Confused by Time (Percy Jackson fanfic) (currently being rewritten)

Chapter 70 - A Hero's Goodbye

By the time Kronos had broken down the door in his path and flashed into the room, Erebus was gone.

So was Percy.

Golden ichor seeped from the young Titan's neck, stretching out across the marble in horrible patterns which swirled in contrast to the bleakness of the black floor. A terrible anger built up in Kronos' golden eyes as he slowly turned to face Hyperion and Iapetus.

"You were supposed to protect him," he accused furiously.

Hyperion flinched at his tone while Iapetus avoided his gaze, managing to look sheepish as he stared intently at the floor. Behind them, there were furious shouts from Poseidon as he struggled to force his way forwards. But the Titans were doing their jobs well, Atlas holding Poseidon back and the other Titans forming a barrier to prevent anyone from entering the room.

"Let me in!" Poseidon roared. "That's my son!"

"He's a Titan," Hyperion snarled back. "He's ours."

"He was born a demigod!" Annabeth exclaimed. "At least let us through!"

"That's my cousin, you bastards," Thalia snapped, threateningly holding her hunting knives out. "Get off me - asshole!"

Perses simply sneered at her in response. "What are you going to do about it?" he demanded. "You're just a half-breed. You're nothing."

Thalia bristled. "You fucki-"

"Enough," Kronos snarled. Involuntarily, Thalia's mouth snapped shut. "I would appreciate it if you could all escort the gods from my Fortress," he said, his tone flat.

The Titans instantly moved to do as he had ordered, but Zeus - apparently still running on adrenaline - promptly punched Koios, the first Titan to move towards him, in the face.

Leander wriggled his way towards Kronos, throwing himself at the Titan Lord. Rhea was close behind him to leap onto the bed, watching over her son.

As the sounds of the skirmish escalated outside the room, Kronos finally turned to face the door. "Get them out of here. Now." A beam of titanic energy shot out of his palm, blasting Zeus back before he gets in a lucky hit. The god groaned as he staggered to his feet. But Kronos isn't in the mood to humour him, and the other Titans know it. Koios and Krios secured Zeus and dragged him down the corridor.

"Kronos," Poseidon said, "let me see my son."

Kronos studied him coolly for several long moments. "Leave. This is your fault."

Poseidon looked shocked for several moments, before his eyes narrowed. "If anything," he snapped, "it's yours. You're the one who stole him, who tortured him, toyed with him and tricked him. This is all your fault."

Kronos stood and summoned Backbiter, starting to move towards Poseidon. Leander grabbed his hand, tugging Kronos back. "No," the boy insisted.

The Titan glanced back at his nephew, eyes narrowing, before looking back to Poseidon. "Leave now. The next time we meet, I will kill you."

Poseidon considered disobeying for several moments, before he sighed and trudged down the corridor. He evidently recognised that Kronos wasn't to be reasoned with.

"Will he come back?" Leander questioned tearfully, his voice trembling as he beheld Percy's body.

Out of an odd fascination, Kronos crouched and pressed his palm flat against Percy's side, feeling the warmth that was quickly fleeing his body. "Eventually," Kronos murmured, pulling away. "And that's if Tartarus feels generous."

"Does he ever feel generous?"

"Not often."

"Can we make him feel generous?" Leander demanded.

"I don't think he'd react well to force."

Leander pressed his lips together, looking torn between demanding that Tartarus give Percy back and erupting into tears. Kronos sincerely hoped he didn't choose the latter. The former he could easily handle, and even encourage. He wasn't surprised when Leander scurried over to him, forcing himself under Kronos' arm.

"What will we do?" he questioned.

Kronos thoughtfully scanned Percy's serene expression, as if the dead former demigod would hand to answer to him. "Burn the body," he said flatly, moving to close Percy's eyes.

The King ensured that Percy's send-off was that of a Titan.

It was a simple ordeal.

Percy's body, still covered in his own ichor, was placed on a simple wooden raft and smothered with Greek tar, a form of Greek fire which needed a spark to be set alight. His armour was placed at his side, along with Riptide. Kronos had Tsunami strapped to his side, opposite Backbiter as he stood up to the waist in seawater on Bolinas Bay. A simple effort into manipulating the Mist, and the beach was emptied of beachgoers.

Kronos lowered his head. "Byddaf yn aros am eich ffurflen, Arwr," he said softly once Hyperion nodded to let Kronos know they were ready.

The King turned, wading out from the water even as he felt the raft being pushed out to sea by Oceanus and heard Hyperion bark out, "Nock!" Lelantos, the best archer amongst the Titans, did so. "Fire!" Flames erupted along the length of the arrowhead as it shot through the air, curving gracefully above Kronos and thudding down onto the wooden raft.

A wave of heat blasted Kronos in the back and he turned, crossing his arms before him to watch the green flames climb into the sky. Leander, without any hesitation, grabbed Kronos' shirt and fisted his little hands.

A quiet padding made Kronos turn his head slightly, watching with narrowed eyes as Rhea - fully on two legs and no longer a lioness - stopped at his left, knowing she was no longer welcome at his right. She was silent for several long minutes, merely watching as the raft burnt, being swept out towards the setting sun which gave the sea a golden sheen.

"It's been a long time since we've had to do this," Rhea finally said. There was a time when Kronos would have been speechless at her beauty, but now he merely turned his head.

Kronos considered pretending he hadn't heard her, but decided that would just be childish. He was above that. "It has," he agreed.

Ever faithful Hyperion stopped at Kronos' right, casting a smug glance towards Rhea before clearing his throat. "So what now?" he questioned curiously, obvious excitement burning beneath the surface of his question.

And, like the turning tide and the deceptively calm surface of the ocean, there was a storm within Kronos which rolled and thrashed like a shark caught in a net. A furious storm which was all too willing to crush anything before it. Kronos' mouth curled up into a wicked smile as the Greek fire burnt like a beacon across the Bay, piercing into the darkness which fell with the sun.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the only sign of the storm that was to come.

"We plan. And we take back what is ours."