Percy (15 hours after he caught Artemis )
Percy sat on the small wooden chair, tired and hungry, although mostly hungry. He was in the Olympus waiting room which is a new thing that they had Annabeth throw in there, its one of those "take a number and wait for it to be called" kinda ordeals. Although Percy was the only one there at the moment, and it took forever.
It took him back to the memory when he was real little and his mom got her drivers licence renewed. It took 4 hours at the DMV and there was only a few people there.
Percy glanced over at the clock and figured Annabeth was at Aphrodite's by now designing for her...again. He looked up and the young blonde receptionists holding a cold look at him making him a bit uncomfortable.
He was starting to get slightly aggravated with recent events as he played them through over and over in his head.
--flashback--
"Where is Thalia?" He asked desperately. The lieutenant shook her head sadly, and it tripped a nerve "THAT'S NOT A STRAIGHT ANSWER DAMMIT. WHERE IS MY COUSIN?!"
"Do not yell at my hunters like that, boy!" Said a weak but Still angry Artemis. Percy was stunned silence. Cold sweat started to form as he predicted death was about to come. But it didn't. He quickly apologized to the lieutenant and walked up to Artemis who was still being attended on by Apollo.
"Lady Artemis, forgive me, please. Worry is filling me and I have yet to get an answer" Percy was still slightly surprised he was having this discussion with her. He thought she'd still be passed out. Least she was when Percy found or, when she found him.
She sighed sadly. "Honestly. It all happened so fast..whenever a hunter dies I usually get a sharp pain in my chest but... I was hut in too many places... I don't know if she did or not "
She continued to talk after that but Percy zoned put and time slowed ever so little for him. Everything around him got muted out and he could only hear his fast inhales and exhales.
He refused to believe his cousin. The Thalia Grace daughter of Zeus was dead. His fist tightened and he felt a new sensation grow over him. Something he has never felt before. Anger and hatred washed over him, and...something else...something darker. voices whispered ever so quietly in his ear. Percy realized they said one thing.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
He wanted to take out riptide and just- "PERCY!" Apollo shouted. Jarring him back to reality. He flinched slightly. "You okay, Perseus?" Artemis asked.
Percy looked into hers and Apollo's eyes and saw something. Not worry or concern. Or even hatred from Artemis. This was something he's never seen on a gods face.
Apollo sighed and chanted a couple of things, making Percy glow slightly and feel tranquil and drowsy. "I figured you wouldn't be able to sleep due to recent events. This is a sleeping spell. Go to your cabin and get some rest. "
Apollo said, or more like ordered. But he for some reason nodded and walked back almost as if in a trance. And got 3 hours of sleep before--
Bang bang bang "Percy! Wake up! Its quite urgent. Come on now."
Percy groaned and got up rubbing his eyes. The sun wasn't up yet so it was still night time. "Lord Hermes. What can I do for you. ?" He asked after he opened the door.
"You need to come with me to Olympus. Father moved you up due to recent events. " he held out His hand presumably to teleport him and Percy to Olympus.
"Why?" Percy inquired
Hermes shook his head and shrugged. Great, Percy thought. More questions that haven't been answered.
Percy took his hand and he appeared alone in the empty waiting room. And sat and waited.
--flash back end---
"Hey Percy. Were ready for you. " said the God of the sun.
---Apollo---
Flashback....again
Apollos emotions have been flying quite a bit, he was slap happy and half drunk at a bar hitting on two Aphrodite lookalikes. Who were even willing to..uhm...escort me back to my car....and hug me good night. At the same time....together...yeeeeaaaaahhh..but before any..escorting got involved his phone started to feel really hot in his pocket, which only means one thing.
His eyes widened when he saw Artemis was in need of Apollos medical assistance. Only reason that scared Apollo is that rarely ever happened...ever.
He instantly said a quick goodbye, slid the girls his number and flashing himself to camp half bloods. Apollo used to hate this place. Because for a short while his kids were banned for either hitting on too many girls or boys and being to braggy of their archery...but hey...kids gotta- Apollo shook himself of this thought
When the infirmary materialized around him, there was still a cheery attitude somewhere among this dark setting, but if only the campers knew how close to death some of these young girls are...his sense of humor vanished and for the couple of girls that did see him they didn't even bother to give him a nasty look. Their eyes looked ghostly and their skin pale. But they all pleaded him the same look,
Please
Apollo walked to the other section of the mini hospital and saw his sister, barely hanging on. He rushed forward instantly chanting magic poems and exerting power.
He continued to do this for a good 10 minutes, he exerted enough healing energy to heal and regrow limbs of 20 dying people, you may ask why she needed that much?
Each follower she gains she grows in power a little bit, she lost a few hunters and it took the mathematical toll on her...subtraction.
"Where is my cousin?" Or something along those lines is what Apollo heard his favorite cousin shout at one of her hunters. Of course Artemis got a bit of life in her to shout back at the boy, Apollo didn't even have the energy to defend him.
Artemis explained and caught Percy up to speed. Or so Apollo thinks. He wasn't really listening. he was thanking answered prayers , Apollo didn't even realize he prayed yet he figured just in case he did he should say gracias for not taking my sister, uncle Hades! You da bomb!
While Apollo was wrapping Artemis leg, the room got a little colder. And he sensed something that would make his father shiver, he looked up to see Perseus, first tightened, his eyes...Apollo didn't know how to explain his eyes...they were...well not sea green. His veins and muscles bulged and Apollo could swear they grew ever so slightly. He shook his head and shouted "Percy!"
Percy acted as if he just got knocked out of a trance, "are you okay, Perseus?" Artemis asked. Now if anyone told Apollo his sister the most man hasn't goddess would ask a man if he was okay, well he would have tied him down and shipped him off to the god of wine, to cure his insanity!
But he understood why, Apollo fought in were and at times always felt powerless, never before has he felt irrelevant. And irrelevant meaning so powerful and wicked its not even worth the energy to fight someone so weak.
But why would he feel this way in front of Perseus ...he was just a normal sire of the sea god.
After that whole situation made sure Artemis was okay and flashed back up to his palace and jumped on his bed, his phone rang with an unknown number and a text appeared saying "were gonna call you honey ;)"
The girls from earlier tonight.
Apollo was too tired and confused to answer. He searched his feelings, remembering any immortal or half god he has ever been in the presence of, even some older than his father. But nothing like that.
It was still only for 2-3 seconds...so Apollo figured he imagined it and ordered a pizza and watched 'a series of unfortunate events' on Netflix and then simply passed out.
---flash back end--
Apollo sat on his throne texting the number he received last night and put down his manly magic and even received some risque photos from the girls. Together. He sighed and smiled happily.
His father and uncle Poseidon stood in the other corner of the room talking to a hooded figure. Morpheus he guessed since they requested him earlier. As they did Percy.
Hermes walked up to him and glanced at his phone "dude.."
"Stop peeking dude. I swear if you memorized that number and take them from me-"
Hermes smiled smugly. "Them??" Apollo sneered and punched him in the shoulder. "Hey stop you'll wrinkle the suit." He said said smoothing out his jacket. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you still jealous of and trying to beat amazon prime shipping?" Apollo asked.
Hermes nudged him with his elbow and looked over to where Zeus and the others were. "Shut up. And no...curious why they needed Percy here so fast. Aren't you here for that reason?" Apollo nodded and opened his mouth to say something else when Zeus turned "Apollo. Fetch Perseus will you?" Apollo hopped off his throne and did a mock salute and jogged off to the waiting room.
--PERCY--
Apollo lead me into the council room and good memories came back to Percy about this place. He ignored the bad ones and chuckled to the time he saved Bessie's life, the first time in a day where no one was voting to kill them. And of course where he accepted God hood....just kidding no he didn't he basically said love your kids.
Percy saw his father, his uncle and..."Morpheus... Its been a while." He nodded back in reply but didn't say anything. He then quickly knelt to the three of them.
"What can I do for you, lord Zeus?" Percy asked.
"Percy we're going to put you to sleep for a bit." Zeus replied.
Percy shifted his feet. "Uh....what?"
Poseidon shook his head and laid a hand on Zeus' shoulder. "What he means is, were going to do some tests on you. Morpheus here is going to put you to sleep and a control your subconscious. Your going to do a 3 day survival test...although for us it'll be ten to twenty minutes. And well watch through projections he will show us. Now while nothing in this test such as pain, thirst, hunger, dismemberment, or death won't affect your actual body-"
"Well...not entirely." Morpheus said solemnly.
Percy had so many questions racing through his mind as his dad continued to talk about small details. "What is this test for?" He asked.
Zeus shook his head. And Percy sighed figuring. Was just his luck. He began to float slowly off the ground, only a couple inches and then was slowly rotated back words. Even though there was nothing below him, he felt comfortable. As if on his bed fast camp, where he wish he was right now. And not here.
"Anything you'd like to say Perseus before we start?" Zeus asked.
"So you're essentially watching me sleep for a couple minutes ?" Poseidon laughed. And put a hand on Percy's shoulder for comfort. "Your humor never ceases to amaze me my son." He looked over to Morpheus and nodded. And Percy blacked out.
He found himself in am all white room. Not like a room with a door, just like...pure white. He couldn't see a wall or a ceiling or even a floor, nor a light. Yet it was bright.
From below him an armor rack flew up and stayed right in front him. He heard Zeus voice eco through out. "This is your only stop for the 3 day test. Take the food and water, weapons and armor you need. "
This all reminded Percy of the loading room from the Matrix movie, the place they could load weapons and bombs and stuff.
After he nodded that he was ready a forest stretched out into picture around him. It was night time. Not a cloud or light source except the bright moon and twinkling stars above. For something that isn't real. Percy thought it sure was beautiful.
That's when it started.... The carnage.
Any and the every monster he's ever faced charged at him from his left side. From his right a big group of Thirty or so half bloods their heads were faceless, through their helmets what's just darkness but the rest of their body aside the armored parts shown like any regular human being or half blood.
He raced forward and what seemed like for hours he fought them off, getting sliced on the arms every now and a then but taking down everyone and everything that came against him.
At certain points time would slow and a small section of open forest behind him started to glow. And the gods demanded he protect the glowing land and let no monster or demigod through.
Almost like it was a game of king of the hill.
For the first day he did a reasonably good job resisting hunger and thirst urges. He nibbled on a few squares of ambrosia to heal up the deep cuts. But toward the second day it started to get to him. He found a lake and dived in, instantly feeling revitalized he opened up a pouch on his back and stuffed his face and drank to refill him up.
From behind him, something sent vibrations through the water making his bubble pop and all of his rations Get wet and wasted. He could have easily just drained the water out of them but he didn't have that kind of time.
He spun around to see a sea serpent. He didn't have to!e to react as it blasted him out of the water 15 feet up in the and a hard crash on the soft lake side.
He groaned in pain that was searing tough his torso, and felt the ground rumble and vibrate with the footsteps of approaching threats. Cursing he got up and continued to run.
For the last and final day, an illuminated person appeared in front of them. A figure of someone he couldn't tell who, or what. But it started to run.
"The monsters will be now after the figure," said Morpheus. "While most will try to distract and kill time with you. You must prevent anyone or anything touching it, or you fail. "
Percy cursed, a solid two days of fighting and running on no sleep and no food was killing him on the third but he took a breath and he ran after the figure made of light.
At first it was surprisingly easy. The figure was faster than monsters and Percy was able to keep up and slash any who got in his way. Towards the last 3 hours of the test, the figure started limping as if it was hurt ams his enemies seemed to get even more juiced up with aggression.
The toll of no food or sleep hit him, almost literally it felt like someone whacked him in the back of the head and he was more drained than ever.
But soldiered on, counting each minute that went by until there was only 2 left. Riptide felt heavy in his hands. Percy stripped himself of armor he didn't need to lighten himself but it didn't seem to help.
Out of the corner of his eye an enemy half blood raised his sword to strike the light figure who was now sitting on the ground.
Percy knew if the blade touched. All he ever did here was for nothing. without thinking he jumped in front of the sword. He tried to raise riptide to block but His Arms failed him, he had given his life in this test for a figure made of bright white light. He closed his eyes waiting for the pain but it never came.
Instead a sound like a shattering of glass was heard, and his attackers sword had shattered on contact of Percy. Time and gravity seemed to have made like a tree because the shards floated there and no one moved.
Everything starting flickering and fading like a TV with bad connection slowly turning off. And before he knew it, the throne room appeared before him.
Morpheus dropped his floating spell, causing Percy to fall on his butt, he felt okay though. No pains, no aches. Just really out of breath and in a slight sweat.
"Hmm .." Morpheus mused, "the effects weren't that bad at all"
Apollo came over and helped Percy up and chanted in ancient Greek and Percy felt a little better and less tired.
"What in uncle Hades name was all that for ?" He didn't care if he sounded disrespectful. He was tired of no answers.
Zeus looked out the window and stroked his beard. "He's not going to like it brother. Nor is she." Poseidon grumbled.
"It is what must he done. " Zeus replied solemnly. He turned back to Percy.
"Perseus Jackson, there is something we must ask of you. "
"Asking is pointless if you're making him accept without choice. " Poseidon interrupted. But finally the both looked at him.
--
AN I'm gonna just end it there to be a bit of a troll. Slight cliff hanger I guess hahaha. Hope everyone enjoyed.