Y/n's POV
We spent days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over viers, past amber waves of grain.
We weren't attacked once, but I didn't relax. Before Camp Half-Blood after weeks of monster attacks, it was pretty hard to not be constantly on edge.
I sat next to Annabeth who was muttering nonsense to herself. I glanced over to our right where Grover was sitting sound asleep in his seat. And meanwhile Percy kept pacing the length of the train. Mumbling to himself as he refused to sit still. I and Annabeth tried to get him to sit back down but he wouldn't listen. So, it was just me and her sitting together.
I felt an uncomfortable feeling fill my body as Annabeth watched me inquisitively. The same way she had back at camp. Like I was puzzle she hadn't found the answer too. It was really starting to get on my nerves.
"Yeah Annabeth?" I said prompting her.
"What?"
"What do you want to ask?"
"Oh nothing, nothing. Just that," she looked over at me puzzlingly. "So, you don't have any idea who your godly parent is?"
I sighed figuring that this was the place she wanted to go. "Yeah, I don't. My dad never told me, and I haven't gotten any floating tridents above my head. So, no. I don't know."
"Haven't you ever wondered who?"
I looked over at her and shrugged.
"Yeah sometimes. But if she didn't care about me enough to claim me or even call. Then why should I care about her?"
Annabeth raised her hand to her chin. Ignoring the end of my last sentence as she continued.
"What about your powers?"
"What about them?"
"Well usually that's a big clue when it comes to your godly parent." She gestured over at Percy who was still pacing the length of the train. "Look at seaweed brain. He heals himself just by standing in water. Who else could he be but Poseidon's son?"
I gave her a questioning look.
"Well, if it's so easy with Percy. Then what about me?"
An annoyed irritated look passed over Annabeth. Like she was on the verge of solving a puzzle, but she was missing just one clue.
"So, your abilities are as far as we know. Is some degree of earth manipulation."
I nodded.
"But that isn't a whole lot to go off of. So-"
"I also have a few others. Back at the road I was able to cause vines to burst out of the ground. And at Aunty Em's I used some form of echolocation through a connection with the earth."
Annabeth looked back at me in slight confusion to which I simply replied: "Earthbending."
"Right. Uh anyways that helps a bit more." She got that same inquisitive puzzling look. "We can add plant manipulation and heightened senses to the list."
I waited for her to continue. Prompting her to answer.
"So, what's your conclusion Sherlock?"
"There isn't really a definitive answer. You can't be a child of the big three because you have a mortal father. Unless of course you're adopted?"
"I'm definitely not."
"Well then let's stick with the goddesses." she said. "Hera doesn't have kids so that crosses her off the list. Athena doesn't fit you either and I doubt we'd be siblings. All of your powers are nature related so Artemis kind of works. But she definitely doesn't have any children. And there's no way you're a son of Aphrodite. Then there's Demeter. Your plant powers might work with that. But not your earth ones."
I sighed. "Sounds like we haven't gotten anywhere closer."
"Not necessarily. You could be a son of a minor nature goddesses. Cybele, Chloris, Antheia to name a few. But you radiate half-blood energy. And smell almost as strong as Percy."
"Thanks man. But if you haven't noticed there hasn't really been a chance to shower the past few days."
Annabeth rolled her eyes at me.
"You know what I meant. Monsters are attracted to you almost as much as Percy. It's a miracle you even got to Camp Half-blood. You couldn't be the child of a minor immortal."
I let out a deep breath.
"Well, where does that leave us? As far as I can tell we just crossed off basically every possible parent on the list. So, who the heck could I be?"
Annabeth tapped the bottom of her chin with her hand. A million thoughts racing through her head as she tried to come up with an answer. A frustrated grunt escaping her mouth as she spoke.
"I don't know Y/n. I'm missing something and I don't know what but I'm gonna find it. And when I do, I'll know who it is."
"Sure Annabeth." I spoke. "It's fine anyways. I don't really care. I just want to get through this quest and hopefully avoid getting a nuclear grade lightning bolt shot threw my skull."
I stood up as I finished. Telling her I needed to use the bathroom. Annabeth already mumbling to herself angrily once more. As she debated with herself over the puzzle that was my lineage that she couldn't seem to crack.
Toward the end of our second day on the train, June 13, eight days before summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis. Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which Percy called a giant shopping bag handle.
"I want to do that," she sighed.
"What?" Percy asked.
"Build something like that. You guys ever see the Parthenon?"
"Only really in pictures." I replied.
"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."
Percy laughed. "You? An architect?" which seemed kind of jerky to me.
Annabeth cheeks flushed. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention."
The comment was directed at Percy. But it involuntarily hit me. Like a wave of splash damage. Because you know I was the guy who put a crater in front of the Camp Half-Blood bathrooms.
"Sorry," Annabeth said. "That was mean."
"Deserved I think."
Percy scoffed slightly as he spoke up. "Can't we just work together a little?" he pleaded. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon every cooperate?"
Annabeth had to think about it. "I guess . . . the chariot," she said tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."
"Then we can cooperate too. Right?"
"Yeah you guys just have to build a chariot together."
Annabeth didn't respond for a moment. Looking out ask the Arch disappeared behind a hotel.
"I suppose it could work." she said at last. "the working together. Not the chariot."
"I don't know you and Percy could make a pretty kick butt chariot team." I replied half joking but with an air of seriousness. I truly thought they could.
We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.
Grover stretched. Before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."
"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."
"Sightseeing?"
"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"
Grover, Percy, and I exchanged looks.
Percy looked like he wanted to say no. But I nudged him in the ribs. Urging all of us to go together.
Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."
The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in weren't that long. We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other artifacts from the 1800's. I wasn't the biggest fan of museums, but I loved history. And I had to admit the Civil War section was pretty cool. Though Annabeth was more preoccupied with the architecture. Telling us all these interesting facts about how the Arch was built, Grover kept passing Percy and me jellybeans, so it wasn't unbearable.
Percy glanced over at the other people waiting in line to get to the top. "You smell anything?" I heard him murmur to Grover."
He took his nose out of the jelly-bean bag long enough to sniff. "Underground," he said distastefully. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything.:
I felt inclined to disagree. After weeks of being chased by monsters. I had sort of developed a sixth sense for when things felt wrong. And right now, it was going off. Like we shouldn't be here. Part of me said to leave and get everyone out of here. The other part of me called me a bad friend for wanting to cut the visit short on a hunch. And Annabeth was so excited to see the top of the Arch. So I decided to keep quiet.
"Guys," Percy said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"
Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, when she looked over. "Yeah?"
"Well Hade-"
I cleared my throat loudly. "Discretion please. This is a public space."
"I think you mean our friend downstairs." Grover added for me.
"Um, right," he said. "Our friend way downstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"
"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said.
"Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."
"He was at Olympus?" I asked.
"She nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus-the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true. . . ."
"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass-through walls. He can't be touched, or even seen, or heard. And he can radiate a fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all the rational creatures fear the dark?"
I felt that same presence edge into my mind. They almost seemed to scoff. And it was like I could feel that void black blade humming with stored energy against my thigh. I almost went to slide it out of its invisible sheath before forcing my hand away.
"But if he can do all that then . . . how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" Percy asked.
Annabeth and Grover exchanged looks,
"We don't," Grover said.
We all stood there silently for a moment. The green elevator light dinging as the doors opened ready for us to ascend.
"And on that cheery note. You guys wanna see some arches?"
We got shoehorned into the car with this big middle-aged lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I figured maybe the dog was a seeing eye Chihuahua, because none of the guards said a word about it.
We started going up, inside the Arch, I'd never been in an elevator than\t went in a curve. It was a little weird but nothing too drastic. Percy on the other hand seemed to be having a hard time. Breathing hard as he gripped the railing of the elevator. He looked like he was about to puke up all the jellybeans he had just ingested.
"No parents?" the fat lady asked us.
She had beady eyes: pointy, coffee-stained teeth, a floppy denim hat, and a denim, dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blue-jean blimp.
"They're below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."
"Oh, the poor darlings."
The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave." The dog had beady eyes like its owner intelligent and vicious.
Percy said, "Sonny. Is that his name?"
"No," the lady told him.
She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.
At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other. The view was pretty good though I think I would have enjoyed it more if Annabeth could learn to take a breather. She kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger, and designed a see-through floor. She could've stayed up there on the observation for hours. But the ranger told us the deck would be closing in a few minutes.
Percy quickly steered us all to the exit. And I could tell he was very eager to leave. Grover and Annabeth filed in along with two other visitors. And then it was just me and Percy. Standing there with no room left for us to take.
"Next car, sirs."
"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you guys." That would've messed everything up and take more time. And I could already feel some people staring at us. Asking what was taking so long. "It's okay. You guys go. Percy and I will be fine."
Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but Percy nodded encouragement and they let the elevator doors slide shut. Their car disappeared down the ramp.
Now the only people left on the observation deck were us, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger, and the fat lady with her Chihuahua.
I tried to avoid looking at the fat lady. Eye contact always made me uncomfortable, but she was even worse.
I glanced over and saw Percy attempting a smile at her. She smiled back, her forked tongue flickering between her teeth.
Wait a minute.
Forked tongue?
Before I could decide if I'd really seen that, her Chihuahua jumped down and started yapping at me.
"Now, now, sonny." the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."
I started pulling Percy away. Not that there was anywhere to go. I just wanted to be as close to the elevator as possible.
"Doggie!" said the little boy, "Look a doggie!"
His parents pulled him back.
The Chihuahua bared his teeth at me, foam dripping from his black lips. That unsettled me more. I had never met an animal that had acted aggressive towards me.
"Well son," the fat lady sighed. "If you insist."
Ice started forming in my stomach. "Um, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?" I asked. My hand slipped down to my dirk. Wrapping around the still invisible handle.
"Chimera, dear" the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."
She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's.
The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.
The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back toward the exit, straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralyzed, gaping at the monster.
The Chimera was now so tall its head rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA- RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS-IF FOUND PLEASE CALL TARTARUS-EXT 954.
I slid my dirk out of its sheath. Gripping the abyss black blade tightly as I stared down the Chimera.
"Be honored, Percy Jackson, Y/n L/n. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test heroes with one of my broods. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"
I stared at her. Every instinct in my body told me to run. But I knew as soon as I moved it would lunge at me.
I glanced to my left Percy opting to say: "Isn't that a type of anteater?"
She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you first!"
The Chimera charged at Percy. I pushed him to the left and I jumped to the right. The monster dashing right between us.
Percy ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to open the emergency exit doors. He held up Riptide keeping them behind him as the Chimera faced them down.
I had to keep it away from them. I scoured my mind for one of the good one liners I had written down. Nothing seemed to pop up.
"Hey fur face!" my brain spat out. It was subpar but it seemed to work.
The Chimera turned towards me charging straight at me. Before I could slash out with my dirk, it opened its mouth, emitting a stench like the world's largest barbecue pit, and shot a column of flame straight at me.
I dove through the explosion. The carpet burst into flames; the heat was so intense, it nearly seared off my eyebrows.
Where I had been standing a moment before was a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, with melted metal around the edges.
Great, I thought. We just blowtorched a national monument. I squirmed to get back up from my lying position on the ground. But the Chimera was already preparing a second charge. I was already preparing one final curse at Zeus before I was pummeled to death. When Percy dashed forward. Bronze blade held high as he struck down at the Chimera's neck. I mentall face palmed as the blade sparked harmlessly off the dog collar.
Percy tried to get in a defensive position but failed to remember its tail. The thick serpent tail swinging around as it struck him in the stomach. Throwing him back as he landed next to me. A grunt of pain escaping his mouth as I helped him up.
"You know some earthbending would be nice right about now." he said.
I sighed in exasperation.
"We're 630 feet off the ground. Surrounded by glass and concrete." I said in annoyance. "Tell me what earth would you like me to bend?"
He gripped his sword tighter as he looked back at me.
"So, we're basically screwed?"
I smirked slightly as I replied.
"Well, I saw a water fountain by the elevator if you want to use some of your own bending, water boy."
"Don't call me water boy."
Despite the situation I couldn't help but chuckle. Though my amusement was short lived as the Chimera roared in anger at us. Preparing once more to charge.
"Alright we'll just do what we did with Medusa. You go right, I go left." I said.
"And hopefully at least one of us doesn't get a face full of fire breath." Percy finished.
I nodded as I gripped my blade. The two of us turning back towards the Chimera. Percy moving to the right while I moved to the left. It looked between the two of us as it prepared to charge. Unsure of which one of us it wanted to turn into a half-blood roast first.
I took another step closer as we approached. The monster ten feet in front of us. Growling at us angrily as it gnashed its teeth. Percy was the first to try and close the gap. Dashing forward with a raised blade as it turned towards him. Opening its jaw as the air filled with that same horrible stench. Seeing my friend was about to be burned to a crisp. I got probably my stupidest idea yet.
I rushed forward and jumped up onto its back. Clambering up as I raised my blade. It tried to shake me off thrashing around to try and loosen my grip. But Percy was there to keep it occupied. Slashing its legs as he jumped to the side. Narrowly avoiding its claw swipes as he kept its attention on him. Now situated on its back I gripped my blade tightly.
"Please work." I spoke as I plunged the blade down into the back of its neck. The way my luck was going I expected the blade to bounce harmlessly off its thick hide. But to my surprise it slid right in. Tendrils of void black darkness starting to seep out of the wound and the abyss black blade.
As long as I kept my focus the tendrils would keep growing until the whole monster was consumed and eventually destroyed. But in case you haven't noticed it was kind of hard to focus when you were 630 feet in the air riding on top of a fire breathing lion barely holding on by the handle of a glorified knife.
The Chimera took another swipe at Percy which he sidestepped away. Slashing out with his sword at its paw as he dodged. Annoying it more than doing any real damage. Shaking violently as it tried to get me off as the black tentacles continued to wrap around it, but Percy slashed out again. Forcing it to turn back to him. He tried to stab out again, but the Chimera lashed out once more. And this time he was too slow to dodge. The claw swiping across the chest as he was sent flying back. Landing with a pained moan as he collapsed on the floor.
"Percy!"
With one of us out of the way the Chimera began thrashing its body violently. Trying to throw me off of it. Colliding with the walls and shaking the entire Arch as I held on desperately to the blade still embedded in its back. The tendrils of void slowly losing their strength and receding back into the blade as I lost my focus. The only thought running through my head being: "Hold on! Hold on!"
But eventually I felt the blade slipping out of the skin. And with one last violent thrash I was sent flying back. The breath collapsing out of my lungs as my back collided with the window. Narrowly avoiding the gaping hole in the Arc as I collapsed to the ground with a pained moan.
A mighty triumphant roar filled the room. Reverberating off the walls causing the very floor to shake beneath me. I opened my eyes painfully to see it approaching Percy. Who was now standing and holding Riptide. The park ranger and the family behind him as he kept his celestial bronze blade between them and the approaching Chimera. And soon that same burned charred stench filled the air as it opened its mouth. Preparing to throw another ball of fire.
I groaned in pain as I tried to stand. Before quickly falling back against the wall. My whole body shaking in pain. I could barely hold my dirk. And as I sat there trying to think of some way out of this. A familiar unwelcomed presence filled my mind.
"Well, it seems you are about to get us killed. Again." it mocked.
I groaned as its voice reverberated through my head.
"What do you want?" I snapped back. Making no attempt to hold back the anger or edge to my voice as I spoke.
"Now, now, Y/n. No need to get snippy. After all I'm not the one that got us trapped up here with the Chimera."
"If you just came to mock me then go ahead. But don't expect me to listen. I'm gonna find a way out of this on my own." I replied still not taking that edge of my voice. "Besides there's no "us". And there never will be."
It laughed in that same grating mocking tone. Their voice drowning out every other thought as it spoke.
"Believe me Y/n. We are more connected than you could ever imagine. And it won't be long until it's only an "us". But that's all in due time."
A shiver ran up my back as they spoke. I hated the way it emphasized "we" and "us" like it was really a part of me.
"But as of now I merely want to get us out of this current situation. Offer my help and hopfull you will accept. Unlike how before you refused to take it every time, I have extended my hand."
My memories were always fuzzy. Especially those weeks I had spent across the country. I could barely remember my father and I couldn't even recall the name of my protector. But as he spoke several memories popped up in my mind. Facing down monster's dirk in hand as I traveled desperately to make it to Camp Half-blood. And the voice was always there. Telling me to let it aid me. Accept it and embrace it. But every time I had refused. I didn't know why. God knows I could have used every scrap of aid I could afford. But for some reason I knew not to accept. And oddly as these recollections came back to me. So did that of a treacherous stormy night. One long ago that I had tried to keep buried. Why would it emerge now?
I focused my attention back to them. As they spoke up again. Like they had been waiting for me to finish my thoughts. As if they knew what had sprung up in my mind. And I hated that even more.
"Thought if you do accept, I cannot make guarantees. Beware Y/n. This will push us farther than ever before. Take you to the edge of destruction and back. It will not be pleasant." I took in another gasping breath. "So will you accept my help?"
Every rational part of me screamed no. Every logical part of my mind said to refuse. But as the Chimera moved closer and closer to Percy and the others. And the air grew warmer and warmer. I saw no other recourse.
"Fine! What do I have to do?"
They seemed to exclaim excitedly as they replied.
"Excellent! Now stand up and hold that blade of ours. I'll do the rest." They spoke. "Just remember to embrace it. Its already inside of us. You just need to recognize that it's there. Remember we're in this together Y/n."
As they spoke, I couldn't help but reply sharply.
"There's still no "we". This is a onetime thing. And I'm only doing it because I don't have a choice."
"We'll see."
I let out a deep breath as I hoisted myself up. Groaning in pain as I managed to hold myself up as I leaned against the wall. I gripped my dirk tightly with the Chimera drawing closer to them. The air growing even warmer.
"Now would be a good time!"
They merely chuckled in response.
"Remember. Embrace it."
"Embrace wha-"
But I was cut off as an intense pain filled my body. A convulsive suffocating horrible pain. Like my body was being erased atom by atom from the inside out. It was the worst pain I had ever felt.
I managed a gasping breath as I stood. Looking down at my chest as tendrils of shadow crawled out of my skin. Darker than shadow. Blacker than night. Completely devoid of light or substance. Crawling across my skin like an infection. Wrapping around me encasing my body. And the worst thing was this darkness didn't come from the night black blade which I held in my hand. But from my me. My very being. Like a void of darkness eating away at my soul that I had allowed release.
I wanted to run, to scream, to cry, to vomit, and to pass out all at the same time. But their presence filled my mind pulling me inward as it gave me their encouragement. And soon I found myself in that same black empty space inside my head. Like the inside of a black hole. I looked over and saw them standing in front of me. That same form they had appeared in back in the van. A horrible, twisted version of me. Caked in darkness and tendrils of void.
"I told you this would not be easy." they said. "But you must remain strong. For us. Because right now I'm just as vulnerable as you."
"I can't. It hurts so much. I can't. I can't. Please don't make me."
And surprisingly there was no edge of mockery to their voice. No tone of amusement or mirth. It was just them. Trying to get us through this.
"I know. But you have to. Your-" he chuckled slightly as he corrected himself. "Our friends are counting on us."
He took a step forward placing a hand on my shoulder the way my father used to. And no farther words were needed. I merely nodded as they slowly let go. Allowing me to return to the real world and leave that space. One thought emitting through my mind as I left them: "Maybe "us" wasn't such a bad thing after all."
I soon found myself back in my body. But as I recovered, I felt the pain slowly recede. Strength returning to me as I stood without aid. I glanced over at my reflection in the window. Nearly falling back in surprise as I saw me. I looked exactly like they did in my mind. Tendrils of void crawling up and down my body. As I was caked in black. My hands and forearms nearly entirely covered. And the same for my legs and thighs. How did this happen? What was this? What was I?
"Curious, isn't it? I'm surprised we could work together so well."
I nearly fell again. Their presence filling my head. But this time it felt different. More tangible more real. Like I could really hear them. As if they were standing right beside me.
"As to your question. Who we are remains to be seen."
And though I could not see them I could feel a smile edge onto their face.
"Now shall we dispose of this monster?"
"We shall." I replied.
I turned towards the Chimera its mouth fully agape as heat and fire emitted from its throat.
"Hey fire breath!" I yelled.
"Really fire breath? We wrote down a bunch of one liners for a reason." They commented.
"I don't know man. I don't do well under pressure."
Regardless of the quality of my one liner it seemed to get the attention of the Chimera who now turned towards me. Along with Percy and the other people who were standing in front of it. My friend standing there shocked and speechless as he looked at me.
"Y/n?"
The boy screamed as his parents pushed him behind them protectively fear plastered across all of their faces. I told myself it was the Chimera, but I knew better. I shook my head as I refocused on the monster in front of me.
"You heard me!" I yelled. "You fire breath, fur faced, Chihuahua."
If my goal was to tick it off, I had succeeded. The Chimera roared in anger as it unleashed its tidal wave of fire straight at me. And without thinking at all. My arm moved of its own accord. Raising my void black blade as the tsunami of flames came crashing down on me. I expected to be burned to a crisp. But as it enveloped me, I felt no heat. The abyss darkness of my body growing as the flames were sucked up into it. My blade most of all. And soon the fire had completely disappeared. My dirk now humming with stored up energy. Waiting to be released.
For a moment everything was silent. I could hardly believe that I wasn't dead. Percy and the other people stared at me stunned. Even the Chimera looked at me as if confused at what it should do next. And I smiled triumphantly back at it.
I raised my blade as I dashed forward slashing and stabbing out at it. With a speed and strength my body had never known. And with every strike a tidal wave of void released from the blade. Crashing over it as it whimpered in pain. The darkness ripping away at it erasing its physical form piece by piece.
And I couldn't help but laugh. A mirth filling me that I had never felt. How insignificant was this monster. That it thought it could stand up to me? How small everything was compared to me and my power. It was like a joke that I only now had discovered the punchline. And as I laughed waves of darkness seemed to emit from me with each burst of my mirth. And my laugh filled the room with tones of humor and mockery. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the ranger and the family back away in fear. Percy standing there wide eyed stunned. And I froze with fear. That mirth filled mocking sound still echoing through the room. For that laugh was not mine. It was theirs. I felt my breath quicken as my blade trembled in my hand. I began to panic. Everything else falling away as I was filled with fear.
"Y/n what are you doing! Discard of that impudent beast and allow us to commence our escape."
Its voice filled my mind. Clouding every thought and replacing it with its own. Guiding me to its own twisted path. What a fool I was to think it was ever a part of me. I was merely its tool. Its puppet for whatever game it was trying to play. Even now I could feel it eating away at me. I fell to my knees in pain. Gripping my head as the pain returned. Filling my body as I felt that darkness tearing away at my very mind and soul.
"No! I won't let you!" I yelled back at it. "I won't let you take me!"
"You fool! Do you know what you've done! We were so close! So close!" It screamed in anger. "You just had to mess EVERYTHING UP LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!!!!"
Waves of darkness rolled out from me with each yelled word. Suffocating me and encasing the room in a black void. I tried to scream. To yell. To call out. But nothing came. I merely sat there on the ground burying my head in my hands as I tried to push it away. Their anger rising as that darkness grew. Encompassing the room as it infected my mind.
But as this all occurred. I failed to recognize the adversary still in front of me. A roar filled my ears as the Chimera lunged forward. Knocking me back as it stood over me with bared claws.
"Y/n!"
It slashed my body as bloody streaks and chunks of flesh flew off of me. I tried to raise my blade, but I could not find the strength. Percy tried to help. Running at me sword raised as he came to my aid. But it was already too late. With one last triumphant roar the Chimera picked me up in its jaws. And threw me out the gaping hole in the Arch. I was soon plummeting to the earth below. The ground fast approaching me. And as the air blew past and pain ran through my body. One thought filled my head.
"It's all your fault."
Author Note
The plot thickens.
- Machine Herald