Percy's POV
"Good luck."
Jason glanced at me nervously. "You sure you don't want to go?"
I shook my head, smiling. "Jason, you'll be fine."
"It's just the senate." Frank assured.
Jason nodded slowly and stepped into the portal. I smiled at Frank before he followed in after Jason. The portal snapped shut and a ran my fingers through my hair. I was tired after training and making a portal. I walked to the pavillion. Atleast I was feeling better than yesterday. I grabbed a plate and a bowl of mac and cheese appeared along with a few clump of grapes. I tossed a ripe clump into the brazier, praying in my mind to Posiedon.
I'm fine now.
I remembered Triton next to Posiedon.
And take care of Triton. I added.
I sat down on the Posiedon table and took a bite of my pizza. Suddenly, the world teetered to the side. I grasped the stone table.
What the....
I took another bite of my pizza. Nothing. The dizziness passed and I left it as it was. Something nagged in my mind. I shook my head and stuffed the last piece of pizza into my mouth. I was just tired. Just tired. I put my plate away and walked to my cabin. I sat on the bed and leaned back, hugging my pillow. The sound of the waves and the usual scent of the sea lulled me to sleep.
~
I streched, yawning as I looked at the clock.
3:00
I rubbed my eyes and grabbed the cup of water and glugged it down. I stood up and grabbed my coat. Maybe Jason and Frank would be back. I walked outside to the Zeus cabin and knocked. Nobody. I didn't really want to open the door. It reminded me too much of Thaila. I sighed and turned around. Maybe I would go and fetch some papers from the Chaos planet. I made a portal and stepped right through it. In a flash, I was at Chaos's office.
A sword.
I looked up to see Chaos with his sword on my neck. He looked suprised.
"Oh." he frowned. "I'm sorry." he sheathed his sword.
"... I came to get some papers."
His moved over behind his desk and grabbed a few papers.
"You look better now."
His voice was tight. I nodded slowly. He smiled.
"Thats great. Don't exert yourself." he handed me the small stack of papers.
"Can you finish this till tommorow?"
I nodded. He made a portal for me.
He hugged me.
I froze. He smelled of nothing. Literally.
He sighed and stepped back. "I'm sorry Perseus."
"... Why?"
He shook his head. "You should go now."
I nodded and stepped through the portal, wondering why he was apologizing.
I walked halfway to my cabin and stopped to stare at the Athena cabin.
I couldn't breathe.
A wave of pain made me double over. I gasped for air. The dizziness that made my world teeter and swirl came back and lasted till I felt like I would throw up.
"Percy!"
Black spots danced around in my vision. I tried to stand up, and I saw my wrist. My sleeve had been pulled back. Black veins had spread from the thickest one in the middle. It pain throbbed from my main veins.
"Percy!"
The voices blurred out. I fell to the ground, my arms unable to withstand my weight.
Pain.
The black smoke.
Tartarus.
"... Tartarus..."
I could barely hear my voice as the world slammed shut.
~
Pain.
Red hot pain coursed through my body. I couldn't describe it. I couldn't breath. It was similar to the pain curse, only more. I could feel myself on a bed. I couldn't see.
Help.
I wished someone would hear me. Nobody seemed to. I moved a finger carefully. That one movement sent jolts of pain in every joint. I opened my eyes and strained to see something. My vision was tinged red. I could feel where the pain was coming from. I moved my hand up to my neck slowly. My joints didn't throb so much anymore. My vision cleared very little by little. I felt my neck. Nothing wrong. I raised my hand up to see my veins black. The largest vein was prominent. A web of veins ended around it. Every time my blood pulsed through it, it throbbed painfully. A stabbing pain in my back and head made me want to move, but I felt like it would hurt more if I did.
"Percy."
I let my hand fall. I didn't speak.
"... Do you need anything?"
"Make it stop."
My voice was hoarse. I didn't know how to explain it. I wondered if he understood.
"Wait a while, okay?"
His voice was tight. I closed my eyes. I felt something sharp on my arm.
Why?
I remembered the black mist sinking into my skin. Into my veins. I sighed as my fingertips numbed.
Stop.
I covered my eyes.
Just stop.
~
Jason's POV
I stared at Percy.
Nothing seemed to go right today. The senate didn't like us. And Percy.... I sighed. Black veins splotted around his main veins. He was asleep now, but he was tensed up.
"Are you done?"
I glanced up at Victor. His face was haggard. His movements were stiff.
"... Meeting."
He nodded. "I'll be going."
I slipped out of the room. I wanted to ask why Percy was like this. He was fine in the morning. I went to the recreation room to see Leo dejectedly eating crackers. Piper tried for a smile. Zoe was slumped back, her head hanging behind the chair. Luke and Lee was talking in hushed voices and Nico's expression was set to blank paper. Bianca looked worried. I sat down next to Piper.
"Pass the cheese."
I passed the cheese.
Victor came soon after with Annabeth and everything got a lot darker. Nobody said anything still Victor spoke up.
"... What should we do?"
"Leave him alone." Nico said stoically.
"But..." Luke paused. "We don't want him to suffer anymore."
Nico scowled. "What if he gets better?"
"He's not."
The words hung in the air.
"He's not getting any better from now. He's dying you idiots. He always was." Victor put his head in his hands. "He can barely speak- heck, he can't move a muscle. You know how much it hurts to see him? Can you believe how much it would hurt for him?"
Nico was silent.
"Let's do this for him. It's the best."
"When?"
"... As soon as we can."
"Can't we have a bit of time?" Piper asked.
"That bit of time is a very long time for Percy."
"... But it feels so odd. For him to... Die." Silena said cautiously.
"We know." Annabeth said flatly. "We can't make him wait."
"Just 30 minutes." Leo suggested.
"He'd be sleeping."
"You mean we're not telling him?" Zoe asked incredulously.
"How can I?!" Victor sobbed. "How can I tell him that we're killing him? Can you imagine how hurt he would be?"
I could clearly see nobody wanted to tell him, even Annabeth.
"Still..." Clarissie spoke up. "This just seems wrong."
Victor didn't say anything. We all stared at him.
"I check up on Percy."
He stood up, grabbing his bag. I caught a glimpse of him wiping his eyes as he walked out of the room. One by one, everyone stood up and escaped the room, eager to get out of the depressing mood.
~
Victor's POV
Suprisingly, Percy was sitting up.
He had leaned back against the wall, his eyes glazed over in pain. His wrist were covered by his sleeves, so I could only see the black web on his neck. I sat down on the bed.
"Percy."
His eyes slightly focused on me and hos face twitched into a smile. I wanted to cry. I wondered if I had smiled like that at him a lot. I wished I had. I wiped my eyes quickly and Percy straightened up, his sea green eyes boring at me.
"... Feeling any better?"
He nodded, his neck a little stiff.
I burst into tears.
I wished he wasn't such an idiot. I wished he thought about himself sometimes, and I wished I wasn't so selfish. He hugged me.
"... I don't have to die now Victor."
What?
"I'll be fine. I can stand it. I don't have to leave now."
"How.... How did you know!!" I sobbed.
"It's alright."
"But..." I pulled back to see him. "I'm so sorry..." tears dripped down my face.
"I'm fine..." his voice trailed off.
I'm fine.
I was tired of hearing it.
"I'm so, so sorry."