Thunder and Blood

23

Percy

"Let her go." I say calmly. 

"Percy-" Scott begins, but I shoot him a look. He releases Annabeth instantly. Peter, on the other hand, does not. 

"Unless you want to die before seeing your daughter, I suggest you step away." I tell him, his eyes go wide, so do Lydia's. I smile, remembering how Lydia and Peter had been talking in the other room right before they had gone into Stiles' mind. Peter has a daughter that he never knew about, and when he finished this little favour, Lydia would tell him the girl's name. "Now release her and you'll leave here with your head. Or don't, it doesn't matter to me. I get what I want either way."

"How about we all lower the weapons and talk this out." Scott suggests. 

Both Peter and I scoff at the same time. 

Not a chance. 

"Let her go, and I let you go." I turn riptide, the wickedly sharp edge on the blade trims the tiny hairs on the bottom of his neck. 

"You first." 

I shake my head. "I could kill you all right now without even breaking a sweat, but lucky for you guys, I really don't want to hurt you. So let her go." I threaten. "Please."

They aren't going to let her go, Percy, you know it.

Yes, they will.

Let me take control and I can help you, Percy.

Really? I find his offer amusing, I almost laugh out loud. Yeah, no. Not a chance. 

Then I will do this the hard way.

Before I can think to respond, I feel the back of my neck begin to sting. I touch the bug bite with my hand, it's no longer a little puncture, its swollen up. Blood is now dripping down my back, staining my Camp Half-Blood shirt. I'm able to hide the pain, staring directly at Peter as if telling him, "keep the knife raise and see what happens." He looks from me to Annabeth, then to Scott. 

If he was looking at me in that moment, he would have seen my eyes widen in both fear and shock. I feel something moving beneath the skin on my neck, not just one thing, but two. And then a third. An a fourth. I can feel them in my body, moving, wriggling. With my heart racing, I take my hand from my neck, hoping the bugs beneath my skin were only a figure of my imagination. 

But then a sharp wave of pain cuts through my body, as if the bugs were burrowing into my bones. But before I can cry out in pain, everything goes dark.

I open my eyes to find myself standing in the same room, but no one is stand around me. I am alone. That is until I turn around to see Stiles standing before me. 

No, not Stiles. 

Void.

All he does is grin at me. It sends shivers running down my spine. 

"What do you want from me?" I ask, staying calm. I no longer feel the bugs under my skin.

"Your power, Percy. I want your power." 

I feel sick to my stomach. "Why?"

He chuckles softly. "To wreak chaos."