Pretty Boys - PJO/HoO One Shots

Connor 7.0 // The Beginning of The End Part 5

OPTION 2: Don't pull the lever

Without missing a beat, you answered, "Pull it."

You always knew one day it would down to this. Will's life or your own. Connor's life or your own. And deep down, you always knew the answer. It was almost comforting to encounter the situation. It was good to know how you would die.

"Are you insane, (y/n)? There has to be another way!" Connor exclaimed, rather desperately as you heard him begin to furiously tinker away at the clamp around his ankle. You sighed, and levelled, "Look, Connor, this is Daedalus' maze. This man was a genius, even if there's another option, it won't be obvious, probably hidden in a riddle somewhere. We don't have time to figure his damn riddle out, just pull the lever." Still, he ignored you and time was running out. He would bleed to death if his leg was sawed off, you didn't have to be a child of Apollo to know that the loss of blood would be too much. Frantically, you pounded on the metal wall separating the both of you, demanding, "Connor! I'm serious! Just listen to me, the saws probably don't even work, probably, hopefully. The point is I'll be fine-"

"You call falling into a giant pit of death fine?" He snapped. "Obviously you mistake me for someone who gives a shit about your desire to always take hits for me, so just shut up and let me work it out. I'm not letting you die for me, princess!" You had 10 seconds left at best. You searched the walls for any grooves, any dents to let you scale your trap, and as your fingers flew across the smooth metal surface, you heard him mutter to himself, "A lock... Nice, nice. Quick, quick, quick, deactivate..." His lock manipulation! Oh thank Hermes. You pressed your palm against the metal wall, squeezing your eyes shut, hoping your powers could reach beyond the physical realm and you imagined yourself pushing energy into Connor.

You heard the sound of blade meeting flesh, a terrible squelching sound and the muteness of a spinning blade buried in flesh, followed by a yell which quietened to a whimper. No.

"Connor! Connor!" You felt tears slip down your face, fresh and hot, and power surge to your fists. They began to burn brightly, and without wasting a second, you dug your hands into the metal walls, watching it melt under your fingers to form a perfect groove. You heaved yourself up as fast as your arms allowed you, even years of training not being able to prepare you to scale a wall with just your arms. Throwing yourself over the edge of the trap onto the floor, your arms trembled as you stumbled to Connor's trap. You did not expect to see him dangling over the edge by just his fingers, and free from the trap.

The bear trap mechanic had opened, and the saw hung limply by its side, but its teeth were glistening with blood. Grabbing Connor's hand tightly, you pulled him back over the edge and laid him on the floor gently. Your fingers trembled as they searched his ghastly pale skin for the wound and as they found his ankle, your stomach threatened to flip. He must have not been able to unlock the trap in time, for a large gash unzipped his skin, with blood gushing through the skin which peeled back. If Will was here, he could heal him. If Will was here, he could close the wound just by touching Connor. If Will was here, he could staunch the blood loss with a simple flick of a hand. If Will was here...

But he wasn't. And you were. You lifted Connor's jeans, clearing the site of the wound.

What were you doing?

Your hands hovered above the gash, and you closed your eyes. What did Will always say? Yes, breathe. You filled your lungs with as much oxygen as you could, trying to remember Will's advice.

You never healed, you always hurt. You were a weapon, a ticking time bomb. Not a healer, never was.

Will said to always have the purest intention when you wanted to heal someone. Clear your mind, think of the soul you were saving. Reach into the pool within yourself, everyone had a reservoir of life within themselves. Yes, even you. Even with your eyes closed, you saw a soft light trace your fingers. This was going to work, you were going to save him.