Prince beyond the Stars (Percy Jackson/Son of Chaos Fan-Fiction)

Chapter XX

-Percy-

I had pushed Annabeth behind my back, shielding her from the immortal standing in front of me. My eyes narrowed as End hadn’t moved.
'What? Aren't you going to attack?' I asked.
End didn't answer. Behind me I felt Annabeth moving, and a quick glance over my shoulder confirmed her fighting a Cyclops. End pursed his lips and raised his sword. I raised Anaklusmos and met his strike halfway, our swords clinging in the air.
'This is truly going to be a battle, Percy Jackson.'
I inhaled and attacked him, but he managed to dodge my hits.
'How come?' I asked him, as we continued on battling.
'Aren't you wondering why none of your powers are working?'
I gritted my teeth, not wanting to let him get aware of my nervousness.

I had been wondering why I couldn't do anything anymore, but I already knew the answer. When End had cut of the wings Chaos had given me, he also cut of the powers I used to have. However, what he didn't know, was that I was still the Prince beyond the Stars. And I still had one gift from Chaos left. When I was made the Prince beyond the Stars, Chaos granted me two gifts. One I used to get my friends back from the land of the dead. The other I hadn’t used yet, but it would give me anything as long as it lay within Chaos’ powers.

Instead of giving in to him by answering his question, I attacked him with a set of blows, of which two came through and hit his shoulder and leg. I tried a different tactic when I realized the wounds I had just inflicted on him had already started to heal again.
'Aren't you mad your plan with me has failed? That you can't use me to get the job done?'
At that I had him, but not in the way I wanted him to be.

The annoyed expression on his face vanished, replaced by a smug smile and a wicked glance in his eyes. 'I'm not mad,' End said with his grin growing wider.
My eyebrows knitted together in confusion, when suddenly someone slightly scratched my back and fell down with a piercing scream. Terrified I turned around, because I knew exactly who it was.
Panic started to get ahead of me as I saw Annabeth lying on the ground, a big gash running from her shoulder to her lower back. Blood started flowing out, but it wasn't a healthy red. Her blood had turned a slight shade of grey. My eyes widened as I saw the droplets of blood falling down from the claws at my wings.
A certain terror started to build upon the already rising panic. It was me who had wounded Annabeth. It had been me.

I tried to swallow, at which I failed, and turned around as End laughed at me.
'I believe I haven't told you yet what the beauty of these demon wings is, have I?' My fingers twitched, wanting to strangle him for what he was doing to me. 'Let me tell you now then!' End laughed cruelly. 'The claws on your wings have the bad habit to hold on to anything in their path, and with that poison whatever thing they manage to claw down. The poison, however, is something even better. It will only take a few seconds to paralyse the body, and with four minutes, the poison has reached the heart and the person dies.' 

I felt the cold feeling running down my spine at the thought of Annabeth dying. 
'Did you really think I didn't have a backup plan? Please. I've been around since the beginning of time. There’s no way in Hell that I would have let that happened.' 
The colour had left my face and by now I was sure I looked like a ghost. 
'Poor boy. So what will you do? You know that when you keep your wings, other people might get hurt in battle because of the poison dripping off. But if you decide to cut them off, you will either die from blood loss, or the poison reaching your heart.'

I turned around, glancing quickly at Annabeth. She had her eyes closed and lay motionlessly on the ground. I knew he was right. And to cut the wings, I needed a very different kind of sword. I knew, because it was what End had had to use when he cut of the wings Chaos had given me.
End let out a cold, hollow laugh again. 'And to think you need Chaotic platinum to get the job done, and there’s nothing like that around. Oh, what a cruel world!’

I gritted my teeth as I spoke to Ayme through our minds.
Ayme, I said. Hand Luke your sword and sent him here.
Why? She replied.
Just do it, I said closing my eyes.
It took him a few seconds, but I saw Luke appear next to me with Dunamis in his hand. I frowned at the sight of his half cut of wing, but it seemed like someone had already made sure it wasn’t causing him anymore pain.
'What's going on?' he asked, the worry clear in his eyes.
'I need you to take Annabeth to Apollo to get the poison out of her body,' I said, 'After you've cut the wings off by back.'

Luke took a step back, the terror written clearly on his face. 'You're kidding, right?'
I shut my eyes in frustration. 'Don't ask for an explanation, because you're not going to get one. I just need you to do it, and get Annabeth out of here, okay?'
Luke swallowed visibly, but nodded. He grabbed the knife harder and took a deep breath.
I turned around, closing my eyes, waiting for him to do what I asked him to.

The moment I opened my eyes again and looked at Annabeth, Luke found the distraction he needed. A searing pain exploded in my back as I cried out. I fell forward, breathing harshly as I felt the warm blood flow over my back.
'The other,' I hissed through gritted teeth.
Since I was so focused on the pain, I could actually feel the blade slide through my wing.
I crumpled to the ground, trying hard to get a clear view again.
'Holy.. Percy, you need to.. see Apollo, or someone, 'cause you're.. like.. bleeding out.'
I shook my head and made the crown appear at my head. Luckily I was still able to get it, but I didn’t know how much energy it would have cost hadn’t there been a huge storage in the green emeralds. With the crown in one hand I forced the stumps on my back to close up. The skin on my back crawled its way over the cut off stumps, and the blood stopped flowing.

I stood up shakily, noticing the terrified look on Luke's face. The poison was already affecting me, however it took much more time for it to paralyze my body due to me being a powerful immortal.
'I thought I told you to do something for me,' I managed to say through gritted teeth. A burning feeling started to erupt in my back, slowly spreading through my entire body.
He swallowed again, hastily picking up Annabeth and carrying her towards the medical bay.
He hadn't taken five steps before he turned around and faced me.
'We need you back alive, Percy,' he said with determination.
I didn't answer him. The look on his face said he understood. He understood what I was trying to say without actually having to say it.
'Try your hardest,' he said before walking away. I watched him go and turned around, facing a grinning End.
'Loyal to the end, aren't you Jackson?'

I closed my eyes, trying to force the poison back, but it was of no use. I took a deep breath, as I contacted Chaos through the mind link.
I'm going to use that gift, Chaos.

And I'm sorry. For everything.

I took the silver crown from my head, examining the emeralds in it. I felt the remaining power flow through the stones. Although I had used quite an amount of power to make the crown appear and seal the cuts on my back, there was enough energy left to send End into an endless sleep for a long time.
In one fluid motion I threw the crown at End, revealing the Greek curse that lay upon it. αθάνατος ή καταστροφή, που απελευθερώνονται.

End's eyes widened as he saw the crown hurl towards him, the immortal rise from it as I spoke the words. 'No!' He screamed, as he was devoured by the creature.
The immortal, being set free and his need for destruction erased after destroying several other monsters, vanished instantly on the spot.

I looked one more time at the battlefield, seeing the campers fight for their lives, but I knew two of the biggest battles were over. The battle with End, and my own. The battle with End I had won, but I was losing the one I had with myself. I smiled as I fell to the ground, feeling the poison flow its way through my body, reaching my heart.

It was over, I realized.

It was all over.

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Immortal of destruction, you are released