Chapter Text
Chapter 32: That Fight Went Much Better in My Head
The journey back down through the jungle was just as easy as the trek up had been, the only difference was the knot in his stomach that refused to dissipate as he racked his brain for a way to get Triton and Tyson away from the Annunaki. It was not, as he had mistakenly believed while under the spell of the Annunaki, a quaint little island village much like the one he had gone to after coming out of the ice. This was a hotspot of Annunaki activity, and as his memories had steadily come back to him so too had the conversation he and Triton had had on the way to rescue Tyson.
Percy gripped the Hippocampus tighter as they shot through the jet stream current at speeds that made him feel as though his face was peeling off. Triton had told him that he had lost contact with Tyson in the Pacific, which meant that they had to head all the way south to the Panama Canal. Triton had told them the fastest way was a series of intense, high-speed jet streams that hippocampi often used to navigate through the seas. What he had failed to mention was the fact that the g-force from it made Percy feel like his face was getting slammed by a battering ram on repeat.
The ocean outside of the jet stream was a blur, but even if it wasn’t Percy wouldn’t have had the time to enjoy the view as his face was firmly pressed against the hippocampus’ flank in order to avoid as much of the force as possible. He could hear Tritons laugh up ahead of him but didn’t dare raise his head to yell at the god as doing so would have exposed him to the elements. It wasn’t so much that the speed and force caused him pain, it was just that the pressure made it almost impossible to think, and so he was more than happy to smush his face against the warm and comfortable skin of the hippocampus.
A whistle from Triton up ahead signalled that they were coming to the end of the stream, and so Percy tightened his grip in preparation for the turbulence. The force when inside of the jet stream was nothing compared to when you were exiting one. As if on cue the hippocampus shot upwards as though fired from a gun. Percy felt himself losing his grip and so reached out to the water around him, trying to steady both himself and his ride as they barreled upwards towards the surface. He managed to maintain his hold just long enough for them to break the surface of the water, but as they did so the force of the exit sent him hurtling through the air. He felt his body hit the water once…twice….thrice like a skipping stone across the surface of the ocean before crashing into the water. When his head broke the surface again it was to the sound of Triton's hearty laugh.
“Bit fast for your liking?” the sea god chuckled, beckoning Percy to come join him on the beach.
“You sure there wasn’t a quicker way? Can’t gods teleport?” Percy asked with a groan as his feet hit the sand.
“This is a rescue mission, Jackson,” Triton advised him, “Teleporting can be tracked by all manner of beings, the quieter we do this the better.”
“And what exactly are we doing? You didn’t explain a lot back at camp.”
Triton motioned for Percy to follow him and began to head inland, “Come on, this part of the trip we’re doing over land. I’ll explain on the way.”
The two hiked up the beach and found a blue jeep waiting for them on the side of a dirt road at the top.
“That for us?” Percy inquired.
“What you wanted to walk across Panama?”
“I mean it looked pretty narrow on the map.”
“I am pleasantly surprised you know where Panama is on the map,” Triton said with a grin, reaching the car and jumping up into the driver's seat.
“Hey, who said you get to drive?” Percy asked, frowning.
“It's my car dumbass, now get in. Be grateful I’m letting you take shotgun.”
Percy huffed in frustration but nonetheless took his place on the passenger side of the car. Triton didn’t put in a key to start the engine, instead, he just put his foot on the pedal and the car roared into life. In moments they were barreling across the Panamanian landscape.
“So why are we doing this so stealthily?” Percy asked.
Triton sighed, “Couple reasons. First Uncle Zeus isn’t thrilled about all the Annunaki talk that's been going on, and so the last thing we want is for the wind gods to tip him off that you and I are hanging out. He’s going to be very suspicious of that.”
“Makes sense. And the second reason?”
Triton picked at the leather steering wheel nervously, “The last report Tyson gave before we lost contact with him.”
“What was the report?”
Triton looked at him, a glint of fear suddenly evident in his sea-green eyes that looked so similar to how Percy's own had once looked, “He says there is an Annunaki base…and that they are preparing for war!”
Tyson's report had been accurate…too accurate. The issue that now faced Percy was what to do next. Should he rescue Tyson and Triton first? Should he confront the Annunaki and go toe-to-toe against one of the most powerful beings to exist? Or should he try to escape the island to get help?
Almost as soon as the last thought came he dismissed it. There was no way in Hades he was going to leave his two brothers in the hands of the Annunaki. Athena's words from that winter solstice so many years ago echoed in his ear, “Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world.”
Maybe not getting help was dangerous, and maybe the world was on the line, but he had been brought back for a reason, and it certainly wasn’t to turn and run when the chips were down. No, what he needed was a plan.
There was a pang in his heart as he thought about how much he wished Annabeth was at his side. She had always been the planner, always the one able to use her brain to find a way through whatever difficulty they faced. But she wasn’t here, and so he needed to rely on himself.
He took a deep breath and paused his descent through the jungle. There was no point running in there without a plan. He needed a strategy. What would Annabeth do?
Rustling in front of him cut off his trail of thought, and he quietly slipped behind a tree to see who or what was passing by. Voices soon drifted through the trees. He glanced around the tree trunk he was hiding behind and saw two figures making their way through the jungle, using machetes to hack their way through the dense underbrush. As they neared him he began to make out what they were saying.
“-to be on the ship. This jungle is so hot and I swear I’m being eaten alive by bugs.” A male voice grunted.
A second voice, softer and more feminine responded. “Mistress told us he was somewhere in the jungle. If we’re the ones who find the son of Poseidon, the King of Kings will reward us in the new world.”
“Sure but how in the Helheim are we supposed to find him in this jungle? I can’t see two feet in front of me.” the man groaned, and as they came further into view Percy realised that both of them were wearing gas masks that covered a decent portion of their face.
And just like that, Percy had an idea.
Knocking the two Annunaki foot soldiers out had been relatively easy, the harder part was getting the man's thick clothes to fit him. Percy hadn’t really considered just how much muscle mass he had had packed onto him during his time trapped in the ice. Sure it made for a nice figure looking back at him in the mirror, but it had also caused his shoulders to broaden and his arms and legs to thicken substantially. The man he had knocked out was not quite as fit or bulky as Percy had become, and as a result, his clothes were terribly tight in all the wrong places. As he shimmied into the trousers he was worried he was going to squish his balls.
As he moved to pick up the gas mask from where he had hidden away the unconscious bodies he noticed a lizard lounging on top of it. A shaft of sunlight had illuminated the gas mask, and the lizard was basking in the warmth. Its scales shimmered with hues of green and blue, and as Percy picked the gas mask up the lizard turned to determine what had interrupted its sunbathing. Its wide eyes were yellow, with an almost golden shine to them in the light of the sun.
In a sudden motion, the lizard jumped from the gas mask and onto Percy's shoulder, causing him to let out a yelp of surprise. The lizard curled up in the crook of his neck and chirped contentedly, appearing to have found its new home. Percy reached to pick the lizard up and knelt down to put it back down on the jungle floor, but as the lizard determined what he was trying to do it gave him a warning nip on the tip of his index finger.
“Ouch,” Percy muttered, shaking his hand in pain, “What was that for?”
The lizard curled up in Percy's palm and looked up at him expectantly.
“I gotta go fight a god little guy, I don’t think I can bring you with me.”
The lizard's yellow eyes didn’t appear to acknowledge the threat, instead it sniffed his palm and licked one of his fingers.
Percy sighed, “If I take you with me, you gotta fend for yourself okay?”
The lizard turned its head back to Percy and its eyes met his own, drooping lazily in the sun.
“I should give you a name,” Percy mused, “Oooo how about Zip?”
The lizard licked its eyeball, which Percy took as agreement. He lifted the lizard back up to his shoulder and watched as the little lizard strutted with all the confidence in the world back onto his shoulder, curling up once more in the crook of his neck.
“Okay Zip,” Percy laughed as he picked the gas mask up and placed it against his face, “You and me against the Annunaki.”
The gas mask was tight against his head, but not quite as tight as the pants around his crotch. The lens of the gas mask distorted the world around him, seeming to make it narrower and adding a grey hue to everything. As he took his first breath with the mask the respirator attached to it gave out a faint hiss. He wished he had a mirror with him so he could judge how well the outfit disguised him, but as of right now, it was his only course of action. It had to work.
He wasn’t entirely sure which direction he should head in, the effort of knocking out the soldiers and meeting Zip had twisted his sense of direction, but luckily the jungle seemed to understand. A wind carried through the jungle and sent some branches swaying in the opposite direction, revealing a path ahead of him. He wasn’t sure if the jungle knew where he wanted to go, but it hadn’t let him down yet.
He started cautiously down the path, suddenly aware of how hot the jungle was while wearing the thick outfit. While he wasn’t going to look the gift horse of the gas mask in the mouth, he was confused as to why they were wearing them. This, coupled with the fact that the man had mentioned Helheim suggested that he was of Norse lineage. The more he learnt about the Annunaki plans, the more concerned he became.
Suddenly, he heard a sound – a faint, rhythmic tapping. He stopped, holding his breath as he listened. The tapping grew louder, more insistent, echoing through the trees. His heart raced, but he forced himself to stay calm. Scanning the area, he spotted the source: a woodpecker, its beak drumming against a hollow trunk. Relieved, he let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding and continued his journey.
Before long the foliage began to clear, and the sunlight filtered through with greater intensity as the jungle gave way to open air. As he stepped out he found himself on the edge cliff, and not too far to his right the military dockyard stood abuzz with activity. He rested his hand against one of the trunks of the outer trees and sent a quick prayer of thanks to Grover. He might not quite be a god, but he hoped the trees would relay the message to the Lord of the Wild. And with that, he turned and headed down to where he knew an Annunaki was waiting for him.
It was as he neared the port that he first began to meet other people. Some of them were wearing gas masks, like him, whereas others had theirs hung lazily around their necks or their belts. Some were bald, with intricate tattoos painted onto their scalp, while others had retained their hair, both men and women alike. Their outfits ranged from well-dressed military outfits to combat gear to armour from the ancient and classical eras. He even saw one man dressed in mediaeval armour tending to a large and formidable-looking warhorse. Some people walked past him as though he wasn’t there while others gave him respectful nods as he passed. One gawked at the lizard on his shoulder. If anyone suspected he was the son of Poseidon they were looking for, they didn’t show it.
As he reached the concrete of the docks themselves he let out a sigh of relief. He was now amongst the throng of soldiers bustling about the docks and no one gave him a second glance. Not only that, but he was now considerably closer to the water, and being near his father's domain gave him the confidence boost he needed to begin to strut across the boardwalk with authority and purpose towards the command tent. As he walked he tried to scan as much of what he saw as possible and remember it. He wasn’t the most observant at the best of times, but the world was on the line and he needed to make sure that there were as few surprises waiting for him as possible.
The first thing he realised was that the man he had knocked out being Norse was about the least exotic lineage of anyone on the dock. Near the entrance, a towering figure stood, his skin a deep shade of azure, adorned with intricate golden tattoos that glowed faintly. Instead of two arms extending from his broad shoulders, four did. His hands held a conch, discus, mace, and lotus. His presence was commanding yet serene, a protector ensuring the dockyard ran smoothly. Once more Percy wished Annabeth was with him, she would have known what he was and from what mythological pantheon.
Further along, a group of soldiers clad in gleaming armour caught his eye because they reminded him of Magnus and Alex when he had met them in Boston. They were Einherjar, warriors from Norse mythology, chosen by Valkyries to serve in Odin's hall until Ragnarok. Their armour was adorned with runic symbols, and their helmets bore the wings of ravens, which Percy remembered from Annabeth's ramblings was a tribute to Odin's companions, Huginn and Muninn. Percy gave himself a mental pat on the back to congratulate himself for remembering some useful information.
Near the edge of the water, a tall woman with a kimono stood solemnly, her face turned towards the sun, bathing in its warmth. Her kimono shimmered with patterns of the rising sun and cherry blossoms. Next to her stood a lithe figure with pointed ears and flowing green robes. He had emerald eyes that sparkled with mischief and his hair was as red as the embers of a dying fire. He carried a large spear and seemed to be in the midst of telling the woman a joke judging by his cheeky grin.
On the deck of a nearby ship, an enormous nearly ten-foot-tall man argued down to another man who made up for his lack of height with a headdress adorned with feathers and gold. The larger man wore bronze armour and had a face that could have been chiselled from marble, whereas the smaller man wore a tunic that was embroidered with the symbols of the sun, the wind, and a large serpent.
A glint of sunlight from above caught his eye, and he turned and found a figure sharpening a blade on top of a watchtower. The figure wore shimmering silver armour that, in the sunlight, gave him an almost ethereal look. Feathered white wings were folded neatly behind him, and his stern face surveyed the scene below with a dutiful sort of boredom.
The knot in Percy's stomach had grown from a pebble to a boulder. The soldiers amongst him were not just Greek, Roman, Egyptian or Norse. They were a collection of religions and mythologies from all over the world. The Annunaki hadn’t just stolen his idea of uniting pantheons, they had already acted on it, and on a scale that he could never have hoped to replicate.
His hand drifted subconsciously to his pocket, and this time he felt the familiar feeling of a pen against his fingertips. Underneath his mask, he grinned, his trusty pen had returned to him now that he actually had a pocket for it to return to. Now armed, the tension in his stomach eased, and he continued making his way towards the tent, paying extra attention to the figures wearing Greek and Roman attire in case he recognised them. A few seemed to look familiar until he got closer and realised how young they were. They likely weren’t born after he went into the ice, and they may well have been recruited by the Annunaki before he got out of it.
As he reached the command tent he walked past it hurriedly, worried at any second the Annunaki would throw the flaps open. As he passed the volleyball net his pace slowed thought, and he scanned Tyson and Triton for any signs of injuries. Both appeared to be fine, locked into their one-on-one game, firmly under the spell of the Anunnaki goddess. Content that they were not under any immediate threat he pressed on towards a nearby wall where a table was set up under shade, protected from the brutal heat of the blazing sun. Something on the table caught his eye and he came to a sudden stop.
A large club, some sort of electronic cigarette, a whistle, two necklaces, and a SpongeBob SquarePants watch lay on the table. His camp necklace and the Spongebob watch that Mason had given to him clued him in immediately to the fact that these would have been the weapons that had been taken from them when they had fallen under the spell of the Annunaki.
He moved quickly, slipping the necklaces, the watch, the e-cig, and the whistle into his pocket. He thought about putting them on but decided that wouldn’t help him much in his efforts to remain disguised. As he stepped away from the table, swiftly trying to put as much distance between it and him as he could, an idea came to him. He slinked into one of the unoccupied forges and slipped the Spongebob watch out of his pocket.
If what Mason said was true the watch should be monitoring all of his vital signs, which raised the question of what would happen if it sensed him about to die. He flicked through the settings using the little buttons on the side and found that it was incredibly well-designed. Camp Half-Blood might be a little behind the times, but it appeared Mason hadn’t let them stop him from utilising new technology. He wondered what the son of Hephaestus had done to prevent it from being a beacon to monsters, but figured they had discovered new technology in the time he had been in the ice. It was a question he’d have to ask either Leo or Mason, whichever one he saw next. Shaking the thought from his head he found an alarm for low vitals and turned it on. Then he stepped towards one of the forges and ran his finger along one of the smoked-covered surfaces. Pulling up one of his sleeves he scrawled three messy letters onto his arm, using the smoke and ashes as a makeshift pen. K Y S was spelt out across his inner arm. Then he clipped the Spongebob watch onto his wrist and pulled the sleeve. It was only as he stepped back out onto the dockyard that he remembered he could have just used Riptide as a pen.
It was as he stepped black outside that the flaps of the command tent flew open. First came a familiar face, purple eyes ablaze and a head engraved with Annunaki symbols. Vesper stepped out and to the side, standing at attention as a figure followed her out. Dark hair fell in curls down a simple dress. Silver eyes framed one of the most beautiful faces he had ever laid eyes on. Annunaki.
She looked different than she had when he was in the hammock, but he guessed she shifted her appearance based on what other people found attractive. In fact, the face seemed to look an awful lot like Reyna, so much so that if he squinted he could've mistaken the Annunaki for her.
She said something short to Vesper, and the bald zealot nodded, turning away and beginning to bark orders at some soldiers assembled nearby. The Annunaki simply stood there, surveying the scene with silver eyes. Percy dipped back behind the forge walls and paused, just out of sight of the Annunakis ' vision. When the silver eyes fell across his hiding spot he tensed, but if she knew he was there she made no indication. Instead, she stepped towards where Triton and Tyson were playing volleyball. The two sons of Poseidon paused their game to look at her with dreamy expressions on their faces. She said something to them and they nodded in agreement, following her as she strode towards where Vesper was standing.
The crews of soldiers seemed to be attaching thick cables to enormous blocks. Once attached they began to pull on the cable, tightening it and causing the length of it, which wound up and disappeared into the jungle, to rise. It must’ve been attached to something steady at the top because, from the top of the trees, the length of cable rose and tightened until it formed a kind of zipline to the summit of the volcano. They then moved over to the side and did the same with a second cable, until they ran parallel to the summit. The Annunaki, Vesper, Tyson and Triton then stepped onto a platform that was attached to the cable with hooks. With a wave of Vespers' hand, the soldiers began to rotate an unforeseen lever and the platform began to steadily rise like some sort of makeshift ski life. As they rose one of the soldiers left behind ran out towards the docks and began to yell.
“PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE!” she hollered, “BY THE WORD OF ISHTAR PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE!”
In a moment the buzzing around the dockyard reached a frantic pace. Everyone whose gas masks were hanging around their necks and belts hurriedly put them on and began to grab materials and head towards the ships. The various figures he had seen on his way into the dock jumped into motion, the 4 armed figures by the entrance leaving his post to help in carrying crates onboard. The enormous man and the man with the headdress paused their arguing to help soldiers onto the boats, and the man atop the watchtower unfurled his wings and floated gently down onto the deck of one of the warships.
Percy used the commotion to make his way towards the cables, only to find a group of soldiers standing guard at the base. As he approached them one of the soldiers, an Einherjar raised her hand, signalling not to get any closer. Percy halted, but his eyes flickered up to the steadily rising platform. They were nearing halfway, and if Percy didn’t hurry they would be at the top before long. Glancing behind him he saw some of the ships departing, cruising through the waves until they came to a stop a few hundred feet from the port. One of the bald men still standing on the dockyard screamed at one of the departing boats to tell them to move further out into the ocean. As the new ship passed the stationary ships the message was conveyed and the ships pushed slightly further afield from the island.
He was running out of time, whatever he was going to do he needed to do now. Throwing caution to the wind he turned and sprinted towards the water, jumping off the dockyard and into the ocean. Zip let out a chirp of confusion and jumped onto his head, gripping his hair for dear life. He felt a surge of energy, and with a familiar tug in his gut, he willed a wave to form out at sea building momentum until it crashed into some of the boats that hadn’t made it as far out. As they were carried closer to the shore Percy felt a shiver run down his spine and froze the water solid, essentially grounding the ships in the harbour and those that had only just exited. Then he turned and ran back towards the cable. He had slowed down the fleet, now he needed to rescue his brothers.
Soldiers on the dock began shouting, and a couple moved to intercept him. The man in green robes with red hair charged him with a spear but he dove underneath the thrust, kicking the man in the side of the knee as hard as he could. He heard a crunch and the man let out a howl of pain, his red beard catching alight in apparent fury. Percy left him behind and barrelled through a couple more soldiers, sending them sprawling. The Einherjar who had told him to stop before now pulled her sword, and on instinct, Riptide was uncapped and in his hand without having to consciously perform the action.
There was a spark of steel as the two blades collided, and despite her small stature, the Einherjar's strength was impressive. Nonetheless, Percy wasn’t really playing in her league and with far more force than she could match he drove her to the ground, swiftly darting past her and knocking another of the soldiers out of the way. With a leap that would’ve put Olympic athletes to shame he cleared the remaining soldiers and landed on one of the cables, balancing capriciously. Once he had his balance though he began to sprint up the cable, trusting that all those times his childhood bullies had told him he belonged in the circus were true.
At first, he teetered a couple of times dangerously, but once he found his footing he didn’t lose it, hurtling up the cable with acrobatic ease. Shouting beneath him was followed by the rope seeming to loosen, the thick cable bouncing up and down. Percy paused and glanced backwards, only to see that the soldiers were working on cutting the rope from the anchor.
Percy cursed under his breath but turned back and looked towards the summit of the volcano, seeing that the platform had almost made it to the top. In maybe a few seconds at most, it would likely be safe for the soldiers to sever the rope and not affect the Annunaki's ascent. He recapped Riptide and resumed running up the cable, he had a plan if the rope gave out. He kept his eyes focused on the platform, and as soon as it disappeared over the lip of the summit the bouncing underneath him resumed as the soldiers worked to finish the cut. Keen to beat them to the punch he kicked off with his right foot, hanging treacherously in the open air for a moment, before landing on the unsevered cable with his left foot and continuing the climb. As if one cue the cable on the right snapped and arced across the sky and disappeared into the jungle below.
The bouncing then began on the second cable, and Percy pushed his legs as fast as they could go once more. The burning came back but there was no time to listen to his body's needs, he needed to reach the summit. The cable bounced once, then again. On the third time, he heard the snap and felt the tension disappear from underneath his feet. Just before it fell away from under him he kicked off and jumped forward, trying to gain as much distance as he could. He was still well short of the summit, but by jumping forward he would be able to grab the cable with his hands. Unfortunately, he had timed his jump wrong, and instead of grasping the cable as it fell towards the side of the volcano, he found himself in freefall.
It lasted the better part of a second though before pain shot up his neck as he was jolted to a stop. He swung towards the volcano and slammed into the side with force. It hurt, but at least he hadn’t fallen to his death. He turned to the side and found himself face to face with the terrified mother bird he had met earlier. He tried to look at what had stopped his fall but couldn’t see due to how tight the gas mask was against his face. He reached out and grabbed a branch of the tree and pulled himself up and onto it. The mother bird let out a squawk of protest, but right now she was the least of his concerns. He unclipped the gas mask from the back of his head and watched as it swung away from him.
The gas mask was hanging from a large talon that had grabbed it, and as Percy looked up he found a giant lizard. It was maybe as large as a Komodo dragon, gripping the cable with its front claws and the gas mask with its back ones. He felt the top of his head and realised the lizard was no longer there.
“Zip?” Percy asked, confused.
The Komodo Dragon licked its eye in response.
Percy let out a little laugh of shock, “Well sh*t Zip, if I’d known you could do that I would’ve been much more eager to bring you along. Thanks for saving me.”
Zip licked his other eyeball, which Percy took to mean: “You’re most welcome!”
Reaching out from the branch Percy grabbed the cable, and as he did so Zip jumped down and landed back on his head, except once more as a small lizard. The gas mask fell away from its claws but Percy managed to catch it just before it dropped past the tree. Everyone around here seemed to want a gas mask, and so for whatever reason that was he wanted one too.
Pulling on the cable to make sure it was tight, Percy began to swing gently against the volcano rock face, building momentum. It took a couple of minutes, but before long he was swaying fast from side to side against the rock face. With a final heave, he used his strength and momentum to arc upwards towards the sky, arcing up until he cleared the lip of the volcano, letting his hands slip as he did so.
He flew through the air and got an aerial view of the volcano, lava bubbling in the crater as the Annunaki and Vesper walked towards it, Tyson and Triton in tow. Bracing for impact Percy fell through the ash cloud and crash-landed against the rocks. He staggered to his feet, uncapping Riptide as he did so. He climbed out of the min crater he created and then turned to face-
Annabeth?
She stood there, wearing her wedding gown, the veil lifted to reveal her beaming at him. It had been his idea to get married on the edge of the volcano, he was so glad that she had agreed with him. He looked down and cursed that he had forgotten to get a suit. He wasn’t sure who had picked his suit but he blamed his best man Grover. He strode towards the love of his life, barely able to keep the grin off of his face. Friends and family turned to smile at him as he made his way down the aisle towards her. He couldn’t remember if it had been his idea or hers for it to be him walking down the aisle. It didn’t matter, because he was about to marry his best friend since he was 12 years old
As he reached her she took his hands in hers, giggling as her stormy grey eyes met his. He could lose himself in those eyes, in her beauty and in her strength. She was his other half, and all he would ever need.
As he stood facing her he glanced back to his friends and family and saw Triton and Tyson grinning at him from the front row. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could’ve sworn he saw tears in Tyson's eyes.
He reached up to cup Annabeth's face in his hands, but as he did so his sleeves rolled up his arms a little, revealing words written on his wrist. K Y S imprinted onto his wrist. Almost as soon as he saw it was gone though, vanishing as though they had never been there in the first place.
Kill yourself.
Why had that been on his wrist, on the day he was supposed to marry Annabeth?
Wait a minute…weren’t they supposed to get married in Montauk? And wasn’t Annabeth's dad supposed to walk her down the aisle? A sickly feeling settled in his stomach and he lurched towards the edge of the crater, seeing the lava bubbling beneath him.
Kill yourself.
The only person he could trust was himself, and with a yell, he jumped forward into the lava. As he landed in it a burning feeling shot up his body and a piercing beep filled his eardrums. The pain of the noise in his ear was drowned out by the pain in his lower body, but the pain gave clarity. With a tug in his gut he willed himself up and out of the lava pit throwing himself against the safety of the rocks. He wasn’t here to get married, he was here to fight.
He turned back to face Annabeth, only to see Vesper standing where Annabeth had been standing. Triton and Tyson looked dazed and confused but before he could react the Annunaki was upon him, reaching out with a fingertip. He wasn’t fast enough to move, and as it made contact with his forehead he felt himself suddenly in freefall surrounded by darkness.
When he landed he was in a place he had been before. He was in a throne room, surrounded by mosaics showing vibrant scenes of life beneath the waves. Regal and exquisite furnishings filled a room centred around a throne that seemed to be carved from an intricate blend of coral and pearl. The armrests were curved like pegasi wings, and a moon above shaded the throne in an otherworldly luminescence. His mind palace.
Sitting upon the throne was a much prettier figure than the last intruder that had occupied his mind.
“You are very annoying,” the Annunaki sighed, her hair shifting from black to the blonde with auburn streaks it had been at the hammock. Her face shifted too, appearing more similar to Annabeth and another vaguely familiar face.
“Hey you’re the one that keeps coming into my head uninvited,” Percy growled, “Speaking of which, I thought I fixed my mental defences.”
The Annunaki laughed softly, “You think a mortal's mental defences are fit to keep out a being of my power?”
“I’m not just a mortal!”
“No, no,” The Annunaki agreed, “Of course not. But you can die, and that makes you mortal.”
Percy scowled in response.
“Do you hate that about yourself?” The Annunaki asked, leaning against an armrest and cupping her chin with her palm.
“Hate what about myself?”
“Your mortality. Do you wish you had been born a full god? A pure lineage?”
Now it was Percy's turn to laugh, “Listen, lady, the part of myself I hate the most is my godly side, so get out of here with your pure lineage bullsh*t.”
The Annunaki's eyes sparkled with interest, “Well aren’t you just fascinating? No wonder Enlil couldn’t recruit you.”
“f*ck Enlil!” Percy told her, “And f*ck you too!”
The Annunaki tutted, leaning back into the throne, “Now is that any way to speak to a lady?”
“You’re in my house lady, that makes you a trespasser at best.”
She held her hands up with a smile, “You’re correct of course, I’m a stranger to you.” She stood with effortless grace and made her way towards him, running her finger along his chest as she reached him, “How about we change that?”
Percy felt his face flush and stepped back. The only thing more unnerving about the fact that an Annunaki was flirting with him was the fact that the Annunaki looked like Annabeth.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
The Annunaki grinned, a smile framed by a perfect face that sent his heart fluttering, “My name is Ishtar. It's nice to meet you, Percy Jackson.”
Ishtar. He recognised that name.
“I had a dream about you.” he blurted out.
Her smile widened, “Lots of men and women have had dreams about me Percy, how about I make your dreams a reality?”
Percy gulped. The offer was tempting, but he kept reminding himself that if he lost a willpower battle against her he stood no chance of meeting her in a fight.
“You were with Ninlil,” he continued, “She was torn between Enlil and Enki.”
Ishtar's smile faded as she raised an eyebrow, “That’s an interesting dream.”
“You slept with Marduk,” he pressed on, “But he chose a mortal woman over you!”
Ishtar flinched, and her perfect features contorted into something more sinister. “Careful boy, you’re on thin ice.”
“I thrive on ice actually,” Percy countered, “Now let me and my brothers go.”
Ishtar rolled her eyes, turning on her heel and stalking back over towards the throne. He plopped herself down and sighed, “I’m trying to keep them alive you idiot.”
“And how exactly are you doing that?”
“By making them my pets,” Ishtar hissed, “Because if you’re my pet I can protect you from the battle that is to come.”
“They didn’t get a say in that, they’re not pets they're your slaves.”
Ishtar waved her hand dismissively, “You mortals and your problems with slavery. All mortals wish to serve a higher power, and your brothers have that opportunity. They get to serve me.”
“Triton is a god, and Tyson is the general of the forces of Poseidon. They already serve a higher power.”
Ishtar laughed but there was no mirth in it, “There is no higher power than me boy, I am the highest power. I am Annunaki.”
“You were defeated once,” Percy warned, “You’ll be beaten again.”
“We were betrayed once,” Ishtar corrected, “Now it is the traitors who will suffer betrayal.”
“Jett isn’t the difference maker you think he is.”
Ishtar clapped her hands excitedly, “Ah finally something we agree on. My brother is a fool for gambling on that son of Zeus. That's why I gambled on a far safer bet.”
Percy's eyes widened, “There's another traitor.” More a statement than a question.
Ishtar leaned back without answering, eyeing the son of Poseidon warily, “How much did Enlil tell you?”
“Nothing I didn’t already know,” Percy growled.
Ishtar shook her head gently, “My mistake. How much did Chronos tell you?”
Percy baulked, “How could you know that?”
Ishtar smirked, “Outside of you just confirming it for me now? We’ve been tracking you since you came out of the ice. Delayed our plans for over a decade with the stunt you pulled at Hadad's tomb. Impressive, but futile.”
Percy grinned, “So I did mess up your plans. Good to know.”
“Delaying is different from disrupting. But you did manage that with your intervention in Egypt. And then of course you caused us problems in Antarctica with Gibil. You are becoming quite the thorn.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Your humour is a powerful tool you wield. I suppose it's also what’s covering that gaping hole in your heart left by the daughter of Athena?”
Percy’s jaw clenched, “Careful…”
“Why? Because I know your weakness and how to exploit it?”
“Love isn’t a weakness,” Percy argued.
Ishtar laughed, “Against Enlil? Probably not. Against me? Most definitely.”
“What are you?”
“Annunaki,” Ishtar answered, “But you already knew that so I guess I’ll throw you a bone. I am Ishtar, Annunaki and the personification of love.”
Percy frowned, “The personification of? Sounds like a primordial.”
“Your Protegnoi learnt from us. They were our pupils until they stabbed us in the back.”
“Really seems like you guys deserved that with the whole genocide thing.”
Ishtar's eyes hardened, “Don’t speak of things you don’t understand, boy.”
“Genocide feels like it's hard not to understand. And don’t tell me that's not the plan, because Enlil all but confirmed it, right after he admitted to killing his brother. Was that Enki or Marduk?”
“Don’t disgrace my brother's memory by saying his name with your filthy mortal mouth,” Ishtar warned.
“Enlil disgraced him by killing him and the mortal family he loved!” Percy yelled. He wasn’t 100% sure if that's what happened, but all the evidence seemed to point to it. Besides, if he was wrong Ishtar would correct him.
The way Ishtar's eyes flashed with anger more or less confirmed he had hit the nail on the head.
“When Enlil cleanses this world of mortals he will right a wrong so heinous you could not possibly understand it.”
Percy's blood ran cold as the pieces finally slotted into place, “There will be no more demigods,” he whispered, “Because Enlils is going to kill all the mortals.”
Ishtar chewed her lip, “Enlil will offer forgiveness and immunity to those of partly godly heritage as long as they agree not to stand against him. Many have joined our ranks willingly with the promise of immortality in his new kingdom. You are not just outmatched Percy Jackson, you are outnumbered and outgunned. But if you surrender, if you convince your fellow demigods not to resist, they can live out the rest of their lives in peace. And all it would cost them is some of their parent's lives, parents that have been as neglectful as they are callous.”
Percy knew that if all of Camp Half-Blood was listening to Ishtar's offer there would certainly be some willing takers. Hades, the offer didn’t even sound that bad to him. But then he thought of his mother, Paul, Estelle. He thought about the fact that his father's head would be on the chopping block. His hand tightened into a fist.
“Mrs. Dodds, Kronos, Gaea. What makes you think you’re any match for me?” Percy's voice carried a dangerous undertone, and the edge to his words could’ve cut through steel. He felt fear and acknowledged it in the recesses of his mind, but mostly he felt determined.
“As I am the personification of Love, my brother is the personification of Power. He will trample Olympians like ants beneath his feet. The fact that he is aware of your existence should shake you to your very core.”
“He’s trapped off-world,” Percy shot back, “And he’s not coming back.”
Ishtar laughed once more, “You don’t understand how dire your situation already is. We are not putting our plan into motion now boy, we are already in the endgame.”
Percy growled and reached into the ground around him, drawing strength from the fact that this was HIS mind. He launched himself at her, driving a punch towards her chest, but she was fast. She blocked him with the palm of her hand, proving that despite her slender figure she was incredibly powerful. With seemingly little effort she threw him across the throne room and into the wall on the far side. The blow didn’t hurt him so much as stun him, and so he leapt out of the rubble and resumed his attack.
He moved as fast as he could, driving at her again and again with as much force as his punches could carry, but she simply deflected again and again. She was driven backwards under the force of his onslaught, but she showed no signs of distress or tiring. She simply blocked and retreated, blocked and retreated, blocked and retreated. That is until a particularly heavy punch of his was exploited, and with speed and precision she drove inside his defences and slammed her palm up against his nose, knocking him off his feet in a counter that he hadn't seen coming.
Once more though, the blow didn’t hurt him so much as force him back. They were in his mind, and he could do this all day. He whirled on her once again, moving faster and faster, and willing the throne room around them to respond to his will. A shift in the floor caused Ishtar to misstep, and Percy seized on his advantage to land a solid blow to her jaw. The force of his punch, amplified by the power of being inside his mind palace, sent Ishtar hurtling across the room and into a column of coral.
As the Annunaki staggered to her feet a line of ichor trickled down from her mouth.
“Time to get out of my house bitch,” Percy growled.
Ishtar's eyes flashed, and with a wave of her hand the mind palace disappeared around them and Percy felt himself being thrown upwards. He came back to reality with a start. Ishtar was now standing by Vesper, a droplet of ichor running down from her lip.
Percy wasted no time sprinting towards Ishtar, co*cking his hand back to land a punch, but with effortless ease she moved to the side and slammed her fist into his side, sending him hurtling across the rocky landscape.
“We’re not in your head anymore boy. You might be able to win a fight in your imagination, but reality is a little different. And I’m afraid boy, you’re just a little too late.” Ishtar spat.
As she finished speaking as if on cue, the ground began shaking violently beneath their feet, the sky darkening thanks to a thick plume of ash and smoke that exploded from the crater as lava bubbled. The far side of the crater wall began to collapse and fall away, causing the lava to spill out from the bubbling centre and fall down the far side of the island. The roar of the erupting volcano was deafening, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of sulphur. Percy immediately grabbed his mask and threw it onto his face. He didn’t know where Zip had gone but he hoped the lizard was safe.
Ishtar and Vesper had moved to the rim of the volcano, watching with interest as the volcano seemed to be tearing itself apart. The ground around Percy began to collapse, and so he sprinted towards where Tyson and Triton stood stupefied. Grabbing each of them around the waist he threw them over his shoulders and sprinted towards the rim. He didn’t have time to marvel at how effortlessly he was carrying a cyclops and god because the fresh fissures opening up beneath his feet kept him preoccupied.
Just before they reached the rim, a massive explosion rocked the volcano, sending a shockwave that knocked him off his feet and sent Triton and Tyson sprawling. Lava surged from the crater, a molten torrent that illuminated the night with a hellish glow. The heat was intense and Percy could feel the scorching air on the parts of his exposed skin. All of a sudden the thick outfits and the gas mask made sense.
The fall seemed to have jolted Tyson and Triton out of their stupor, and they looked around in confusion. When they saw Percy he pointed at the rim, and they needed no more encouragement after that.
The three staggered towards the ledge, but another shockwave brought them to their knees. Percy glanced behind him in order to see something emerging from the lava on the far side. What at first appeared to be some sort of massive rock amidst the smoke soon became clear as scales. From the heart of the fiery maelstrom, an enormous dragon emerged, its colossal form framed by the hellish glow of the eruption.
Its scales were as dark as the void, absorbing the light around it and giving off a malevolent sheen. Each scale was edged with a razor-sharp gleam, reflecting the fiery embers swirling in the air. As the dragon rose from the molten depths, its gigantic wings unfurled, each membrane stretching wide and blotting out the sky. The wings were tattered and jagged, resembling the torn sails of a ghost ship. With a single, thunderous beat, the wings sent a shockwave through the air, dispersing the thick smoke and ash and revealing the full horror of the creature.
Its head was crowned with a crown of jagged, obsidian-like horns that twisted and curled. The dragon's maw opened wide, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth, each one glistening with the remnants of molten rock. It bellowed again, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth, and from its mouth spewed a torrent of black fire, as hot and destructive as the lava itself. When it opened its eyes they glowed a menacing red, like twin suns, piercing through the smoke and ash. They radiated an ancient, feral intelligence that sent a chill down Percy's spine.
The dragon's body was a fortress of muscle and sinew. Its massive claws, tipped with talons as long and sharp as scythes, scraped against the rocky edges of the volcano, leaving deep gashes in their wake. As it fully emerged, the ground beneath it trembled, cracks spider-webbing out from where it stood.
Through the chaos, Ishtar's voice echoed above the noise.
“I assume you’ve heard the prophecy, Percy Jackson. This is Ba’al. But you know him by his other name…the Beast of the East!”
Author's Note: Hey all, sorry for the delay but it's been a busy start to the summer for me. Wishing you all the best and hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always please review. There is nothing that motivates me more to get the next chapter out than reviews. Every review, no matter how short, means so much to me so please please please review!
