Lost In Memories and Curses (PJO HOO STORY)

CHAPTER 19: FIGHT A WAR FIRST, BREATH AFTERWARD

PERCY POV

When I woke up, I was hit with an extreme sense of pain flaring throughout my body. My bones felt like they were on fire and I thought all my muscles had melted off. I was so blinded by that pain that it took me some time to finally open my eyes and see the worried faces of my teammates and the gods.

Poseidon and Annabeth were seated next to me, holding my hand and crying over what I assumed was a dead me.

"Hey Wise Girl," I croaked, forcing Annabeth to snap her eyes open at the nickname. Her crying seemed to increase tenfold, but it was out of joy and disbelief this time.

"Percy, oh my gods Percy! Thank the gods, you're alive!" she practically screamed before giving me a hug. I groaned with her weight over my frail body, signaling for her to sit back up.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me," I murmured.

"Percy," my dad said, in his deep yet kind voice. I've always loved it whenever he talked to me, his voice always sounded like the rolling waves, but this time I flinched. I couldn't meet his eyes. What had I done? Using this much power in front of the entire council? They're going to riot against dad.

"Father, I'm so sorry, I, uh, didn—" I started to say, stuttering over my words as fear raked my body. My father must hate me. I'm just causing him problem after problem after problem. Gods, why can't I do anything right?

"Percy, do not fear son, you have done nothing wrong. I am not angry at you, I am only proud. You have made me proud, Percy," he said back to me, his hand stroking my damp hair. I felt so weak, so vulnerable right now, that I just wanted to bawl into his shirt. I just wanted a father who could hold me. "Oh my son, I'm so sorry. You did not deserve this."

I just tried to hold back my tears at this point. Now, usually I'd be hating on the old thunderhead, but I was grateful for his stupid arrogance and need to be the center of attention right now.

"Enough with the sentiments! We have a war at hand. Stop behaving like children, we must plan!" He shouted in an unnecessarily loud voice for an audience that was literally three feet away from him.

Leo shuffled forward and helped Annabeth pick me up. Yeah, it was embarrassing, but the second I was standing up straight, nausea rolled through my stomach and I felt like I was going to vomit.

We all stood in a circle, silently waiting for Zeus to start giving his speech. My head was feeling really heavy and foggy, so I decided to blame my impertinent mouth on that.

"As we can all see, we have all fought very bravely and valiantly tonight," Zeus started to say. I coughed purposefully in the middle, Annabeth giving me a death glare because she already knew what I was doing. Zeus gave me an angry look from the side and opened his mouth to talk again.

I coughed even harder.

"So sorry, you must forgive me, I think I have something caught up my throat. You should help me out Apollo. It feels like I got a load of bullshit stuck."

I grinned stupidly as Hermes and Apollo dug their chin down to hide their snickering. The other demigods looked at me, appalled that I even dared saying something like that, to the king of the gods nonetheless.

"You dare speak to me that way!" Zeus bellowed, the air crackling with power.

I just laughed.

"Come on, Uncle Zeus, we both know you ain't going to do somethin' right now. We still have more of the war to fight and who else are you gonna make die for you?"

Still seething, Zeus backed down and just diverted the attention by talking about something else, making the other gods continue to silently and secretly laugh. Annabeth just rolled her eyes at my audacity but, that's okay. She loves me no matter what, so whatever.