Mask Of Sorrows

Chapter Two

LAST CHAPTER-

Artemis and Apollo grabbed my arms roughly, and a familiar feeling took over me.

Weakness

Percy's POV

     "Wait!" I yelled, desperate for an escape.

      "What is it?" Zeus growled. I was used to the death threats. I was used to being looked down upon, a simple pawn for this world. But the anger lacing his words like embroidery in a quilt, that I was not used to.

     "I-" I hesitated. What would be enough to change his arrogant mind? "Don't you think that the campers should get a vote?" I asked quickly. "If they really think I'm a threat, then they'd vote me out too. No one wants a Luke repeat, so if you convince over half the camp that I'm a threat it will make it easier, right? Not having to hide it?" I asked. My words tumbled out at in incredible speed, and I was just saying words as they came to my head. Surprisingly, it turned out better than I thought.

     Ares scowled in annoyance. "He's got a point. He's to smart for his own good too. Smart and powerful. Not a good combo." Smart? Where did that come from? I've always played dumb because it made everyone feel good and laugh, was I not keeping it up well enough?

     "Then we go to Camp. But first, Hades." Zeus commanded, giving a silent order. I didn't know what it was, but he nodded. Next thing I know I'm bound in heavy iron chains, large iron cuffs around my ankles, and my wrists are bound together with rope behind my back. Well there goes my escape plan.

     "Let's go." Zeus commanded. My body felt light as I closed my eyes to shield them from the blinding light of the god's true forms, there form of pure power. When I felt my feet touch the ground again, the weight of the iron chains startled me and I stumbled a second.

       I tried to look as weak as possible. I knew the campers wouldn't vote me out, but it was just a precaution. I hung my head low, taking slow steps as I was shoved forward by my own dad. "Get moving." He snarled. I quickened my pace, but not by much.

      "Percy?" Came a shocked voice to my left. I tried to look up but Zeus shoved me, causing me to stumble and look back down at the ground.

       "Poseidon, take him to the Arena. Votes will be held there. I'll get the campers." Zeus commanded.

       "Yes brother." I heard my dad agree. Why didn't he believe I wouldn't try to overthrow Olympus? I'm not stupid, no matter how dumb I act. I saw Zeus' feet walk off and felt hands on my back, shoving me to the right. I twisted my ankle in the process and yelped in pain.

        "Be quiet and get moving." Ares snarled. I limped in whatever way they shoved me, which happened quite often, more than I needed at least.

      He grabbed my shoulders firmly and stopped me. I assumed I was the arena. The conch horn sounded four times, meaning a meeting in the area. I didn't look up as I heard people running to the arena. I heard some gasps and confused whispers. I felt a hand grab the hair on the top of my head and yank it up, forcing me to look up. I whimpered in pain and saw the campers confused expression. "What are you doing to Percy!?" Someone yelled from somewhere in the crowd.

       "Forcing him to obey." Dionysus snarled.

       "I would have without the freaking chains and shoving. I know better than to deny orders of a god or goddess." I muttered. This caused Ares to yank at my hair again, making me whimper again.

      "What was that?" He asked, moving so he was in front of me. His rancid breath almost made me gag. "I'll repeat myself." He snarled. "What was that?"

      "N-Nothing." I whimpered. He scoffed and moved so he was behind me again. I saw the campers shocked expressions. Thalia, Leo and Nico looked like they were going to strangle Ares and dangle from the edge of Olympus by a rope. Annabeth just had her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as did most of my friends.

      Then Zeus and Chiron walked in and everything was silent. Chiron stopped walking near the front of the crowds while Zeus walked past them and next to me. "We have news to deliver to all you demigods!" He yelled. Everyone looked around confused. I hate to admit it, but I was trembling. I knew they wouldn't vote me out, but having your life be in someone else's hands... It wasn't something I was quite used to.

     "Who here agrees that Percy Jackson is by far the most powerful demigod in history?" Zeus asked. A bunch of hands went up and I tried to keep my composure. If that many hands went up when they asked if I should be executed...

     "Good." He mused smugly. "How many agree he would be able to take down a god in a fight? He already took one down when he was twelve and had no training, against the god of war as well." About the same number of hands went up. I had a sickening feeling in my stomach, I was getting more and more nervous by the second.

     "How many think he could, oh, I don't know, take over Olympus?" Poseidon asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

     Only a few hands went up. "He could do it power wise, but his fatal flaw is loyalty." Annabeth spoke up. There was hope as long as she stayed by my side... 

     "Without his fatal flaw, just power wise. Do you think he could take over Olympus?" Poseidon asked. Most everyone raised there hands. The sick feeling in my gut expanded as I saw the hands of almost two hundred campers go up.

      "Good, good." Zeus mused. "How many think that he might actually overthrow Olympus someday?" Simultaneously almost every single hand went up, and this time I'm not talking about twenty campers not raising there hands, I'm talking about FOUR.

       "And how many think he should be executed before a Luke repeat can happen?" My dad asked. Everyone's hands went up, except for the four.

        "What?! Have you lost your minds!?" Thalia yelled, looking furious, along with Nico, Leo and Clarisse. "Execution! Are you insane?!"

     Then it hit me. Everyone but those four demigods didn't care if I died. They gods wanted to kill me for the 0.000001 percent chance that I would try to overthrow Olympus, and the demigods, my closest friends, didn't care. Psh. Who cares? Kill the person who saved your lives a bunch, yeah whatever. Another thought came to mind. Annabeth had her hand up. My heart clenched. "Annabeth?" I whispered.

     "I don't want another Luke incident." She told me in a monotone.

     "The Luke incident was that someone innocent died!" I yelled, now more angry than sad. "Look what's happening now! You're voting the person who held up the sky for you, the one who saved your life on multiple occasions, the one who helped you through your mourning of Luke when I was mourning myself! I jumped into Tartarus for you Annabeth, and you're going to vote me to die for something that I'd never do?!" I gritted my teeth as Poseidon and Ares grabbed my arms, even though they were still tied behind my back.

     "C'mon punk. You saw the votes. You're coming with us." Ares sneered. I grit my teeth and didn't move, even through they tried to jerk me away. Next thing I know there is a loud crack and my jaw feels like it's on fire.

      "Percy!" Nico cried out.

      "Let's go." My dad snarled. He just punched me in the jaw.

     Gabe

       I nodded weakly, feeling tears brimming in my eyes. My jaw was still on fire. The last thing I saw was Nico, Leo, Thalia, and Clarisse's wide, horrified eyes before my vision went fuzzy. Then black.