Confused by Storm

Chapter 19 - Control

"Stop."

Kronos, trekking through the grass and roots that snatched angrily at his ankles, stopped. He sighed. "Tartarus-"

"Silence," Tartarus snapped and Kronos grunted in annoyance at the order, but he obeyed. "She's here somewhere."

Kronos twisted to blink at the sun overhead, before returning to study the Yellowstone crater before them. "Not that I want to argue, but I healed this area only a few days ago. It had been burnt to cinders for the few months before that so the likelihood that Gaea is anywhere in the vicinity is extremely-" Abruptly, Kronos' throat reflexively closed all by itself. The Titan shut his eyes, controlling his heart rate as it jumped in response to his sudden panic.

"Silence," Tartarus repeated fiercely.

Kronos swallowed, standing utterly still as he waited for the Primordial to release his throat. Just as Kronos felt to be on the verge of passing out – black spots darkened his vision – his throat relaxed and he was able to gasp in air. He reached up to rub his throat, but didn't dare say anything to the Primordial in return despite how much he wanted to.

"She is here."

Kronos clenched his jaw. He hadn't forgotten how his mother had tried to kill Perseus to control her son. And no doubt she remembered too. Gaea knew Kronos would be furious, but she didn't know that Tartarus was slowly taking over his body. She didn't know what Tartarus planned for her.

While it provided Kronos some satisfaction to realise that he'd be a large part of her death, it would be Tartarus whom delivered the final blow. Tartarus finally gave Kronos a mental nudge and the Titan took the hint.

Kronos stepped into the Yellowstone caldera.

The ground rumbled slightly beneath his feet. The son of Gaea moulded the earth beneath him to form a smooth slope and carefully slid down.

At the base he fixed the slope back to its former position, masking his path before he continued on.

Kronos ignored the sharp pain in his chest – he knew it was just his soul being devoured further – as he advanced. His limbs felt leaden as he continued, his entire body weighted down by the Primordial within him and the Primordial resting beneath his feet. Eventually he stumbled.

Unable to move his arms in time to catch himself, Kronos forced himself into a roll. Kronos struggled to draw in breath as he rested, limbs shuddering.

"Wh – what are you doing?" He demanded weakly, barely able to force the words out of his mouth.

Dark satisfaction unfurled in his stomach and Kronos knew, without a doubt, that those were Tartarus' emotions leaking across to him.

One moment Kronos was breathing, the next he wasn't.

It wasn't anything more than that. Simply one second, and Kronos suddenly couldn't control his own body. The second after, Tartarus was breathing for him. His limbs moved, a hand pushing himself up without Kronos controlling it.

Panic erupted in his chest, a wild feeling that swiftly spread. He tried to speak, but soon realised that all muscles were beyond his control. Even his heart beat without Kronos' knowledge.

"Your fear feels wonderful," Tartarus said, using Kronos' mouth as his own. The Primordial didn't bother to hide his glee and amusement from Kronos. He chuckled as he felt Kronos' shame. "Do not worry, Kronos. I will allow you your body back once Gaea is dealt with."

Allow.

In that instant Kronos knew he was completely and utterly screwed.

Tartarus flexed his new fingers – Kronos' fingers – and chuckled. Then, abruptly, Kronos was suddenly in control again. For a few seconds he forgot to breathe.