Chapter 86: Rock Bottom
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A/N: Shit, meet fan. Oh no, they don't get along. What a mess…
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"Fuck you."
"… Excuse me?"
In the end, Percy realizes he doesn't care. As silence falls over the area, everyone staring at him with wide eyes, he stands there with his hands curled into fists at his sides and his teeth clenched. Staring at Atlas with eyes blazing with hatred, he doesn't hesitate to make his feelings known a second time.
"Fuck. You. I'm not your pawn. Not Kronos' either."
"Were you not listening? You would not BE a pawn; you would be given the rare opportunity to stand at our side and-!"
"Bullshit! Who would ever fucking believe that crap, huh? You need to come up with better lies because I may have been born yesterday compared to your lifespan, but I'm sure as shit not as stupid as you seem to think I am! I'm not buying your bullcrap!"
With that, Percy drops to his knees in front of Bruno. He doesn't know what to do for the Ophiotaurus. Truth be told, he doesn't know that he can do anything. Bruno is already bleeding from a dozen different wounds and looking quite sluggish. Percy tries to reach out and draw any source of water towards them in the hopes that he can do something to help, but it's all either too far away or buried too deep within the mountain for him to draw on.
It's hopeless. And yet… Percy doesn't care. Maybe that makes him a bad person. Maybe it makes him a bad king. After all, he should be able to make the hard choices, right? If he truly loves Thalia and Bianca, if he truly cares about them and the others, than he should be able to stomach killing Bruno for their sake and turning the tables on Atlas later when the opportunity presents itself.
… But he can't do it. He can't kill an innocent creature, even one that's already dying, just to save them. He's not the hard man making hard decisions that he would need to be for that. He's just a guy with principles… and those principles are what make him who he is.
At the same time, he knows that he's consigning them all to death. Surrounded on all sides by so many Skeleton Warriors, plus face to face with a fucking Titan and his pet demigod traitor… they don't have a chance in hell of coming out of this alive.
Even as Percy presses his hands to Bruno's wounds, trying desperately to keep the blood inside (and failing) he turns to Thalia, Bianca, and the others and mutters out an apology.
"… sorry."
Silence reigns for several more moments before Atlas finally breaks it.
"What a disappointment. But no matter… you are not our only option, craven little Son of Poseidon."
Percy can't deny bristling at being called craven, but he also doesn't respond, entirely focused on Bruno at this point. Atlas, meanwhile… seems to be ready to shop around.
"You two. A Daughter of Zeus and a Daughter of Hades. Each of you are also acceptable. While the Son of Poseidon is the closest to godhood, if either if you sacrifice the Ophiotaurus and take its power for yourself, you will be well on your way to ascending too. And from there, I can show you the ritual that will allow you to turn this pathetic squirming goddess' divinity into your own."
Zoe gasps and snarls at that.
"What?! You wouldn't dare! You-!"
There's a struggle behind him, but Percy is focused entirely on Bruno. From the sound of things, Zoe tries to draw her bow but is grabbed and restrained by the Spartoi, no doubt unable to escape their grasp any more than Phoebe is.
"Silence, daughter. Your place in the world that me and my uncle intend to create is already ephemeral as it is. If you do not want to follow your Mistress into death, you will still your tongue."
"I would rather DIE than let you kill her!"
"… Then that too can be arranged for… later."
For now, Percy hears Zoe being gagged by some cloth, her angry shouts muffled as the Spartoi drag her further away. Atlas, meanwhile, looks back to Thalia and Bianca.
"Well then? Whichever of you steps forward first may come and claim your prize. I'll even throw this insolent man's life in for good measure. He may continue to live at your forbearance for as long as you like as your plaything."
Percy stiffens at that… but he can't bring himself to look up and see what Thalia and Bianca might be thinking. Not just because he's afraid their silence means they're considering it… no, it's also because he finds himself staring into Bruno's one visible eye.
Laying on his side, the Ophiotaurus is looking at Percy with that big, sorrowful eye. He's staring right at him and Percy… Percy founds himself caught up in the magical creature's gaze.
"Well? I'm waiting."
Atlas' impatience matters little to Percy in that moment, even though it signals quite a large threat to two women that he loves. In fact, nothing matters right then… save for a growing connection Percy feels to the Ophiotaurus.
"Nah. Fuck off."
"You dare?!"
"Fuck yeah I do! What did you expect, huh? You think I'd ever disrespect Percy's choice like that? You think he'd ever forgive me if I went along with your idiocy for even a moment?!"
"… She's right. Percy has made his choice. And we stand behind him every step of the way."
"Even if it means all of you die? You mortals have such fleeting lives already, I do not understand why you would refuse to fight for more!"
"Yeah, that much is obvious. You don't understand us at all. You probably can't."
"… Perhaps not. But I don't need to understand you to kill you all and- what is happening? Step away from the Ophiotaurus!"
But Atlas' words come far too late. While he, Thalia, and Bianca have all been arguing over Percy's head, Percy and the Ophiotaurus have been having an argument of their own. Not one that necessarily had words to it, but the meaning… the meaning had been abundantly clear.
Bruno was dying… and while he needed to be sacrificed for his true power to be realized, apparently HE could choose to sacrifice himself at any time to bestow that power on another. He'd just never had a worthy champion worth doing so for before… especially since in sacrificing himself, he would be ending his own cycle of rebirth.
Like every monster, the Ophiotaurus came back. He might die and be gone for a time, but he always reconstituted himself eventually. But not if he was ever properly sacrificed. Or… not if he ever sacrificed himself.
Needless to say, upon being confronted with all of this through their connection, Percy had objected. He'd objected most strongly and vehemently, even as tears had begun to stream down his cheeks. He didn't want Bruno dead just for him to have the Ophiotaurus' power. He didn't… but in the end, it wasn't his choice.
What Atlas saw and what he'd demanded stop immediately was the process having already begun as the blood pouring from Bruno's wounds turned into golden dust first, followed by the rest of him. However, rather than dissipating like it did for most monsters, the golden dust… flows into Percy as the Ophiotaurus self-immolates and in doing so burns his own entrails, sacrificing himself to give someone the power to bring down the gods themselves.
"You… what is this nonsense?! What have you DONE?!"
Atlas is angry, obviously. From his point of view, it looks like the Ophiotaurus has died without giving up his power. It's a repeat of the debacle during the Titanomachy, where an ally of him and Kronos managed to slay the Ophiotaurus but Zeus' eagle had retrieved its entrails before they could be burned.
The Titan's confused rage makes sense. It's understandable, even. But… Percy's rage is far, far greater as he slowly rises to his feet.
"I didn't do anything. Bruno made a choice… but only because you forced it on him. I'm going to kill you for that."
Atlas' eyes widen in disbelief at Percy's words. Then, they narrow as he snarls and stomps forward.
"Insolent little-!"
The word 'brat' catches upon his lips as the Titan of Endurance brings a fist down upon Percy's head, aiming to kill him with one blow… only for Percy to reach up and catch it in his palm, stopping Atlas dead in his tracks.
This is not without consequences, of course. Atlas is strong… stronger than even most of the other Titans. The myths that Percy can recall say Atlas is second only to Kronos himself. When Percy catches his hand, it sends a shockwave in all directions, causing Thalia and Bianca to cry out as they're sent tumbling end over end away.
It also makes Percy's bones creak and strain, the pain from catching the Titan of Endurance's fist not inconsiderable as he stands his ground and his feet dig into the rock beneath them.
… But he does do it all the same. He stops Atlas, the second most powerful Titan alive, dead in his tracks. The look on the Titan's face would be priceless… if Percy wasn't so fucking furious.
"You-!"
Percy cuts him off by punching him in that fucking mug of his. His fist slams into Atlas' chin with all the strength he can muster… which as it turns out, is a considerable amount at this point. Bruno's sacrifice wasn't in vain… but it never should have been necessary.
For all his power, Percy has never felt weaker. For all his strength, he's never felt more lost. Even as he wails on Atlas, following up each punch with another blow to the Titan, the tears continue to stream down his cheeks and his jaw clenches so hard it feels like his teeth are going to crack.
"YOU DID THIS! YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN! IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU FUCKING WANTED?! IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU DESIRED?!"
Unfortunately, Percy is all raw strength and fury. He's not some trained martial artist or boxer. And Atlas… Atlas is still the Titan of Endurance. With a snarl, he manages to regain his footing and kicks Percy in the chest, sending him flying back.
Percy flips in the air and lands on his feet, glaring daggers at the Titan across from him. But at the same time… his momentary advantage is lost.
"You… insolent… dog. We offer you everything… we gift you the power to topple the gods… and this is how you repay us? Heh… even now, you aren't all the way there, brat. Do you think yourself a god? No, you're still just an up jumped mortal with more power than you know what to do with. I'm going to enjoy teaching you the meaning of respect."
Percy's eyes narrow and his nostrils flare. And then… he smiles. Atlas might be right. But he doesn't care. Even if he is an up jumped mortal with too much power. And in fact… he does know what to do with that power. He knows full well.
"Fuck you."
Reaching out instinctively, he does something. Call it his 'domain of kingship', but he pushes out with his power and connects to the women who have journeyed with him all the way here. He pulls on what Bruno gave him and gives them some of it in turn, golden light flowing out of him and hitting Thalia, Bianca, Zoe, Phoebe, and even Rachel one after the other.
The Skeleton Warriors holding Rachel and the Hunters of Artemis are blasted back. Meanwhile, Bianca and Thalia both straighten up, brimming with newfound power.
"Deal with Luke and the skeletons. I've got the Titan."
The women signal their agreement and the sounds of battle quickly sound out as they take the fight to the enemy. Where before they'd faced overwhelming odds, now the battlefield is more than evened up. They each have the strength of an army flowing through them so long as they're following his orders… the King's orders.
Atlas narrows his eyes at this display, before letting out a low, displeasured chuckle.
"You've… 'got me', do you? Going to take me on, Perseus Jackson? Heh… eheheh… bahahaha! Very well than! Come! Face me and show me you aren't the craven I thought you were!"
Percy grits his teeth and digs his nails into his palms hard enough that they bleed. What drips from his hands isn't the red blood of a mortal human though. It's golden ichor, thicker and more viscous. Atlas was wrong. He was far, far closer to godhood at this point than he'd ever been before.
"I don't care what a corpse thinks of me."
Baring his teeth, Atlas drops into a wrestler's stance, his arms wide and his fingers splayed like claws.
"Then come at me, brat!"
Percy launches himself forward, a battle cry on his lips… the only battle cry that feels fitting in this moment.
"FOR BRUNO!"
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The Vote:
[ ] Stick with Percy's POV - 16%[ ] Switch to Atlas' POV - 7%[X] Switch to Artemis' POV - 78%
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