Thunder and Blood

24

Annabeth

Percy lowers riptide from the man - Peter's - throat. 

Something about him has changed, the look in his eyes if different, harder than before, his jaw is clenched tightly. he glances at the boy on the couch, and it is only now that I make the connection. 

It's Stiles Stilinski. I was right, Percy's quest did involve the missing boy. But in what way? I look at Peter, waiting for him to lower the knife. He's hesitant, but he does, stepping away. 

"Give me the knife." Percy says, holding his hand out. 

"Put the sword away first." Peter counters.

I didn't expect Percy to listen, but he caps riptide, putting the pen back into his pocket. He holds his hand out again, waiting. Still, Peter doesn't budge. Percy just looks annoyed at this point. He glances at the door, I swear I see a smirk cross his face, but it's gone as soon as it came. He looks at everyone in the room, then makes eye contact with me. "You want this one, or should I?" He asks, and at first I'm confused, then I feel the ground shake beneath my feet. 

"You can have him." I tell Percy, not exactly up for a fight at the moment. Percy walks towards the front door, heading outside, towards the monster coming in our direction. What confuses me, is that he hasn't yet taken riptide out of his pocket. 

The group and I watch from the window as the minotaur stomps out of the trees, a gorgon perched on it's shoulder. I should probably go help him, but Peter won't give me back my knife. I can only watch as Percy squares up with the seven-foot tall Minotaur. The gorgon screeches, leaping down from the monster's shoulder. 

It swoops down towards Percy, he raises his hand, flicking his wrist. The gorgon is thrown out of the air, landing hard on the driveway. It lays there for a moment, stunned. Seeing this, the Minotaur roars, beginning to charge at Percy. But that stupid seaweed brain doesn't move out of the way. Instead, he lifts his right hand vertically, and the beast rises in the air. 

I watch this unfold, my mouth open in shock. I've never seen him do this before. He's controlling their blood, using the plasma in their bodies as an anchor. He's bloodbending. When did he start doing this?

Percy brings his other hand up as well, putting it beside his right. Then he begins to seperate them. Even from in the house, I can hear the tearing of flesh and the snapping of bones. The Minotaur screams, unable to move under Percy's control.

He's tearing to in two.

I know without looking that the rest of the group is gaping too. Who wouldn't be? The Minotaur's cry dies down, and I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes until I open them to see the two halves of the monster lying on the grass, blood dripping into the soil. 

Percy turns back to the gorgon. It struggles to get up, wanting to fly away. After some difficulty, it takes off into the sky, but it only makes it so far. Percy is pulling it towards him, not giving it a chance to escape. He makes a gesture with his hand, and the gorgon's wings break, sending it plummeting towards the ground. 

I look at Percy. 

At his blood splattered face. 

And I see him grinning. 

My gutt twists into a knot. He's having fun. He's torturing them, and yet he's smiling. I bring my hand to my mouth, unable to breathe properly. 

I want to throw up.

This isn't my Percy.