Percy couldn't breathe. Tears fell to the floor faster than anybody would've thought was possible. He was having another PTSD attack.
Percy was 6.
He was doodling in his notebook. There was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Sally Jackson came in, closing the door behind her. Percy smiled and ran up to her, hugging her.
"Hey, honey. I'm sorry, I can't stay long, I have to go to work."
"But mom, you came back two hours ago!"
Sally smiled sadly.
"I know, Percy, I know. But I have to. You know how it is."
'How it is' was basically Gabe gambling their money away or buying beer with it. Smoking didn't help the money either.
"Okay. See you soon."
Sally smiled and left. Percy didn't mind being alone; no, no. He minded being alone with Gabe. He heard the front door close and sighed.
Throwing hid notebook on his bed, he went downstairs to make himself some food. He hadn't eaten all day.
Just as he was coming down the stairs, he slipped on something and fell. He yelled, but it didn't prevent the loud crash.
When he looked back, he saw one of Gabe's beer bottles. He had stepped on the bottle.
Gabe yelled from the couch.
"YOU MADE ME LOSE MY GAME!"
The walrus jumped from the couch. He smashed his beer bottle on the wall and stabbed Percy in the stomach with the sharp edge. Percy screamed, the glass hurting.
He sobbed as Gabe kept slashing his skin; his arms, legs, chest, back...
Percy screamed in pain. Gabe picked him up and threw him to the wall. Percy launched with immense force, a sickening crack heard the second he hit the wall.
Percy screamed again. Gabe walked away, getting himself a beer and continuing his game.
Percy flashed back into reality. As the memories kept reeling back, he sobbed. Poseidon and Will ran in, seeing his state.
"Dad, how's he doing? What was that?"
Apollo turned to Will.
"He's still bad, and I'm sure that was a PTSD attack. It's over, but besides that, he's still pretty agitated. His adrenaline levels are off the charts, get something to calm that."
Will nodded and quickly left for the other room. Percy took deep breaths, wiping his tears.
Poseidon anxiously walked toward Percy, watching sadly.
After another hour of sobbing, two sedatives, one bleeding throat and fractured lung later, Percy was unconscious.
Poseidon looked at his son, eyes filled with tears.
"Will he be okay?"
Apollo looked at Poseidon sadly.
"Physically? Yes. Mentally? Probably not."
Poseidon let out a deep breath and looked over at Will.
"How is he? And how in Tartarus did he hurt himself?"
Will looked over his notes.
"He made his throat bleed by sobbing and coughing harshly. His lung was fractured because of hyperventilation and coughing both. The sedatives didn't work due to levels of adrenaline pumping through him, his body rejected the drug. Besides that, he's doing good."
Poseidon nodded. Another idea hit him then.
"Apollo, if we get Iris, couldn't she show us Percy's memories? Or what he's seeing during PTSD attacks?"
Apollo nodded.
"You're right, Uncle P. Should I go get her?"
Poseidon shook his head.
"You stay here, I'll get her."
"Yup," Apollo said, popping the 'p'.
Poseidon ran into the throne room. The Demigods bombarded him with questions while most of the Olympians glared at him.
"Zeus, get Iris here. I've figured it out."
Zeus only looked at him.
"You're calling a goddess for a mere demigod?"
Poseidon glared at him.
"If you think my son is just 'a mere demigod', why did you use him throughout his entire life?"
Zeus looked mad. With a flash, Iris was standing in front of Poseidon.
"Hey, Iris. Come with me, quickly," he added.
They ran through the halls and into the infirmary. Percy was still sleeping.
"Iris, tap into his memories. Please."
Iris nodded and moved closer to Percy. She put her hand on his forehead, retracting it immediately as if it was fire.
"This poor boy..."
She sighed and made a screen similar to an IM appear. About 3 memories played before Percy woke up.
"How dare you look through my memories?! Those are private!"
Iris disappeared with a flash, leaving Apollo and Poseidon alone with Percy. Apollo hesitantly left, making it more awkward.
"Percy, I'm sorry-"
"No. Okay- I- no. Why did you? I trusted you. But then, my oh-so-bad loyalty. I trusted Annabeth. Look where that got me. I- I just need to vent or something."
He got up and ripped the needle of the serum from his hand, giving a pained gasp as the needle ripped his vein and skin. His entire hand was covered in blood as he walked away. Apollo groaned.
"Ugh, how did he even rip that?! Poseidon, teleport Percy."
He didn't.
"Uncle P?"
Poseidon just stood there, looking at the behind Percy.
"Let him go. Please."
Apollo shrugged and nodded. Percy ran out of Olympus. Ignoring the weird stares he got while he ran out of the Empire State Building, he ran and ran. Poseidon went into the throne room and turned to Zeus.
"Send the demigods back. We already got the answer to our question, it's not like a demon is rising, it was Percy. Plus, things are more complicated than ever right now."
Zeus nodded.
"Demigods, you can go back to Camp Half-Blood."
Just as he was about to flash them out, there was a yell.
"Wait! Where's Percy?!"
Poseidon looked at Jason.
"He ran away. You are to go to camp and leave the current matters alone."
Jason opened his mouth to argue but closed it. With a flash, the heroes were at camp. They all went to their cabins.
Percy had run for over 2 hours now. He was at some hills next to the water. He dipped his hand into the lake, and the lake water became a reddish pink before Percy was completely healed.
Poseidon appeared behind him.
"Percy."
Percy jumped.
"Dam, you scared the shit out of me," he said, his voice barely above a mutter.
"Percy, language."
Percy laughed a delirious laugh.
"I want to kill myself, and you're mad at the use of the word 'shit'?"
Poseidon hugged Percy, who tried to get away.
"You said I could hug you if we weren't on Olympus. We aren't."
Percy rolled his eyes.
"I heard Elysium's nice this time of year."
Poseidon frowned.
"You're partially immortal."
"Not for Riptide," he said, his voice pained.
"I'll take it back," Poseidon said, annoying Percy further. He pulled away from the hug.
"Why? I could see mom, Estelle, Paul, Zoë, Bianca, Silena, Luke, Beckendorf... it would be better."
Poseidon shook his head.
"What about Jason? Thalia, Piper, Nico, Leo, Clarisse, Will, Hermes, Hestia, me. You'll actually break hearts rather than mending the ones you think you did."
Percy looked away, his eyes filled with tears.
"What do I do? I can't do anything. I can't. I can't. I can't."
"Percy, come to Atlantis with me. For a little while, at least."
Percy hopelessly looked up at him.
"Will it be okay?"
Poseidon sighed.
"Yes. Trust me."
Percy hugged Poseidon tightly, sobbing as his misery hit him hard.
"Shh, it's all gonna be okay," Poseidon cooed.
Afterward, Poseidon flashed Percy away. Percy sighed and lowered himself onto his pillows.
"Percy, sleep now, we can talk later," Poseidon said, his voice soft and reassuring.
Percy closed his eyes but could only think of the same stuff;
You're such a baby, you melted down in front of the Olympians! Come on, one trigger and you lose yourself! It's so dumb!
"It isn't."
Percy looked to see Apollo standing next to him.
"What would you know? Also, stop reading my mind, it's uncomfortable," Percy muttered, looking away flusteredly. Apollo didn't respond.
"There's a very logical explanation as to why you're crying a lot these past few days. You've always had PTSD, but Annabeth reawakened it to its full potential. You also never had time to yourself to process trauma, and after camp and everything, trauma became a weekly experience."
Percy nodded.
"I wish this could stop. I don't wanna die. Maybe. I dunno. I just don't want to hate myself so damn much! I just- I don't know! I just want it to stop!" Percy yelled in annoyance.
Apollo sighed sadly as Percy's eyes filled with tears.
"I just want it to stop," he whispered, staring at the ceiling.
Tears rolled down his cheeks and onto his pillow. Apollo watched sadly as he sobbed himself to sleep, misery etched into his face.
"Okay, everything else is taken care of-!"
"Shh, he's sleeping," Apollo whisper-yelled. Poseidon nodded and sighed, taking a seat next to his son.
The next morning, Percy woke up less miserable for once. Perhaps because he didn't have a nightmare, since his brain was physically too tired to dream.
He yawned and sat up a bit. Apollo walked in.
"Hey, Percy! How's it going?"
Percy chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Much better than yesterday. Yesterday was- I dunno- it was just like a burst of unlocked emotions. I'm better now, I've let some out."
Apollo grinned and nodded, leaving Percy alone to the sunlit room.
"Hi, son," Poseidon said, gently smiling as he made his way over.
"Hey, dad. Are we leaving for Atlantis today?" Percy asked curiously.
Poseidon nodded.
"I've arranged it with Amphitrite. She was a bit bitter about it but agreed," Poseidon said, happy about his son.
"You don't need to sugarcoat it, I know Amphitrite hates me because I'm what came out of your affair, but I seriously don't mind. She has all the right to be mad, and sure, it's not fair that she's taking it out on me, but she has to somehow," Percy stated, stretching.
Poseidon gave an awkward chuckle and nodded. An hour later, they were standing in front of the gates of Poseidon's palace.
"Lord Poseidon, Prince Perseus," they said at the same time, bowing.
Percy awkwardly bit his lip as they opened the gates. As soon as his dad showed his room, he locked himself in it with a relieved sigh. He looked at his luggage, all black. Except for the still blood covered clothes, coated with the blood of Sally, Paul, and Estelle Blofis.
Percy blinked away tears. He put on an oversize black hoodie along with black sweatpants. He stared at himself in the mirror; his eyes were extremely bloodshot from crying so long, his dark brown hair messier than usual (if that's possible), his irises a dark, swampy green.
He blinked and visions of Annabeth when she was raping him flashed into his mind. With an audible, sharp exhale, he blinked away tears once more.
With a sigh, Percy threw himself onto his bed and fell asleep instantly.