further and further away, as Percy remained in place. His tower shield was hoisted off the ground with extreme ease as his helmet glanced toward the other two titans.
"Perses…" Asteria quietly spoke as the titaness remained seated behind her husband as if debating what to do. Perses, on the other hand, seemed very intrigued by Percy's strength as his eyes sparkled with mischief. But even as Percy seemed ready to launch himself at the titan of destruction, Perses remained still with his arms crossed.
"Your fight is with Menoetius; I'll wait my turn!" he shouted. Percy stared at the titan for a moment longer before gazing at Hera as if asking her something.
"They wouldn't dare mess with me unless they wish to feel the full weight of Olympus' might rain down on them before they could even break my barrier. Now go and handle Menoetius." Hera spoke confidently before resting her head on her palm and waving Percy forward as if telling him to finish his task. Percy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her actions as he glanced at the titans.
He quickly found Perses clicking his tongue in discontent and remaining still, but the titan didn't refute Hera's words. Even Asteria has cast her gaze aside as if trying not to give a response to the goddess' provocation. Both responses stunned Percy slightly. Was Hera really that much of a powerhouse on Olympus? He had heard a few rumors about her OP buffs as Hestia called them, but that was all. Maybe it was her throne that deterred them? He wasn't sure, but seeing that both titans weren't willing to mess with her relieved him.
'I'll be back soon, my queen. Call if you need help,' Percy transferred his thoughts with Astral Communication to Hera as the goddess, causing her to glance at him.
Unknown to him, Hera did her best to keep her blush from peeking out and her emotions under control. Seeing him geared up in his knightly form, aura radiating off him like a god, while ready to defend her with all his might, really did it for her. Hearing someone call her my queen would usually give her a sense of disgust at the moment. But hearing it from him in that form… she felt a certain something well up in her that nearly caused her cheeks to blush. Thankfully, she was able to push down the feeling for now.
'I'll be fine, you worry wart. Now go, I'll handle this.' Her voice echoed back in his mind as Percy gave one last glance before he turned toward the storm, bent his legs, and kicked off the ground so hard that a 20-foot-wide crater formed in the rock below as he flew through the sky at an incredible speed.
In Percy's eyes, the snow in the air turned into billions of pure white streams of light; it was almost like he was moving at light speed. His sharpened senses extended into the storm as he felt the energies in the air. Through all the ice energy the storm brought with it, Percy sensed Menoetius's faint energy in the distance. Yet the moment he sensed the energy signature, Menoetius seemed to have sensed him.
His aura erupted in that moment as Percy couldn't help but grin as he gathered a snow platform beneath his feet and stomped down. He shot forward like a bullet toward an extremely dense formation of clouds, as black lightning began to jump all over his armor, as his physical abilities were boosted further. He then finally burst through the storm clouds and into a clearing where Menoetius awaited him.
In the short time it took Percy to see him again, the titan's form had changed from the one human-like being he appeared as. He was no longer 7 feet tall, but now stood a towering 14 feet tall, a wall of muscle and ancient armor. His skin had taken on a metallic sheen, and he was now radiating a dark brown aura that seemed to poison the air around him and drive off anything else close to him. His eyes had also taken on the form of burning miniature suns as his rage overflowed from him. It seemed the last few exchanges had wounded the titan's pride and pushed him over the edge to release his true power, short of turning into his divine form.
"Did you get tired of getting thrown around like a little bitch and decided to face me like a man Menoetius!?" Percy yelled as a disk of floating ice appeared beneath his feet, allowing him to fly in the sky. The black lightning he was producing began to condense around his blade, turning it into a black energy sword. The storm around them even started to intensify as if reacting to their intensifying energies.
"SILENCE! I'll kill you! I will rip you limb from limb! I will grind your bones to dust! I will erase everything in this world that is yours! NOTHING WILL SAVE YOU FROM ME!" Menoetius' yell made the sky quake as another flood of aura poured off him as if trying to crush Percy, but the tide of aura was easily blown away by Percy's tower shield with one heavy blow.
DDDOOONNGGG
His shield let out a metallic ring before red energy veins began to appear on his shield, but didn't move like last time. Menoetius didn't wait around as he charged Percy a moment later, but Percy was ready as the two began to clash. Menoetius's spear moved like lightning, tearing apart the storm around him before striking toward Percy with all his might. With his shield and sword at the ready, Percy moved in flashes of light as he matched the titan's speed.
BOOOOM!
DDDOONG!
BBOOOOOMM!
SHIIINNGGGG!!
BBBOOOOOMMMM!
A beam of multi-colored light and dark brown lights cut through the snowstorm like twin blades of destruction, creating a trail of destruction through the dark clouds. Each time they clashed, a flash of light would light up the storm for a moment before disappearing a moment later. They pushed further and further over the Atlantic Ocean and deeper into the storm, until all that was left around them was frigid waves and endless storm clouds.
Neither of them retreated as they continued to fight. Percy fought like a stalwart knight; each swing of his sword was just as precise and deadlier than the last. Several times, it managed to find the titan's flesh, drawing out his golden blood. When he used his shield, it was as if he had turned into an immovable wall. Even without anything beneath his feet, Menoetius was never able to push Percy back when he struck his shield.
Menoetius was like the hurricane around them; his spear moved like a hydra's head, each strike as if trying to rip apart his opponent. The titan truly lived up to his namesake of violent anger and rash actions as he did everything he could to keep attacking Percy. His actions became increasingly aggressive as time passed, abandoning defense to counter-strike Percy whenever possible. Each time he did, Menoetius was left with a gash on his body, but Percy's armor was left with a significant dent or scratch.
In a few seconds, dozens, if not hundreds, of blows were exchanged rapidly as the air was torn apart. The two continued to clash without restraint as they pushed themselves harder and harder. The two began to pour aura into their blows, trying to catch the other off guard. Each clash of weapons resulted in brilliant explosions that lit up the sky. But each only lasted a moment before it was absorbed when it met Percy's shield. Expanding the red energy veins on it each time.
But Percy still hadn't tapped into the red energy that he had built up; the looming danger of the gathered energy seemed lost to the titan, who had nearly gone berserk. All he wanted to do was strike Percy down more and more, causing him to grow more and more reckless. Against Percy's stalwart knight's swordplay, this was a mistake. Initially, Percy was the one taking the majority of the blows, but as time passed, Menoetius was the one being cut and stabbed more frequently.
One moment, Percy was dodging the spear millimeters from his head while crashing the edge of his shield into the titan's gut. In another, Percy was parrying Menotius' shield, crashing towards his head before managing to get inside the titan's guard and leaving a cut on his arm. A split second later, Menotius' spear was leaving a deep gash on Percy's chest plate while Percy's sword cut off a small chunk of the titan's shoulder.
SSSSHIINNNGG!
SWWWISSSHH!!
SSSCCRREEEECCHHH!!!
DDDDOOONNNNGGGG!!!!!
SSSHIINGGG!!
CCCCCRRRRRRRAAAACCCKKKKK!!!
TTTTAANNNGGG!!!!
SHPLITCH!
WWHOOOSSSHHH!!!!
CCCCLLLAAANNNNGGG!!!!
BBOOOOOMMM!!!
.
More and more blows were landing on their bodies, their armors no longer able to withstand the abuse as they crumbled and broke. Percy's armor began to bend and crack, and the titan's spear soon blew away entire chunks of it, tearing apart his flesh beneath. Yet the titan didn't seem any better off, with each reckless exchange, Percy's sword managed to cut deeper and deeper.
Their destructive path over the ocean suddenly came to an abrupt halt as both used a clash of their shields to send each other flying back a dozen yards before coming to a stop. Each took a moment to catch their breath as steam rose from their bodies, neither saying a word as they just stared at one another as if trying to gauge the other.
Half of Percy's chest plate was gone at this point, while the rest of his armor was a bit scratched and chipped but mainly intact. But his bare chest revealed a mangled gash in his flesh running from his belly button to the top of his chest. His red and platinum blood had long ceased its flow out of the wound as his flesh stitched itself together at a visible speed. Percy didn't even glance at the wound as he straightened his back while staring down Menoetius.
Menoetius, on the other hand, was far worse than Percy; his entire chest plate was gone, revealing a chest full of small gashes and cuts. None of his wounds had healed as his chest was drenched in golden blood. Even half of his helmet had been shaved away, revealing a now-bald part of his head, his shield looked as if it could take one more blow before completely breaking apart.
Feeling that none of his wounds on his body were healing nearly as fast as they should, Menoetius was furious. All he could do was stare at the boy's blade. It wasn't the boy's aura or powers that were causing this; it was the devilish sword he wielded. Each time its edge cut into him, it left some sort of strange energy in his wounds. To him, it was an unrecognizable energy that felt older than even he was.
The seconds ticked by as Percy and Menoetius let out steaming breaths, yet the titan seemed to be growing angrier by the second. He expected the boy before him to be turned into mincemeat after just a few blows. He never expected this insect to put up any sort of a fight, yet each of his blows was met with one of equal strength. His techniques that had been honed for a millennium seemed moot in front of that massive tower shield, and the insect's swordplay was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Nothing he tried was working!
"This shouldn't be possible!" Menoetius finally spoke as he let out a roar of anger before he started to gather a massive amount of his aura into the tip of his spear, causing it to light up and pierce through the storm with a brilliant brown light.
Feeling the massive amount of power the Menoetius was putting into the strike, Percy began to gather his aura as a seemingly inexhaustible rainbow mix of auras flooded from him. His wounds began to stitch together even faster as Percy appeared like a true god beneath his rainbow shroud and knightly armor. Even Hera's blessing continued to allow Percy to push himself to his limits, as even more aura flooded from him.
"I WILL BURY YOU HERE AND NOW, BOY!" Menoetius screamed, his energy gathered even faster on his spear. He even tossed his shield away as both of his hands gripped his spear. His violent brown eyes burned even fiercer as the titan gritted his teeth in anger.
"Is that so?" Percy calmly replied, his muscles tightening as he lifted his blade, the electricity on it intensifying even further. But at the exact moment, Percy's shield, which was nearly completely covered in red energy veins, began to pulse. The gathered energy in his shield began to travel to Percy's armor. Yet, unlike before, it didn't travel to his sword, but half of it gathered on each of his gauntlets, while the black lightning was replaced with a fierce white flame that began to rapidly build on his sword.
Upon seeing that red energy drain from Percy's shield and gather on his armor, Menoetius suddenly had a tingle on the back of his neck. Even through all of his rage and anger, the titan was able to sense this sense of death wash over him as the enormous amount of energy that had been hidden away was felt against him. He couldn't believe he had forgotten such an important fact; he didn't have time to think, all he could do was attack Percy before it was too late.
"DIE!!! DOOM'S MIGHT!!!" A brilliant flash of light lit up the sky as a massive beam of brown energy nearly 200 feet wide crashed toward Percy. The air was torn apart as Percy's vision was filled with nothing but an energy beam in front of him, but he didn't panic as the red energy gathered on his gauntlet holding his shield lit up in a brilliant red light.
"Void Knight Shield Art: Immovable Star." Percy's voice pierced through the roar of the energy beam in front of him and fell onto Menoetius' ears as the tingle on his neck turned into a sharp pain. It was almost as if death's blade had already started to cut into him. He didn't have time to move as he saw the red light coming from Percy brighten a hundred times over, overtaking his own energy beams' brightness until nothing but red was left.
BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!
A deafening explosion tore apart the sky and waters as a nearly half-mile-wide red sun came into existence over the open ocean. It was almost like a red dwarf star had come into existence, and neither Menoetius nor Percy was lucky enough to be outside of its range. The brilliant red energy burned like the flames of a star as the ocean below boiled, and the storm clouds above were dissolved due to the high temperatures.
The seconds ticked by as the false sun began to dissipate and shrink rapidly, its red light continuing to dye the sea and sky a deep red. Even from the coast of Maine, several sets of prying eyes could see the faint red glow on the horizon even through the storm. Yet, before three minutes had passed, the red sun was gone. All the wild red energy had dissipated into nothing, leaving only the rage of the winds and a massive divot in the ocean that was already refilling itself.
In the space where the red sun once was, there was an open sky surrounded by black storm clouds that had survived the explosion. It made an almost surreal scene as the starry sky above shone down through the gaping hole in the storm. Casting the calm and serene glow of the moon on the raging waters below. Even a nearby Cargo ship had been pulled in, with the water filling the gap in the ocean.
The ship and its crew struggled to fight the raging waters as waves crashed in from all sides, threatening to sink the vessel at any moment. Its hull groaned in protest as several places were still red hot and warped from the heat of the false sun moments ago. Half of the ship's cargo had already been lost to the terrifying waves surrounding it, the shipping containers creating only more obstacles in the waters as they crashed into the hull of the vessel.
The ship's crew had long gathered together to say their last prayers, each knowing that this was the end for them. Their silent voices joined the raging winds as the waters continued crashing into the ship. Suddenly, the momentum of the waves and wind began to dissipate as the violent rocking of the boat slowed dramatically. Until it finally stopped, leaving the ship nearly on its side as the crew remained stunned.
Then they began to feel a rapid drop in temperature as the cold started to permeate the ship's walls, followed by a frost that quickly covered the inside of the vessel. The men on the boat had grown drastically confused as the frost overtook the interior of their ship. All they could hear was the cracking of ice around and small tremors through the ground. Finally, the bravest of them then decided to see just what was going on outside as he began the journey to the nearest exit.
Others quickly joined him, and before long, each man now stood on the frozen surface of their frozen vessel. The ocean before them was gone, replaced by a world of ice and snow. Huge waves were frozen in place, forming incredible ice formations that overhung the frozen land that stretched nearly a full mile. Their ship had been caught in a massive wave right on the edge of the frozen land, with their vessel encased right at the top. Providing them with a comprehensive overview of the land as they tried to gather their wits.
Yet they were unable to, as they watched a figure with enormous, ice-blue wings appear in the sky and begin to descend toward the middle of the massive ice formation. From their point of view, all they could see were the brilliant wings, but that was enough for them all to drop to their knees and clasp their hands in prayer. The radiant blue glow encasing the figure grew as he descended further until his feet finally touched the ice, causing the whole ice formation to tremble.
"W-What the fuck just happened" Menoetius managed to say inbetween his coughs as gold blood poured from his mouth and body. His only good hand was trying to wipe it away as he struggled to stand while the ice beneath his feet trembled. None of Menoetius' armor had survived, leaving him with vast portions of charred skin that revealed the burnt and torn muscle beneath. His entire left arm had been burnt away to only some bone poking out of his shoulder while his left leg was in a similar state being burned halfway through, revealing burnt bones and marred flesh.
Yet even with an arm missing and half a leg gone, he was still able to stand, but he struggled to do so. All he could do was look around the vast ice formation and try to remember how he had gotten here. His mind was a mess and filled with pain. Nothing made sense to him at the moment. All he could remember was him firing Doom's Might, and then a brilliant red light filled his vision. After that…
"It seems you made it out in one piece, well… mostly." A calm voice fell on his ears as Menoetius froze in place. All he could do was slowly turn to see his enemy slowly walking toward him.
To Menoetius, Percy no longer appeared like the demigod he once thought he was. Nearly all of Percy's armor was gone, leaving him with only his thigh armor, his helmet, and one of his gauntlets. Several large areas on his body and most of his chest were covered with brand-new pink skin, clear evidence that he had also been affected by the false sun's fire. But that didn't matter to him; only the two massive blue wings on Percy's back mattered. Wings that only the divine and a select few had.
A sudden memory stirred inside his mind as he laid eyes on those light blue wings. It was in the exact moment his Doom's Might landed on Percy's shield, even with the brilliant red light nearly blinding his vision, he remembered seeing something. A light in the shape of a pair of wings, each made of pure white fire that pierced the veil of red light with ease. Each wing radiating an aura much, much older than him. But he didn't have time to contemplate it then, as searing hot flames from the explosion reached him a moment later.
"No," Menoetius mumbled before he stumbled back a little as fear began to swell in his mind. His inner pride battled against his quickly growing fear while his mind frantically searched for answers. The overlapping image of those brilliant flame wings and Percy's light blue ones seared itself in his mind. Those two wings even shared the same type of ancient feeling aura that chilled his bones. He recognized this aura all too well, but it didn't make sense. Why in Tartarus did a lowly mortal possess not one but two primordial powers?
"What are you? No… who are you?" Menoetius asked as Percy came to a stop, not too far away from him. The primordial energy signature was currently swelling around him, so much so that it had started to affect the weather around them. The once clear sky was once again being filled with black storm clouds, blotting out the night sky once again. The ocean was especially active, seeming ready to act at any moment, as the waves danced around the edge of the ice platform. Menoetius could even feel happy emotions from the waters, almost as if a dog were seeing its master after a long time.
"I'm an insect, don't you remember Menoetius?" Percy said it in an eerily calm tone, causing even more fear in the Titan to swell far beyond his Pride's control. For the first time in a millennium, he felt genuine bone-chilling fear.
"Go fuck-"
"Shut up."
Menoetius felt the ground around him change in a split second as an ice spear shot up from the ground, nearly impaling him as he dodged by a hair's width. That wasn't the end of the onslaught as dozens of spears began to shoot up from the ground all around the titan. Each time, the ice spear was just slow enough for him to dodge, even in his critical state. But something didn't feel right to him as he struggled to continue to dodge and move out of the way. Suddenly, his whole body fell as the ice beneath him had melted in an instant before refreezing his entire lower half in ice.
Menoetius instantly tried to break free of the ice, but even as giant cracks appeared all around him, the ice seemed to have a mind of its own and refused to let him go. Only a second passed as the titan continued to struggle before a massive pressure suddenly fell upon him. He barely had time to look up as a gauntleted fist descended upon him and smashed into his face.
BBBOOOMMM!!
The massive ice formation shook as it sank a foot from the force of the blow, and several hundred feet of ice shattered in an instant while a gigantic white dust cloud was thrown into the air at the same time. But the white cloud didn't remain for long as it dissolved moments later, revealing Percy and Menoetius. Percy stood over the collapsed titan as Menoetius struggled on the ground while coughing up fresh golden blood. Half of the titan's face had been stripped of skin, revealing bones and flesh.
Cough Cough
"You know, I thought fighting a titan was going to be beyond my capabilities. But you greatly disappointed me, Menoetius." Percy said as he reared back his leg and kicked the fallen titan with all his might. The 14-foot-tall titan was sent flying through the air, crashing through frozen waves and pillars of ice that grew from the ground in every direction he flew. Menoetius eventually came to a stop as one frozen pillar didn't give way to his momentum, leaving the titan buried in crushed ice while gasping for air. Large amounts of blood fell from several large gashes and ice spike piercings in his flesh.
"Your first mistake was allowing me to push you out over the ocean. Someone should have told you I excel in these areas, yet here we are." As Percy's voice suddenly came from in front of him as a hand tore through the ice and yanked Menoetius out, throwing him to the ground. The titan tried to get his feet under him, but Percy seemingly appeared right by his struggling form and once again punched him into the ice below. A massive crater was created once again as the ice formation sank again from the strength of the blow.
BOOOOM!
"Your second mistake was not going for the kill the instant you met me; you like playing with your enemies far too much. That gave me time to build my strength and retaliate in one vital moment." Percy's voice descended on the titan who now lay still in the crushed ice around him. The only sign of his being alive was the haggard coughs and shallow breaths coming from his lips.
Percy didn't seem to care about the condition of the titan as a giant hand made out of water formed itself from the ice and grabbed the titan by his head before pulling him out of his crater. The titan tried to reach up with his only good hand to remove the water hand, but his strength was far too weak. He couldn't even get a good grip on one of the fingers of the water hand as he was hoisted off the ground and came face to face with Percy.
"But there is one final mistake you made," Percy said as Menoetius watched him reach up and pull off his helmet, revealing his face for the first time since their fight had started. Menoetius couldn't help but an intense pressure bore down on him as he looked at Percy's eyes. Percy's eyes were like rapidly spinning multi-colored galaxies ready to detonate at any moment. Yet his expression remained neutral as he stared deep into the titan's eyes.
"You threatened my soulmates and my friends," Percy said before his entire body pulsed with energy while his wings let out an intense blue aura that flooded the area around them. The air and water around them trembled in response to Percy's emotions and increased the pressure that bore down on Menoetius even more. It was almost like the pressure of the entire ocean was pressing down on him as some of his sealed wounds were ripped open. Yet Menoetius still had a fire in his eyes that refused to be extinguished even as the pressure continued to tear apart his skin.
"Even facing death, your pride still refuses to let you give in. Quite amenable if you ask me, but that pride of yours is so ugly and warped because of your impetuousness that it loses all of its inherent good qualities. I doubt you will even be missed after you die." Percy said in a disappointed tone as he put his helmet back on, and the enraged Menoetius became even more furious, trying to move and attack Percy.
But the instant his arm moved, water tendrils shot out and wrapped up his body even tighter, locking him in place. His broken and mangled hand was inches from Percy's face, but Percy didn't care at all as he finally finished putting back on his helmet, revealing his furious eyes once again. Percy then took a stance as his aura began to swirl around his armored fist violently, the profound blue aura becoming increasingly tangible by the second as something akin to a massive vortex began to envelop the two of them.
"Y-You're making a mistake. They will come for you!" Menoetius managed to say as the tendrils on his body tightened further, and he moved his body so that his head bowed down, bringing it within striking range.
"Then let this serve as a warning to them! No! Let it serve as a warning to every god, immortal, or monster out there! I, Perseus Jackson, Ranger of Olympus, will crush all who try to harm me or my loved ones." Percy yelled, his voice piercing the air, shaking the sky, and even the storm winds around them. The vortex's speed increased as even more aura gathered around Percy's fist until a deep blue aura gauntlet that was 5 times the size of his arm covered his fist.
"You fool, Kronos will have your head for this," Menoetius whispered as the aura finally stopped gathering on his fist as Percy looked at the near-death titan.
"You think too highly of yourself, Menoetius, if anything, I'm doing Kronos a favor by getting rid of a rotten apple," Percy said before he moved and punched with all his might. The moment Percy's fist landed on the titan, space seemed to warp and bend under the immense energy that was focused on one spot before it finally gave way.
BBBBBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
A giant cone of energy exploded outward as the ice platform gave way to the surge, and massive cracks spread rapidly across it. The frozen terrain began to break and fall apart as the cracks destroyed everything in their path. Yet the cone of energy vaporized everything in its path as it consumed more and more of the ice platform while creating a brilliant beam of energy that flew into the distance.
The seconds passed rapidly as the energy beam began to dissipate until it was finally gone. The only thing left in its path was a massive carved-out chunk of the storm. The storm seemed to be struggling to hold itself together at this point, as the air sizzled with energy; even blue arcs of electricity continually jumped around in the air, with nowhere to go. At its core was a massive ice platform that was rapidly disintegrating.
Half of the platform was long gone, replaced by boiling ocean water, as the rest of the ice platform was falling apart and dissolving into the ocean below. Yet one chunk in the middle seemed unaffected by all of the destruction around it as Percy stood calmly on it. The armor on his body was long gone, leaving him in nothing but his simple gray button-up shirt and some tattered khaki pants.
'That was a close one, a little longer and you would have gone over your body's limits.' A voice echoed in his mind as Percy gave a soft nod before looking down at his fist, which he had just punched with. A large amount of the skin on his fist was gone, revealing his muscles and tendons below, while platinum and silver blood dripped onto the ice below.
Percy's eyes lingered on it for a moment before the green aura spread over his hand rapidly and started to heal his wounds. It took a few moments, but the skin on his hand was already beginning to appear again, and in a full minute, his entire hand had regenerated. Giving it a few squeezes, Percy nodded before turning his gaze to his other hand that held a crystal the size of a fist.
"Hera said to keep it on me in case something happened, but I thought it was some sort of escape mechanism," Percy said before raising the crystal to take a closer look at it, inside the crystal were multiple golden veins running all around inside it, but in the very middle was a hollow cavity filled with a small spiral of brown sand contained within its middle. Turning the crystal a few times, the brown spiral eventually calmed down until it lay silently within it.
'Your lady has some interesting toys lying around. It's been a long time since I've seen golden sealing quartz. Those are quite rare from my old place." Alpha gave a small whistle as Percy raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it seals things away?" Percy couldn't help but ask while his eyes began to scan the horizon as he saw the snowstorm finally give in as the clouds started to disperse.
"Not just things, that little rock can seal souls, not just any soul either, but immortal ones. They were used to punish the most heinous criminals in my world." Alpha said nonchalantly as Percy had to quickly look back at the crystal, specifically the brown dust inside, as he swore he could feel it glaring at him. It took him a few moments before a chuckle escaped his lips while he started to toss the crystal up and down a few times.
"Doesn't look like Menoetius is going to reform anytime soon." He said before stashing the crystal into his pocket where it was sucked into the darkness inside leaving Percy's pocket empty, with the crystal safely stowed in the storage space that was linked to his backpack and magical outfit.
"Now… for a bit of cleanup," Percy said as his gaze shifted to the ship that had gotten caught up in his battle. At the moment, he could see the crew still bowing to him before giving a small sigh. With a flip of his hand, giant tendrils of water rose out of the ocean and braced the ship before the ice surrounding it began to melt rapidly. A few tendrils also grabbed the crew as the freighter was soon put gently back into the ocean, while the crew was set on its deck moments later.
Yet with the amount of holes and breaks in its hold, the ship wouldn't make it to any port before sinking. Thinking ahead, Percy snapped his fingers once again as the water inside the ship was pulled out until not even a drop remained inside. Moments later, unusually thick and hard ice formed over every hole on the vessel, once again allowing it to float without issue. With a final nod, Percy turned away from them and scanned the horizon until his eyes landed on a familiar silver light.
"Looks like my ride is here," Percy said as the silver light began to approach him, yet with the distance between the two, it would take a few minutes. All he could do was sit down on the ice and wait. The exhaustion from the fight was finally catching up with him and he let out a few long breaths as he allowed the ocean to assist him in regaining his energy.
"So, how many gods do you think felt that fight?" Percy couldn't help but ask as he continued to watch the silver light grow closer.
'None.' Barbatos said without a worry as Percy raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"That isn't possible, the energies we gave off dwarfed my fight with Poseidon and everything else I have let out." Percy couldn't help but exclaim in doubt before a set of chuckles echoed in his mind.
'You may not realize it, but gods can't have their gaze trained everywhere at all times, be it ones from other nations or your own. It's almost like trying to stare at 10 monitors, but 5 of them are behind you. It's not possible unless you turn around.' Barbatos began as Percy pursed his lips as he explained.
'So all Gods have set zones that they monitor, and to put it simply. International waters aren't significant enough to any god to waste a screen on, even if they were allowed. Even gods centered around the ocean or waters wouldn't dare cast their gaze this way, if they knew what's good for them." Alpha lazily explained to Percy as if this was the most basic knowledge one could know. Yet toward the end of his explanation, his tone quieted down.
"Was it Pontus?" Percy asked as he felt a silent agreement from both of them.
"Pontus never struck me as a territorial type," Percy mumbled to himself as the silver streak was finally close enough for him to see his favorite goddess of the hunt making her way toward him.
'Don't let Diana hear you say that, she won't ever forgive you.' Barbatos said as Percy pushed those words out of his mind before lying down on the ice, feeling the heartbeat of the ocean against his back as its energy gently began to pour into him. Yet what seemed like only a few heartbeats to Percy was enough time for a new presence to join him at his side.
"You still alive?" A curious voice asked him while poking his cheek as Percy couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his goddess' antics.
"Very much so, just extremely tired. Fighting a titan was a bit more than I expected." He said as the finger poking his cheek pressed harder until it started to hurt his cheek.
"Thankfully, I didn't exceed my limits." Percy managed to get out as the pressure on his cheek eased slowly before the finger pulled back. Yet it came back a moment later, and kept poking his cheek a moment later as he continued to lie on the ground, refusing to open his eyes.
"Then why is your skin pink in so many places?" She asked while continuing to poke his face as he refused to open his eyes.
"I will admit I got a few major burns after using a big technique in the fight. However, they healed up nicely after using my healing ability, thanks to my extensive practice over the past few months." Percy said as a light hum came from the goddess's lips as if she were debating something.
"Your healing ability has gotten better lately… even Asclepius mentioned that you were improving at a rapid pace with his help." She mumbled as her finger finally stopped poking his face giving his cheek a moment of reprieve. Yet the soul link between the two said otherwise as he felt a few complicated emotions form in her heart.
"I'm okay. But I won't lie, the fight was brutal. If I had been missing anything in my arsenal, even Hera's buff, I would have had to push myself past my limits. Menoetius may have been an idiot and extremely prideful, but he was an excellent fighter. But I ultimately emerged victorious." Percy started to say as he felt her emotions stir a bit more.
"Hmmm…"
"But next time… I think I'm going to have a goddess or two watch my back for the whole fight. Sound like a deal?" Percy asked as he felt her emotions stabilize, and a warm, fluffy feeling began to emanate from her.
"You have yourself a deal. So… when are you going to get up? We have a queen waiting on us. I don't think she appreciates being left alone with two titans as long as she has." She said poking him again as Percy let out a small breath.
"I'm trying to regain some of my energy before I head back. I wouldn't even be able to deflect a single blow from any regular titan right now. I need about 15 minutes before I'm ready to move again. Also, I don't think Hera is left alone with the titans, it's those titans who are left alone with her." Percy said with a small laugh as the goddess couldn't help but give a light-hearted laugh in agreement.
"You're probably right. Once she sits on that throne, she becomes a mobile fortress. No sane titan or god would attack her once she's taken a seat on that thing." She said with a hint of humor in her voice as Percy couldn't help but internally agree. Yet before he knew it, a soft pair of lips suddenly found him, stunning him for a moment.
The soft kiss lasted a few moments as the two savored the feeling of their loving kiss, their soulmate bond joyfully buzzing between them. Before the goddess slowly pulled away, Percy opened his eyes slowly to reveal the adorable, blushing face of a 20-year-old Artemis.
'Get it, girl.' Diana softly cheered inside her head as Artemis ignored her other half as she tried to contain her embarrassment.
"Now wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We need to get going. You can rest up on the way back." Artemis said coyly before standing up and brushing off her jeans as Percy stared up at her for a moment longer.
"If you say so, Prince Charming. But I think I might need another kiss to wake up fully." He said with a small, confident smile as the goddess rolled her eyes at him before walking toward her chariot. Seeing her entirely ignore his provocations, Percy couldn't help but chuckle before finally standing up and following behind his goddess and entering the chariot as well.
"You can get your kiss later. But first, we need to reconvene with Hera," Artemis said, casting a glance over her shoulder towards him as she took the reins of her chariot.
"I'll hold you to those words, my love. Also, that sounds good to me. Hopefully everything is…" Percy said with a wink towards his goddess as he sat down, but the moment he did, his face froze into a serious expression as he reached up to his chest. Artemis couldn't help but give him a curious look before her face suddenly took a serious look, and she couldn't help but reach up to her chest as well.
"Something's wrong." Both Artemis and Percy whispered at the same time, as huge fluctuations in their soulmate link with the daughter of Athena began to happen. Panic was followed by an immense amount of fear before regret and anger joined it. Several other emotions coursed through Annabeth's connection before it suddenly spiked with rage, before suddenly dulling and going completely silent. Percy and Artemis were frozen in place for a few moments before looking at one another.
"We need to hurry."
A/N: Hello again, it is me, your man. Yes, I am alive. Yes, I am still writing. I just got a bad case of being an adult and taking on responsibilities. However, please be assured that I am always writing! I am going to focus on the TTCOC rewrite form, not just to follow the story better. I promise I will get to Akashic when I can. But I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. Also, leave a review on what you like and didn't! I love the feedback!
E/N: Heyyy so I did take a small bit to edit this but shhhh it's fine! Let me exist you losers lol! Anyway, how'd you like my cameo? The mets fan idea is NOT mine, I want to clarify that if it is any sports team I would root for, it would be the Panthers baby! Now let me shush and I shall whisk away to another chapter somewhere for more editing! I have NOT forgotten Sun's Flaw though. - Sidus