Percy's POV
Tartarus dragged Piper next to Ethan's beheaded body.
Her head hung limply, lolling to the side. Jason was struggling against his bonds as I watched everything fall apart.
"You cannot guess how much I have been anticipating this moment." he said, looking over a set of knifes.
"I personally wanted to trap her inside a room full of raw meat- but it would be more painful for you to actually see." he explained.
"Hmm...."
He flipped his knife, licking his lips. He ripped her shirt right at her breast, showing her bra.
"Isn't she beautiful?"
Jason's bonds strained. His furious eyes were ready to kill.
I was frozen.
"Maybe I'll keep her alive..." he purred.
"Wait."
I wasn't trying to be heroic. I was trying not to go vertigo. Everything had just hit me hard. I didn't understand what I was supposed to do. I was lethargically moving in pain and confusion.
I swallowed. "Let them go."
"No!" he cried, horrified. "This is the most interesting part! I read it!"
"It's cliche." Piper managed.
"No! It can't be!"
"This is a horrible story." Piper tried to convince. "It would be much better to let us go."
"You- you can't charmspeak a primodial!"
"You won't get enough votes."
"No!"
"Not enough comments."
"And," she paused dramatically. "People will stop following you."
"No! I need followers!"
"Exactly. So-"
"But I was always curious how people would react to your death."
Piper went rigid. A small gasp escaped her lips. She fell unconscious again.
"She was kinda annoying. Now, who's next?"
~
I was supposed to save them.
I was supposed to protect them.
"Perseus."
Tartarus was serious.
"Choose." he held out his hand. "You can choose to join my side. Or kill your friends."
My heart pounded, sending ringing echoes up my spine to my head. I couldn't concentrate.
"I-"
"Times up noob."
He punched me in the stomach, and it felt like my organs seemed to be exploding in slow motion while I was drunk. I fell to the ground.
Pain.
It hit me like a dam exploded, giving me a nice slap across my face. I could barely breathe. I didn't understand. I was okay till now.
I felt so, so useless.
Another kick was delivered to my head. One to my stomach.
It wasn't so bad to die like this.
Where Annabeth died.
His foot stopped. He lifted me up, making me look at my friends. An invisible force held me up, and Tartarus was grabbing my chin, making me look straight foward.
"Can you see what you have done?"
I swallowed hard.
He smiled. "Will you join me."
"... What do I have to do?"
"Destroy the world."
"Which world?"
"Everything except Tartarus. Olympus, the Underworld, Chaos, space, Asgard, Midgard- every world."
"I- I can do it. Just let them go."
"Idiot." he hissed. "You can't. So I'll kill them."
"What?!"
He lifted up Victor by his neck and he scrabbled at his hands. My heart seemed to sink down lower.
"Who should I kill first? Your soldiers or friends?" he smiled. "Or... Annabeth?"
I gritted my teeth. "Tartarus, please. I'll do anything. Just let them go."
"Alright. Kill them."
"But-"
He sighed. "Alright. I'll give you a deal." he pointed at me. "I'll unbind them. You- you have to try your best to kill them. They fight you. They have to... Win you to leave. If you don't try your best... Everyone dies, and then I'll move on to your camp."
I swallowed. I knew Tartarus would push me to the edge- he knew how I could fight. I took a deep breath.
"And after?"
"You're on my side. I take you."
I closed my eyes tight.
These were the seven. Soldiers of Chaos. And I was already wounded.
"... I'll do it."
Everything melted away. I was standing in an arena, and I realized it was the arena where the competition was held.
Tartarus was sitting where Chaos should of been, sipping at a drink. My friend's bonds were all gone, and they were all holding weapons. I took a deep breath.
How many deaths?
I wished I could count.
I hoped my list didn't get longer.
Gods help me.
I charged foward, not wanting to think what would happen.
~
Jason blocked my strike and met my sword again.
I wanted to cry. But I knew Tartarus was watching above. I fought with the same ways I fought monsters, slashing and weaving through weapons. I let a small, a very small loose spot. Jason spotted it immediantly and my sword clattered to the side. He set his sword on my neck. Everyone was silent.
I nodded, smiling.
Instead, he looked like he was going to cry.
"Percy, do you have to do this? Can't you let us die?"
I glared at him. "Do this quickly."
"But-"
"I'll die whichever way. Just please- kill me."
"No! But Percy-"
I shoved the sword across my neck.
~
Of course I was alive.
I stood up, disoriented. All my friends stared at me in horror. I rubbed my neck, where there was a deep scar.
"Suicide is cheating." Tartarus scolded.
"F*ck you." I mumbled.
I sighed. "Come on. It's all of you against me. Can't you do it?"
Nobody moved. I shifted.
"I can't stand here forever."
Alpha was first.
I insticively ducked and slashed at his legs, but Luke knew. He jumped over my sword neatly and stabbed down. I made a watery shield above me.
Left.
Zoe's blade met mine and I kicked her aside, trying not to hurt her. I could feel Tartarus's eyes boring into me. Ducking under Leo's fire, I looked to see where everyone was.
How I could fight.
They could do it.
Time slowed. They were moving in Jello. Lee scowled in slow motion, saying that this was cheating. I glanced at Tartarus, who was nodding approvingly. I could feel the spell breaking as I reached the maxium amount of my power. I was exhausted, but I would have to put up a good show. I capped Riptide and took out two daggers and blocked Jason. Piper was crying, but I didn't care. This was for them. Hazel's long cavalry sword was hard to avoid, and she managed to slip a cut through my side. I felt dizzy. Maybe because of all the blood. The number of opponents were confusing me- I couldn't rip my mind apart.
A tingling sensation ran up my spine. Something cool, almost soothing. Pain bursted inside my veins, coursing through all of them. I mouthed a short thank you to Victor.
Rest.
I wanted to slap him when he dragged me along when we escaped.
~
Rest
I was sensless to the world now, feeling no pain. He must have been able to shoot a ansthetic into the fight. He was smart. In the darkness, I could hear mixed voices of my friends, Annabeth, Theo, he deceased, and Tartarus. I ran, ran, and ran, trying to belive they were lies. I wished they would find another target. I could hear them clearing, pretending as if I had done everything.
Please- please help.
You can't deny it.
Don't lie.
You're a beast.
They were closing onto me, closer and closer. Hunting on me as if I was prey. Tartarus would chase me to the ends of the Universe. I couldn't do anything.
You can't deny.
I was listening to Maroon 5's Animals while writing this....
~
Pain.
That was the first thing I felt.
I tried to blink the black spots out of my eyes. The world spun round and round around my head.
"Stay still."
I wondered if it was a dream.
"You did enough."
It was never enough. Never.
Lies.
I gritted my teeth, sitting up. Running a hand through my hair, I half streched and half relaxed. I felt the bandages on my bare chest.
"Are you okay?"
Bianca stared at me with worried dark eyes.
"Yeah. I'm totally awesome right now." I mumbled. "Where are we?"
Her eyes flickered. "We're not sure. We have to keep moving to find a town."
"... We're in the middle of nowhere."
"Pretty much."
She pursed her lips. "But I think that Tartarus put us in an illusion so that we look over towns."
I rubbed my face. "I really hate that guy."
She smiled slightly. "We nearly killed him."
"Thats good." I swung my legs off of the mattress. "How long has it been?"
"Today's the second day."
"... Camp doesn't know where we are."
She nodded. "We weren't able to make a rainbow. We don't have a prism, and it's been raining a lot, with no sun."
I grabbed my shirt which was folded and on the ground. It was perfectly clean. I slipped in on.
"Well, I could just make a portal and we could go."
"Victor told you not to use powers."
I scowled. "Whatever. We can deal with that when we reach camp."
Grabbing my coat, I realized that it was raining cold sheets of rain. It was freezing. Slush on the ground soaked my shoes and socks. Jolts of pain exploded in my whole body when I took a step. My head throbbed. I saw where my friends had put up a waterproof cloth to block the rain. Leo had kindled a fire.
He smiled impishly at me. "You're awake!"
Beckendorf smiled, aknowledging me quickly. I stood there in the rain.
"Come in." Silena said brightly.
I wondered if the portals would work in the rain. I closed my eyes, reaching for my power inside. I grasped at air for a few moments, and managed to scrape up enough. A swirling mass of green, purple, and orange appeared, but it wasn't complete. Gritting my teeth, I scraped up more, trying to make it stronger. Someone grasped my wrist hard.
Victor glared at me, his hair and clothes getting soaked in the rain. Exhausted and completely out of power, I shook my arm as if trying to shake him off. He sighed and marched back to the tent, as if I were to follow. I swallowed hard and followed him.
In the dry, warm tent, I couldn't feel any more scared.
"No powers."
I touched him lightly, drying him completely.
"No powers you idiot." he snarled. "Are you kidding me?"
I drew my hand back.
"... I can help."
"Helping is sleeping. Just go to sleep." he chided.
"We need to move."
"You think you can move?"
I scowled and stood up. "Of course."
"Move. In this rain."
I sighed. "Tell the soldiers to come in here. I can sleep outside."
"Leo's literally made out of fire. Beckendorf will be fine, and Silena will be stuck near Beckendorf all the time anyway." he scowled.
"Go. To. Sleep."
"Victor. If I could just make a portal, we can all get out of here."
"What about you?"
Anger coursed through my whole body, giving me the slightest bit of energy. A portal formed, a perfect one this time, shimmering and showing images of camp. I stomped outside, holding the portal in my mind.
"Get the others. We're going home."
~
"Quickly."
Luke stepped in without hesitation. Zoe went after him, then Lee. Beckendorf and Silena went holding hands, then Bianca. The rest of the soldiers went also. Jason glanced at me before going. Leo went, then Hazel. Piper gave me a
h
ug.
Annabeth.
"... We made up, right?"
I stared into her gray eyes. "... Yes. I guess so. But we're still going to divorce."
"... I see."
"Let's start over. Completely. Let's only remember till before Theo died."
I couldn't believe it. I could think of him, talk of him without hurting. She forced a smile.
"Seaweed Brain."
I sighed and grabbed her hand.
"Wise Girl." I retorted.
We stepped into the portal together, holding hands.