"So you have come," Kronos said rising from the seat.
"Yeah," Percy said taking off his red bag throwing towards the center of the room, "I figured I owe you pay back for everything you did."
"Everything I did? I heard it was you who killed all those demigods," Kronos said with a smirk.
Percy leveled his broken blade forward, "I'm not falling for the taunt Kronos. How's the arm by the way?"
The Titan smiled, "Like you said, I'm not falling for the taunt. My arm has healed and my power restored, but tell me, if you couldn't defeat me at your best, what makes you think you can at your weakest? You have a broken sword, a broken spirit and a mortal body."
Percy narrowed his eyes, "you're wrong about one thing, my spirit isn't broken. You did manage to break me.... For some time I truly wanted to die. But then I realised that if I did, I would never have my revenge on you."
Kronos smiled, "as stubborn as your father. Or maybe your mother? My assassins tell me she didn't scream while they tore her apart. She was in pain, but she didn't give them the pleasure of her screams. They even recorded the session for me to watch, but I was so disappointed with what I saw, I like it when they scream."
Percy charged forward as anger fueled his strength. The titan laughed as Percy swung at his head. Kronos doged in the last moment and the two began their dance. Percy would attack and Kronos would wait until the last moment before dodging.
Kronos moved all around the room taunting Percy, letting him get close enough to touch before moving away at the last second. Percy was getting tired already, the climb to the top had already drained him of his strength. He could barely keep Riptide up.
"So this is what the champion of Olympus has been reduced to? A mere mortal with a broken blade trying and failing to fight a battle he barely has the energy to fight. I feel pity for you Jackson, you are an honorable person, and I respect that. But you are also the son of my son and for that sin I cannot forgive you."
"Eat shit," Percy said as he pushed himself forward in a sudden burst of speed. His blade almost had Kronos at the neck, but the titan simply moved backwards to dodge, 'NOW!'
The red bag Percy carried exploded outwards with water tendrils that grabbed Kronos's foot. The Titan was surprised, he couldn't move in time. The water held him in place and Percy pushed the sword deeper cutting into the titan's neck.
Percy rolled across the ground and commanded the water to attack Kronos and crush his neck. However the moment the water surround the titan it started to boil.
"ENOUGH!" Kronos shouted as energy exploded outwards. The water was vaporised instantly and Percy was pushed into the wall of the room.
"I humoured you boy, and that was my mistake," Kronos appeared in front of Percy and picked him up by the hair, "a mistake I will not repeat."
Percy smiled through his swollen eye and bloody lips. He then spat into Kronos's eyes, "bite me motherfucker."
The Titan growled as he threw Percy across the room. The son of Poseidon hit skidded across the black stone floor.
"Get him Lord Kronos!" Percy heard the voice of Hyperion shout out.
"Kill the bastard!" another loud voice said.
Percy slowly got up and saw Kronos approach him. The Titan pressed his foot on top of Percy's chest, "any last words?"
Percy remained silent and looked into Kronos's eyes.
"Very well, then die in silence Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon," the titan lifted his foot and brought it down hard on top of Percy.
Boom!
Percy felt his body break into the marble below. His entire rib cage broke and collapsed downwards. Blood leaked everywhere.
Kronos lifted his leg and brought it down again.
Boom!
Percy felt his stomach being ripped apart as his insides spill outwards. He knew Kronos was just playing with him, one blow on a mortal from a Titan would have turned him into paste. He wanted to make Percy suffer.
Kronos lifted his foot up again and brought it over Percy's head. It came down when Percy spoke, "wait."
The foot stopped an inch from Percy's nose. Kronos put the foot to the side and looked down, "what?"
"Inside the bag," Percy whispered before closing his eyes.
Kronos looked at the red bag Percy brought with him. It was torn to pieces from the water that came out of it. Kronos approached the bag and picked it up. The inside were filled with broken water bottles and climbing gear, but underneath all that the Titan spotted something else. Something beeping.
Beep. Beep.
Kronos tore the bag apart and reached inside pulling out a large oval shaped device. He looked it over and his golden eyes widened as he recognized the symbol for radiation printed on the object's side. On the surface of the device was a heart beat monitor with a slowly reducing heart rate.
"What have you done!" Kronos roared turning to Percy.
Percy smiled without opening his eyes, "I have brought your death."
Percy had traded in his Lotus card for this weapon. A nuclear warhead that was tied to his heart beat. Slowly Percy felt his life slip away. He could hear the panicked voice of Kronos in the back of his mind. He smiled, 'fuck you asshole.'
Kronos tried to use his powers to freeze Percy and the bomb in time. But the moment he froze Percy the bomb stopped receiving the heartbeat signal and exploded in Kronos's arms. The blast took out the entirety of Mount Othrys, none of the Titans survived.
Darkness.
Darkness came for hims again.
Percy opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by darkness again. 'Am I dead?'
The darkness filled his very being, Percy didn't resiste.
'If I'm dead then why am I not at DOA records?'
Suddenly a flash of light exploded shining a spotlight on Percy.
"Hello?" the young man asked, "is anyone there?"
"Greetings young one," a voice called out from the darkness. Suddenly a bright green light exploded right in front of Percy.
Percy waited for his eyes to get used to the intensity and saw a giant green whale. It had four flippers instead of two and it's very essence glowed green. On it's belly was a symbol, it was a circle with a horizontal bar on the top and bottom. The whale floated in mid air as every inch of it's body glowed with green power.
Percy felt his power increase just by being near this creature. It was like this thing gave him the will to do anything, his confidence as through the roof!
"Who are you?" Percy asked in wonder.
"I am In, the entity of willpower," the giant whale spoke, "I was created when life could first move on it's own accord. I have lived millions of years across all of time and space, and I come to you now for your trail."
"My trail? What do you mean?"
"The world you lived through right now was your trail. You believed that you were simply going through a trail to forge a weapon, but that is not true, it is so much more."
Percy blinked in realization, "then you mean... I never really came out of that trance? Am I still in the trail? Was all that I lived through this past week an illusion?"
The green whale nodded, "yes. That was a test. The trail you invoked through your spell was an ancient and powerful one. It would put you up to be judged by all 9 entities of the universe. We give you an impossible situation, a world that you cannot possibly hope to live in, and we break you. And in that moment of despair and torture, at your lowest point in life, we see who you really are."
Percy sighed in relief, "so that mean's my mom isn't dead. The camp is still alive and...I never killed anyone."
The whale nodded, "yes mortal. That is true."
"So did I pass?"
"There is no pass or fail in this test," I explained, "all who go through this test will die. It is not a test to see whether you pass or fail, but to see what you are made off."
"And what am I made off?"
Suddenly a green crystal rose out of the darkness in front of Percy. It was diamond shaped and as big as Percy was.
"Look and see your trials complete," Ion spoke as suddenly an image came up in the crystal.
The image was of Percy dieing at the beach. The hellhound had it's jaws around Percy's neck and was closing down on him. The Will to live slowly died in Percy's eyes, before they suddenly exploded with will power. The will to live.
The image then changed, it became the scene Percy was just in. He saw himself attacking Kronos. He saw his determination in his eyes, the sheer will to fight despite knowing that he couldn't win.
"You have shown great will Perseus Jackson," Ion spoke as suddenly the green crystal started to collapse on itself in the form of a long oval, "your will power will forge the shape of your weapon."
"T-Thank you."
The whale nodded, "you are worthy. I give you also this Perseus Jackson," a flash of light and Percy saw before him a green scale, "it is one of my scales. Use it however you please, but be warned for it has power you cannot begin to understand."
Percy nodded and the scale vanished. The green whale then moved to the side as the green was suddenly replaced by red.
A huge red bull spread in front of Percy. It had four horns and a long pair of tusks. It's body was bigger than it's feet could support as it floated in mid air.
The bull narrowed its eyes at Percy, "I am The Butcher, the embodiment of rage. I was born after the first murder happened. And you Perseus Jackson have the capacity for great anger."
The green crystal then changed to red. Percy looked and the image of him fighting the dragon and Kronos appeared.
"Your anger is your greatest tool, it will empower you in battle and give you reason to fight."
The red crystal then green bright red veins that crawled through it.
"For long you have always sought to control your rage Jackson and have failed. For my gift to you is this," suddenly a flash of light blinded Percy but left him feeling more powerful, "I have removed the limitations on your curse. When in rage now you will be in control as long as you wish to. Rage is powerful, but it is nothing without something to target that rage with."
"Y-You cured me of Le Bete?"
The bull nodded, "yes I have."
"Thank you," Percy bowed and the bull then stepped aside along with Ion. Then an orange flash of light and a new being appeared. It was an orange snake with a circle on top of it's head.
The snake looked down at Percy, "I am Ophidian, the entity of greed. I wassss born when the first being ate something that it did not need."
The crystal in front of Percy turned orange now as the snake continued, "you do not have a greed for material wealth in your heart, but greed existssss in another form."
The crystal then displayed images not from Percy's trials but from all the times he leveled up. That smile he got when he saw the extra stat points, the laughter he got when defeating enemies.
"My greed.....is the greed for power?"
The snake nodded "yesss. You desire above all, power. Be it for good or bad issss inconsequential. You desssssire power, and that is your obsession. Greed will push you towardssss your goalssss."
The crystal then began to crack even more as lines of orange joined the lines of red.
"For my gift to you, I will give you the power to enssslave otherssss with your might," Ophidian opened it's jaws wide and sent a blast of energy into Percy's body, "your want for power will attract those weaker than you. They will be drawn to you like flies to a flame"
Percy blinked at what the snake said but before he could say anything the entity simply moved the side.
In a flash of yellow the next entity showed up turning the crystal yellow. This entry looked like a giant cross between a flying mantis and a dragon. It radiated free, but Percy found himself relaxes in front of the giant bug.
"I am Parallax, the entity of fear. I was born at the dawn of sentient life, for as long as beings have dreams, they also have nightmares. Look into the crystal and see your trails fulfilled."
Percy looked and saw himself being surrounded by the camp members. He saw then hold their blades up against him, and he saw the fear in his eyes.
"You have faced your greatest fear and surpassed it," Parallax spoke, "for that fear shall save you from death. Fear will keep you alert, and fear will inspire you to never be weak."
The crystal grew yellow lines that intersected with the orange and the red as Parallax continued, "I do not have a gift for you. But I do have advice. I will answer three questions for you in the future," suddenly a yellow ball appeared in front of Percy and then disappears, "use that to ask me whatever you wish."
Percy bowed, "thank you."
The yellow bug moved to the side as the darkness was now fought back by Percy's favorite colour, blue. The crystal changed to blue now with the orange, red and yellow lines still etched into it.
Slowly the blue light took the form of a bird. The bird looked beautiful with wide wings and two long tails. The bird resembled a peacock but the way it stood, prideful but at the same time compassionate.
"I am Adara," the bird spoke softly, "and I am the entity of hope. I was born when the first sentient life performed the first prayer and I exist everywhere. Look into the crystal and see your trail fulfilled."
Percy looked and saw once again home at the sea being attack by a Hellhound. Percy saw himself kick hi hidden knifes into the monster's body before slowly sink into the ocean. Percy remembered this moment, he prayed. He prayed and prayed to his father never giving up hope, he knew that his father would save him, and that belief turned out to be true.
"You hope is great Perseus, you faith in your family and fellow man is without question. But beyond all that you inspire hope."
The image then changed. Percy saw himself fighting Hyperion for the first time in camp. He saw himself defend the camp. He then saw himself bring back the souls of his dead friends, he saw the demigods look at him with hope and wonder in their eyes. The image then changed to the time Percy saved Mera, than to the time he the 24 demigods. He saw the faces of all the children of the minor Gods and a few other campers.
"Hope while a great emotion to have, it is even greater to give. And you have given plenty for all. We cannot interfere with the Fates, else I would make you my champion. I can however give you a blessing."
A blue ball of light flew from Adara to Percy. The bird sung in joy, "from now on you will grow stronger and stronger the more people you inspire. For every life you give hope to, you will become stronger. Like a wolf in a pack, you will become stronger the bigger the pack."
Percy bowed, "thank you Adara. I do not know what to say."
