Resistance

Chapter 23

Percy POV

I didn't know what to do. The information was way too large, I really should let Annabeth deal with the thinking.

Here I was, facing my worst terror. He was there in my dreams, he followed me and Annabeth around, he lurked around dark and shadowy corners.

He was the Pit of Evil, Primordial of the Abyss, Father of the Giants and Lord of all the creatures of darkness.

Tartarus.

"We meet again, young Perseus." Tartarus seemed to ignore Annabeth, and focused instead on me.

I just glared at him, but the flashbacks were threatening to come back, Nyx, the House of Night, the River Lethe, Akhlys, poison, the Death Mist, Say hello to the stars for me, Bob, Small Bob, Damson...

A hoarse scream wrenched itself from my throat.

"No... no... Bob..." I whispered.

"Percy!" Annabeth shrieked before lunging towards me, she seemed to catch me before I fell, my knees felt weak.

"Don't..." I croaked. "My fault... Bob... Small Bob... Damson... My fault..."

Yes, you killed them, you could have saved them, Bob could have seen the stars. A traitorous voice seemed to whisper, it sounded suspiciously like Damson, accusing me, If I didn't come and save you, you would have died, you depend on others for yourself to stay alive.

"I don't!" I shouted, heard the sound of rushing torrents, but they dispelled immediately.

"I see you have found the waters, Perseus," The cold calculating tone used by Annabeth woke me out of my trance, but it wasn't her, no it seemed to be Athena.

"Apparently your head is not full of Φύκι. The prophecy says finding the waters would help you to survive."

"Φύκι? Seaweed?" I asked, distracted by the use of Greek in an English sentence, "Wait, the waters?"

"Reference to Ποταμός Λήθης (River Lethe), part of it flows out onto the surface, and it is right in the middle of their camp. Now wake up, Perseus and save my daughter."

"Annabeth?"

Luke POV

"Are you sure I shouldn't help them?" I asked again, staring at the small group surrounded by monsters, with Percy unconscious and Annabeth distracted, they couldn't stand a chance.

My little sister I abandoned, a pang went through my heart, another reminder of my failure, perhaps leaving was the best thing to do. At least she found someone loyal, handsome and kind, not a traitor, cruel and angry at the world.

"Luke, you are doubting yourself again, and no, we would wait." Ouranos was relaxed, sitting back and munching some popcorn.

Popcorn?

"You are eating popcorn?" I asked incredulously, the great Primordial of the Sky was eating popcorn of all things.

"Yes, it is a delicious treat mortals have invented, quite useful when you want to distract someone, the wolf has awakened."

I turned around, wondering who the wolf was before realizing Percy was the wolf.

Fitting though, with his loyalty and fierceness, his prowess in battle.

"Luke, you are thinking too much, it was only his loyalty which was carried through." Ouranos' voice seemed to be amused.

Embarrassed as I was, I blushed, then focused my attention on the scene unfolding in front of me.

Percy seemed to have wake up, if his fluttering eyelids were an indication, his brows were furrowed, as if he was concentrating on something but nothing was happening.

"Perseus Jackson, cease your meaningless struggle."

My heart suddenly stopped for a second, while I stared at my one true love.

Diana Hunter, Daughter of Gaia, the Phoenix was here.

She was in a cape, one which didn't fit her, no, not at all. It was a stunning reddish black, not her usual bright colours.

Tartarus

A single thought appeared in my head. He was the one who changed Diana so much. Why didn't I notice it before?

She changed, she became cruel, she became darker, deadlier, more devoted to her mothers cause.

I soon reached a conclusion, Tartarus, that beast, blessed him. So that was where the wings come from, a demon's wings, a devil's wings.

Wings of evil.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and the red I was seeing went away, knowing instinctively that it was Ouranos, the father I never had.

"Luke, you need to control your emotions." He smiled sadly at me, "I know you have been through a lot, but keep a sharp reign on your emotions instead of doing something you might regret."

I relaxed, knowing it was true. But the rage was still in me, how dare he bless Diana, how dare he contaminate the beautiful Phoenix into a creature of darkness.

Unacceptable.

But I just watched, watching through a screen, a pathetic screen through which I am unable to do anything. No, not allowed to influence, though not bind by the ancient laws. Yet.

Diana was talking with Clarisse, but I missed the previous conversation...

"...final end." Clarisse finished, pulling away from Chris, "A duel, me on you."