Clockwork

50

Percy couldn't voice his confusion because the old lady let out an incomprehensible hiss. "Clockwork... Why do you look so young...?" A ghost version of Jasmine asked.

"I'm sorry?" Percy asked her amidst his confusion.

The old lady let out another sound of disapproval, her hunched form glaring at Percy.

Ali, the only person that looked normal raised his hand slightly, inching away from the old lady as if she was rabid. "So I think I know what's going on," the son of Phoebe said, looking at the old lady strangely and almost stepping on tiny Diana.

"Don't be shy, share with the class," Diana squeaked, climbing on top of a child-Desmond's shoe to safety.

"So Eli was in everyone's head showing our worst demons. We're now the worst aspects of our lives, which could be why Jasmine, the daughter of death, is a ghost and Annabeth looks like... That." Ali said, pointing at the old woman, flinching back when she hissed. "Ali, why are you yourse--" "Shut up, don't ask questions," the head that had recently grown on Max's shoulder interrupted whatever the son of Asteria was going to say.

Percy surveyed the group again with Ali's words in mind. If everyone had their own demons relayed to them, there were bound to be parts of their story that Percy wouldn't be able to connect to their new forms but he could infer.

Kenneth was traumatized as a little kid, so he's a child. That may be the case for Desmond and Amanda, too.

The loss of Alex and essentially his other half explained the head that grew out of Max's shoulder.

Blair and Jasmine had their perspective powers and with the nature of their abilities probably came with some bad experiences, and the tiny Diana leaning on her brother probably had a story of her own. Following Max's conjoined twin's advice and not asking about Ali, Percy had one question.

Why's Annabeth an old woman? She was barely older than Percy and being old should be the least of her concerns. As if she could read his thoughts, she let out another hiss in Percy's direction. Apparently, she lost her ability to speak. Thank gods.

Frankly, the only thing Percy didn't question was the form he'd been reduced too. He even had an orange camp half-blood shirt and blue jeans. "How useful are we in these forms? Unless this is gonna wear off really soon, I don't think we'll be able to do the same things as before. I mean, isn't this one's main weapon an axe? He looks like an axe would weigh the same amount as him," Child Desmond said, pointing at Child Kenneth, who frowned and smacked his hand away in annoyance.  "I can still use an axe. I can probably use two," Kenneth said matter-of-factly, as if someone would let him near an axe.

"Percy is in his prime, he probably could fight all of the battles for us."

Percy didn't know who said it, and they probably meant it as a joke in this weird situation, but Eli's visions were still fresh in his mind. He'd died so many times. His children...

How many were there?

He hadn't known of Kai, were there others? Percy shivered, something he shouldn't be able to do. He could literally hear how loud his heart was, feel the uncomfortable warm blood pumping through his veins. He felt light, no longer burdened by his metal limbs. It felt horrible. Did it always feel like this?

"I think we should stay put until whatever this is wears off," someone said it, but Percy felt something off. His surroundings was empty. Cracked stone was shadowed by what Percy could only think was a permanently dark sky, but Percy felt like they were being watched. He instinctively reached into his pocket, and lo and behold he felt a familiar pen there. In the other, there was the dagger Ares gave him, in a sheathe that it wasn't in before. His eyes scanned the darkness, before he realized something.

"Why can I see?" He asked out loud, even though it was mostly to himself. "Because Max is basically a glowstick," Desmond responded almost immediately. "Calm down, that was a joke," the head on Max's shoulder said quickly when the twin started turning an angry red. "A glow stick?" "His star powers, that he apparently just has, makes him glow when it's completely dark. He's been a portable nightlight ever since he woke up," Jasmine said, her voice sounding hollow in her ghost form. "And how long has he been awake?" Percy asked, his hands automatically moving to uncap Riptide. He ignored Max's unsatisfied grunt at Jasmine calling him a 'nightlight'. "I'm not entirely sure but he was, what, the third person to wake up? So a while?" Ali said, sounding unsure.

Right. So something has known exactly where they are for a while now. Yet it hasn't attacked.

"Blair, are you still able to use your powers?" Percy asked the zombified woman, who had been silent this whole time with empty eyes. She didn't answer. She didn't move. She didn't really look all there.

"Guess not--"

"I can!"

"Kenneth, no one cares," came Desmond's reply. "Shut up, they do too care," Kenneth all but pouted at the same time there was a small, "I care," from Amanda. Somehow that led to more bickering between the children. Out of the group, it looked as if only Ali, Max, and Jasmine would be helpful. Everyone else seemed out of it. Except for maybe Diana.

"Diana, can you do anything to give us some light?" Percy asked the small girl, bending down to get closer to her. She had relinquished her place on Desmond's shoe when the child started to scuffle around with Kenneth, and she just stood far enough away to not get stepped on.

"Um no, I know my dad's the titan of light and everything but... no. I'm more useful as a heating pad at this size then anything else. Sorry..." her squeaky voice said, and Percy sighed. "Don't worry about it. Would you rather hang on to me instead of staying down there?"

"Uh, yes sir my life is in danger down here..." she said nervously, darting her eyes towards her rowdy brother, still arguing with Kenneth. Percy allowed her to jump from the ground, to his knee, to his shoulder before standing back up to his full height. Percy couldn't feel her there, and it kind of freaked him out to think that he wouldn't notice if she fell off.

Whatever that had been watching them was still just that— watching them. Percy had Riptide out at the ready and other than having his weapon out, he didn't indicate that he knew that they were being watched. "I don't think we should stay still," Percy said instead. "Are you sure?" Ali asked, but he was already pulling child Desmond by the ear to stand next to him, separating Kenneth and the son of Hyperion. "Yeah. Annabeth and Blair can walk, yes?" "I hope so. I can carry Blair, but Annabeth kind of scares me," Ali said, glancing over at the old woman and earning a hiss. Percy heard, "I wonder if she has rabies," and he had to hold back from rolling his eyes. Annabeth was mean in this form, but she was weak. Percy could see it, see that her bones were a second away from snapping in the wind. Lucky for her, there was no wind down here. She was powerless.

"If she can't, I'll handle it. Just get all the supplies..." Percy started but there was a loud bark in the darkness. It was unmistakably from a dog, but that's not what made Percy feel on edge.

What is--

An arrow, coming from above them, sliced through Jasmine and embedded itself into Blair's shoulder. The zombie snapped out of whatever daze she was in and bared her teeth, launching herself into the darkness.

Here, have an update.

(Happy 2023)