Dealing with Drama

A Violent Volcano

Time: Same time

The volcano had finally erupted, and everybody could bear testimony to the fact that it would not be a pretty sight.

No, it would be rather violent.

Slowly, in horror, stupefied, Artemis turned her head towards the god.

There was no visible change in his position. He was still holding the bowl to his lips, but the broth was leaking past him leaves, staining his chin and making his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt brown. A vein popped on his forehead, the arteries in his neck stood up, his hands clenched tightly around the glass bowl. A web of cracks spread along the opaque, blue surface of Percy's bowl, with his fingers as epicentres.

Finally, the glass bowl shattered, covering Percy with hot broth, but he showed no reaction to the second degree burns that he had received. His eyes were crazed, the black pupils in his dark sea green irises dilated, a web of fine capillaries visible in his sclera. Although his head was tilted backwards, facing the ceiling, his insane, bloodshot eyes were concentrated on an extremely frightened blonde with a big mouth.

The most horrible part?

He had bitten a chunk out of the glass bowl, and sharp shards of glass were embedded around his stained chin, drawing blood, which mixed with the broth on his shirt. His mouth was slightly open, revealing bloody, sharp and glistening teeth, and a mouthful of golden ichor. Slowly, the ichor trickled past the corners of his lips, dribbling down his cheeks and neck to join the fluids staining his shirt.

Slowly, limply, his arms fell to his sides, thudding lifelessly to the cool, hard, marble floor.

Even that was not the most horrible part.

The most horrible part was how he was absolutely immobile, as if he was a warm, lifelike animated statue.

He was looking like a living zombie.

The ones around him were too in shock at his look to do anything. Aphrodite fainted in horror at the sight, collapsing in Hestia's arms, who scrambled away for her life from the insane Dark god, drawing the unconscious goddess with her.

Artemis' hand tightened around her silver dagger, thankful for its presence. Desperately searching for a weapon to defend herself with, Calypso slowly reached out towards the steak knife that lay on the table. Her hand was shaking as Percy broke eye contact with Athena to follow her subtle movement with his dilated pupils, still immobile.

Calypso almost let out a sigh of relief when her hand closed around the cool handle of the knife. Save for a low growl escaping his throat, Percy allowed her to hold it in her violently shaking hand as he returned his eyes to his primary prey.

The Hunters had drawn their daggers, while Piper had Katopris in her hand, open-mouthed at the sight. Reyna, who had been expecting an eruption for a while then, clamped down harshly on her Praetor face. She clenched her wrapped fists tightly, raising them to protect herself, and mentally cursing her lack of a suitable weapon.

It was as if they were watching a horror movie. Just... the horrors were in the same room as them.

Thalia slapped the bracelet she carried everywhere, backing into a corner as Aegis zoomed into existence. She raised her shield to protect the Little Big Three, Rachel and Drew, with the other fighters standing before her shield.