Clockwork

51

One of the children screamed. One of them broke into a panic attack, clutching their chest.

Percy could hear a struggle but for some reason, he couldn't tell where it was from. Blair's grunting and growls were coming from different directions at one time. Percy couldn't react, it was like he wasn't in danger. No adrenaline or panic, Percy was just stuck in the moment with the sound of a zombie fighting something in the dark.

There was a quiet thud, and the struggling stopped. Then it was just as silent as before the arrows were shot, but this time Percy had more than a suspicion that someone was watching them. The feeling of being watched intensified, and Percy could feel his hairs stand up and his hear his heart pick up. His adrenaline was kicking in, and the rushing feeling was usually a feeling Percy could control. He had to remind himself that he was a living and breathing human who had learned to thrive off of his adrenaline. His heart pounding in his wars almost knocked off his concentration but he closed his eyes to listen for a second.

If someone was out there—which there was— Percy couldn't sense where they were. He couldn't hear them either. He was in the deepest part of Tartarus where the most dangerous Titans resided. Arrows, undetectable movement, and the ability to make people feel like prey, pumping their victim's adrenaline to the max to knock off their concentration or make them feel no fear at all.

Lelantos.

The Titan's name seemed to trigger something in the dagger Ares gave him and it started to burn hot in his hand. The scalding blade felt like it had gotten so hot so quickly that it had melted into his palm and he wouldn't be able to let it go if he tried. It hurt, but it was like he'd forgotten how to react to the pain. The adrenaline must be getting to him.

Another arrow flew through the group, this time narrowly missing tiny Diana and whizzing past Percy's ear, going so fast Percy's ear made a popping sound. Diana squealed and Percy's eyes followed the arrow. The arrow came from the opposite direction than the first one had, and it sent the others into a panicked conversation amongst themselves. The titan was playing with them. If he wasn't, they'd be long dead. Dead before Percy had even woken up, dead before the others even had Max to let them see anything in this place of absolute darkness.

Lelantos was the unseen. Literally unobservable. The uncle of the twin archers, he was the personification of the hunter's skill of stalking prey. It's why he was called the Titan of air.

"Oh... That's the face of someone who recognizes me," a voice said. Disembodied and lightened with interest, the voice bounced from all around. It wasn't like speaking to Thanatos while he was collecting souls. It was as if the voice was just behind Percy's back, whispering in his ear.

"Someone who came armed with the Death Bringer. How lovely," Lelantos said. He was talking, but it still did not indicate where the Titan was.

"Death Bringer?" The question came out mumbled, but Percy knew the titan could hear him. Diana also heard him, and looked at him a little strangely.

"The weapon you wield, warrior. It reeks of ichor and war, you've come down here to kill," he said matter of factly. Percy looked at his companions, but none seemed to hear the titan's voice. None accept Jasmine. She was looking around, trying to see where the voice was coming from.

"Not as much as you. Where's Blair?" Percy asked. He kept his voice quiet so the others wouldn't hear.

"Your zombie's incapacitated. It was self-defense, you see."

"Right," Percy agreed sarcastically. "Why did you shoot at us?"

"Stray arrows."

"Both of them?"

"I'ma poor shot. That must be why history doesn't speak of me much."

Percy had almost forgotten that Lelantos was irked at the fact that he was largely unacknowledged by... everyone really. Though he was notably one of the most powerful beings of existence. The excuse of him being a 'poor shot' confirmed Percy's suspicion of him playing with them earlier.

"Now, no more questions from you. My turn. Do they talk about me?"

"Who?" Percy questioned, almost spitefully. Diana still looked confused as she watched Percy talking to himself.

The voice sighed. "The ones up there. How do you know who I am?"

Artemis told Percy all about her mother's brother, but the attention-deprived titan didn't need to know that.

"No one talks about you. I read about you in some old book that was being thrown from Athena's library," Percy lied, ingnoring Diana's eyes. His lie was barely a believable one, as not only were there people who talked about him, Percy hadn't read a book in years, and Athena doesn't just throw away books without at least having one other copy. But that was just another thing the titan didn't need to know.

His lie was met with a sinister silence that only lasted for three seconds. Then the titan let out an amused laugh, a harsh sound that suggested that he didn't make it much.

"Ouch. Striking where it hurts, aren't you?" the titan said, highly entertained.

The titan's amusement surprised Percy, but from his laughter and the little game he played with his arrows and luring out Blair, Percy could only assume it was boring down here for a hunter with no prey.

"Let's make a deal, warrior. A deal between a warrior and a hunter," the titan offered, his amused voice still floating from places Percy sure the titan didn't stand. "What deal? Why do you want to make a deal?" Diana finally shook her head and made the descent down from Percy's shoulder.

"Because you amuse me. And I want you to amuse me for a little while longer."

"What deal?" Percy asked again.

"Let's play a game. If you win, well, you win. You and your many companions won't be divided and then hunted down. However, if I win... well you all will be. Though none of them seem like they'd be as challenging as you."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll politely apologize for the inconvenience and go on my merry way."

"So me and my companions will be divided and hunted down," Percy translated. "What a smart man," Lelantos said.

"Now, can I explain my game or do you have more questions?"

Percy stayed silent then.

"The game is you stepping out of the light that friend of yours is emitting and becoming my prey. As the hunter I will try my very best to  track you down. As a warrior, your only job is to stay alive and fight for your life. If I fail, you win. If I succeed, I will kill you then your friends shortly after."

It was a hopeless deal. There was nowhere Percy could go that the titan wouldn't be able to find him. And in the surrounding darkness, Percy couldn't tell where the titan was or even what his surroundings looked like.

However, if he was going to die either way...

"So, warrior? What do you say?" Percy turned towards Jasmine who had stopped looking for the voice and instead stared at Percy, wondering if— or probably why— he was the one the disembodied voice was talking to.

"Jasmine, Ali, keep everyone together. I'll be back," Percy said, sighing.

"Don't make any promises you can't keep, warrior."

And that's the end of this part. What did you think?
Hoped you enjoyed it and see you next time :)