Pretty Boys - PJO/HoO One Shots

Connor 7.0 // The Beginning of The End Part 4

OPTION 2: 1 Starving Highly-Trained Cannibal

"I mean," Connor rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "We can just kick the midgets? They might have knives, but I, for one, have legs longer than their arms." You frowned and nagged, "You might be forgetting that the entire camp is at stake. If you can't kick them, they'll stab you right between your legs and you'll die a sad death while I watch and laugh. So, please, try not to be stupid."

He pursed his lips, and sighed, "Sorry, I'm just trying to lighten the mood." Oh. You messed up. You were being a humongous dick. You reached for his shoulder hesitantly and squeezed it. "No, don't apologize. I'm just... stressed." He grabs your hand and smiles sadly, "Stress would be good for murdering a bunch of midgets."

"If stress was a weapon, everyone within a five-mile radius of me would be instantly killed." Pulling your hand away from his grasp reluctantly, you turned your attention back to the maze. This was a matter of life and death. Of your friends. Of your brother. You couldn't let your emotions distract you. Not now. Connor got the hint.

"Okay then," he continued awkwardly, "I think the best way to kill all of them would be explosives. A little gasoline, blowtorch, badabing badaboom, no problem!" You raised your eyebrows skeptically. "I could list all the reasons why that wouldn't work and I wouldn't be done even after a week."

"Somebody's cranky."

"Somebody needs to shut up."

Connor mocked offense and wiped away a fake tear, when suddenly, his face went slack. "Oh my god, we're such idiots!" He grabbed your hand and burst through the 'cannibal' door. You smacked him, and tried to dig your heels to make him stop acting so rashly, but he was way too strong and intent on his purpose.

"Oi, Connor! You're going to get us killed! There's a freaking trained cannibal who's been starving for weeks! He must be dead hungry- Oh." You realized the logic in the riddle as you stopped in front of a pale withering man. Skin hung off his thin bones in layers and his teeth and nails were as brittle as candy. He laid, sprawled on the floor, his chest barely rising to show signs of life.

"It's a bloody trick," Connor muttered as he sunk his blade into his chest, ending his miserable life. You frowned and kicked the cannibal lightly, making sure he wasn't alive. "I would feel bad if he only he didn't eat people." Connor sheathed his sword, ignoring the blood on it, and said, "You shouldn't feel bad killing bad people. It only makes doing the right thing more difficult."

You reached for him and hugged him. He always tried to be the comic relief, to portray himself as someone cunning and stupid, and it was such a dumb way of emotional defense mechanism, and with all that had been happening. He had a brother missing too.

"I'm sorry for being so pissy."

He froze, but after a few moments, he hugged you back, tightly winding his hands around your waist and burying his face in your shoulder. You could feel all the pain he held and you tried your best to reach out and soothe it, but the spark dulled away. You weren't meant to heal. You pulled away, in fear of accidentally hurting him.

"It's fine, princess. Let's keep going. We might have to deal with facing an ogre riding a fire-breathing dragon or five million shotgun-wielding ducklings later, so try not to get too distracted and worry about me," He replied. You tried to apologise again, feeling the sadnes in him, but he raised his hand. "No, just... Just be strong for me. I need that right now."

Breathing in, you dusted yourself off and nodded. "Alright, let's go."

As you walked out of the room, you felt the floor disappear beneath your feet. You gasped, trying to grab onto the slick floor or Connor's hand as he reached for you, but he fell too, into the pit beside you. You collided with the bottom a few seconds later, groaning as your head connected with the metal wall. The second bloody pit in two hours. You got to your feet, looking at the pit which was a small cell with slippery walls. You summoned the light blades, trying to pierce the walls to scale them but they glanced off harmlessly.

"Connor?" You called, and moments later, his voice, distant and far away, came.

"(Y/n)! Where are you?"

He sounded oddly strained as if he were fighting something.

"I'm in a pit. No way I'm getting out. Are you alright?"

A forced laugh.

"Nope, I'm hanging upside down by the foot and there's a scary saw and lever right next to it. Oh! There's a note... Ah, shit. This isn't good."

You gulped, biting your lip in dread. "Read it."

"Pull the lever, and the saw cuts off your leg, but the floor beneath (y/n) brings her up to safety. Don't pull the lever, the saw doesn't cut off your leg, but the floor beneath (y/n) opens and releases her into a death pit of saws. You have one minute to choose."

Things suddenly got very very real.

OPTION 1: Pull the lever

OR

OPTION 2: Don't pull the lever

<A/N> uh oh. this is a quite a tight spot. we're nearing the end of the chapter and as per usual, you have 48 hours to vote (by commenting your option of choice) on the decision! Remember that every choice has an effect on the result. Especially this one.