The Titan of Time (A Pertemis AU)

Doors of Death

Chapter Three
Doors of Death

Percy wasn't dead yet, but he was already tired of his corpse like feeling.

As they trudged towards the heart of Tartarus, he kept glancing down at his body, wondering how it could belong to him. His arms looked like leather pulled over his bones. His legs seemed to almost crumple with every step. Kronos' power had given him and Annabeth a much needed boost, but that had long since worn off.

Don't get him wrong, he was eternally grateful for what the Titan had done, and his last wish, being that the duo would be teleported to the Doors, was extremely helpful, but Percy was tired.

He had no idea how long they had been down here, how close they were to the Doors, or how much longer he could last.

Percy tried to focus on something else, but there was no safe direction to look.

Under his feet, the ground glistened a nauseating purple, pulsing with webs of veins. In the dim red light of the blood clouds, Annabeth looked like a freshly risen zombie.

Ahead of them was the most depressing view of all, and yet, it also excites him beyond reason.

Spread to the horizon was an army of monsters-flicks of winged Arai, tribes of lumbering Cyclopes, clusters of floating evil spirits. Thousands of baddies, maybe tens of thousands, all milling restlessly, pressing against one another, growling and fighting for space-like the locker area of an overcrowded school between classes, if all the students were 'roid-raging mutants who smelled really bad.

"Do you think they'll listen to me?" Percy asked. "Kronos did say his brothers would, as would the rest of the Titan council, but I'm curious if the monsters will."

"I'd rather not bet on it." Annabeth replied, trying to think of a plan. "What if you stopped time? Just long enough for us to get to the Titans."

"I can try." Percy said doubtfully.

Reaching within himself, searching for that familiar feeling of the pull in his gut, Percy found the powers of his new Title. Almost like someone had told him, he knew exactly how to use every power that he had been blessed with.

Bringing his hand up from his side, he opened it, extending his palm, before squeezing it shut.

Everything stopped. There was no sound, the monsters weren't moving, there was no blowing winds, nothing.

"Nice job Seaweed Brain, looks like you aren't as full of seaweed as I thought." Annabeth said with a big grin.

Percy could barely hold back his own. What? It's not every day a child of Athena gives a compliment regarding intelligence.

"Well let's get moving, I don't know how long I can hold this." Percy said, already making his way towards the monsters.

It was a slow and admittedly scary trek. After what seemed like hours, the couple could finally make out the Titans guarding the door. Koios and Hyperion.

Feeling that his grip over time was slipping, Percy made a split second decision and grabbed Annabeths wrist before sprinting the rest of the way through the crowd, knocking into monsters, and in some cases shoving them over, where they fell like statues.

Less than a stones throw from the Titans, Percy felt his grip slip. The sound was almost deafening as everything started up again. Nobody noticed anything... at least until the two Titans spotted him and Annabeth.

"Perseus Jackson!" Hyperion bellowed, attracting the attention of the nearby monsters. Things went almost silent again, as the monsters registered the name. "So you are the one the Kronos has decided to pass on his powers to?"

Percy could only nod numbly. Kronos has said his brethren would help him, but Percy was seriously starting to doubt that. He had trapped Hyperion in a tree during the battle for Olympus, and he wasn't sure how the Titan felt about that.

Then the Titans did something that he will forever remember.

They kneeled, bowing their heads.

"We recognize you as our King, and your wish is our command." Koios said.

"Thank you, Koios, same goes for you Hyperion. I have but one request. Later, in the upper world, we will meet again, and I will get the Titan council back together." Percy said, placing his trust in his new councilors.

"We await for that time. I'm assuming your wish is for the two of you to be allowed to take the Doors to the mortal world?" Hyperion said.

Percy nodded, "I would also like for the chains to be cut, but make sure the two of you have a way out as well."

The Titans smiled in acknowledgment, before motioning for their King and his friend to get into the elevator.

Percy motioned for his Wise Girl to go first before following her in. "I will see you on the other side."

Before anybody could say anything else, the doors of the elevator closed. Nothing seemed to happen and he started to wonder if he had been betrayed, but then the pain kicked in.

The Doors allowed people who had died, to reform and come back to life. Well, Percy and Annabeth were very much alive, confusing the process. How can you revive something if it's already living?

Minutes seemed to pass before the doors opened and the pain stopped. Taking a few moments to gather themselves, the duo hung off each other, but the sight on the other side of the doors was something they weren't ready for.