The Silence -Percy Jackson Fanfiction-

Chapter Seven-Headquarters

When Percy awoke, his head was on someones lap and his hair was being stroked gently. A sleepy little smile graced his features at the nice feeling he couldn't remember feeling in years, when he was a little boy. It was nice, and reminded him of a happier time. He almost thought he was back with his mother, and it was her, but the her fingers were tiny and elegant. These were bigger, and not as soft on his scalp, but just as gentle. 

He almost didn't want to see who is was. He wanted to go back to sleep, enjoy the feeling of being petted and treated like a kid for the first time in years. It was a wonderful feeling. His body ached and he wanted to rest.

"I know you're awake." A male voice from above him said, and Percy let out a little huff of air at having his ideas smashed.

"No." He whined softly. He heard a chuckle, and expected the petting to stop, but it didn't, and Percy smiled again sleepily. 

His eyes fluttered open to see Luke smiling down at him gently. Once again he thought the petting would stop, but it didn't, much to his delight. He looked around wearily, only to find Ash and his father talking quietly twenty or so feet away from them. The creature was about ten feet away, staring at him intently. Percy looked away from it, instead looking up at the blond boy above him.

"I'm glad your awake. Gave us a scare. Seems they have some sort of venom. Slow traveling, but as she clawed at your heart it worked faster than the ones on your back did, as I was told," Luke said quietly, one hand skimming the marks above Percy's heart. 

"How long was I unconscious?" Percy asked, eyes fluttering. 

"Stay awake, Percy." Luke commanded, trailing a finger over Percy's lip, and Percy's eyes fluttered open again. "A cycle. We've been trying to figure out the best way to get the thing to lead us to Gaea's...headquarters, I suppose we'll call it. Poseidon healed your wounds. We've been waiting for you to wake up. Figured you'd be more pissed than a eel that got its tail pulled if we didn't." He said chuckling and Percy frowned. 

"We need to go, then," Percy said, frowning. He started to get up, but Luke pushed him down again, petting his hair again to keep him distracted. 

"Whoa, there. Hold on. Wait a bit. We're not in a rush." Luke said, voice soothing. "Your Majesty, he's awake," He called out, and Poseidon's head snapped to Luke, before swimming over. 

"Are you alright, my son?" Poseidon asked, worry shinning through his voice thinly. Percy smiled weakly. 

"Fine." He felt slightly awkward, talking to his father with Luke petting him and all, but decided to ignore it as his father seemed to be doing, though his smile seemed a bit forced when he turned to look at Luke. 

"Don't let him up. We're waiting until tomorrow to start. Perseus, I expect you to rest." His father said sternly, and Percy weakly nodded. Poseidon smiled slightly, before swimming back over to a silent Ash. 

"Why does my father want to smite you?" Percy asked, his eyes fluttering again at the soothing motions. 

"He doesn't like what I chose for him to repay the debt he owes me for saving you," He said simply, continuing his ministrations. 

"Which was?"

"To allow me to court you."  

Percy made a choking noise, and started to sit up before Luke pushed him back down, again. "No moving," Luke scolded. Percy looked up at him with startled eyes, eyes which narrowed upon seeing the small smirk of satisfaction on Luke's face. 

"You know that isn't going to go anywhere." Percy said wearily. 

"Yes." 

"Then wh-"

"Mainly to see if I can do it. But I know I'll most likely die. If I don't, I'm not opposed to continuing the relationship." He said simply, and Percy snorted. 

Percy went back to sleep shortly thereafter. 

The next day they prepared, sharpening weapons and going over the plan with Percy quickly. 

They'd blindfold her, before releasing her. Hopefully she'd swim towards the headquarters. This would prevent her from attacking them. It was flimsy, but they couldn't come up with much else to let her lead them to Gaea's hideout, without putting themselves to risk as well. 

They hadn't really expected it to work. They cut the restraints and put a good distance between themselves and the sentient corpse. She stumbled around for a moment, blind, before she stilled. They held their breath as she moved her head around, before zipping off somewhere to their right. They quickly swam after her, not needing to slow to keep distance between them, as she was fast enough to do that herself. 

She ran into rocks and tangles of seaweed, crowds of fish and coral, but seemed immune to it as her flesh easily ripped off. Ash almost threw up, watching the bits of flesh fall off and float to the ground. He gagged, several times. 

Though Percy and Poseidon's hearts seemed to leap into their throats as they followed the creature. The path they where taking was a very familiar one, as they had to stop from killing everything in a rage as their Palace came into view, crawling with The Silence. 

They hid behind a boulder as she swam forward. 

"That wench!" Percy said furiously, barely stopping himself from smacking his now healed tail on the boulder they were hiding behind. "How dare she use our home as a safe haven?" He wanted to scream and kill everything, Poseidon in much the same mind set. 

Poseidon was far older, however, and was able to calm himself and his son, laying a hand on Percy's shoulder. 

"Perseus. Now is not the time." He said quietly, and Percy breathed heavily through his nostrils, not even bothering to fight when Luke eeled (You know...undersea version of snaked) an arm around his shoulders. 

Percy grumbled some things that would get his mouth washed out with soap by his mother. That thought struck a cord, however, and he was shocked at himself for not realizing it sooner. 

"Where is mother?" He asked lowly, and Poseidon took a deep breath. 

"I fear she is trapped inside the Palace. Now is not the time, however. We shall attack soon. Gaea is most likely already cautious from finding one of her pets blindfolded. Hopefully, she just assumes the creature escaped, and nothing followed it."

"I'm surprised we didn't think of it, actually." Ash pipped up. "It seems obvious that she'd use the Palace. Isn't she obsessed with the place?" 

"Yes. I had suspicions, but now is not the time for that either. Perseus, are you ready?" 

"Yes, father." He answered shortly. 

Moments later, they were winding their way to the Palace. Poseidon, of course, knew all of the secret entrances, as Percy did. They hoped this would be their advantage. 

Turns out, luck was with them, and they where able to sneak in. 

They passed many creatures on their way, and killed them all if they could. They moved silently, hardly daring to breath. They assumed Gaea would be in the throne, and if she wasn't, most likely she was in the rooms. They hoped they wouldn't have to search there however. 

It took them longer than they would have liked to reach the front room, where the throne was, and the sight they where greeted wasn't pretty, but it was welcomed.

Gaea indeed sat on the throne, crown perched on her head. Percy vaguely recognized it as his mothers, and rage boiled inside him once more. He snarled under his breath, only for Luke to quickly put a hand over his mouth. Percy glared at the blond haired, blue eyed boy, who only smiled cheekily. 

Her face was red in her rage, and in front of her was the mermaid with white hair and green tail that they had trapped. A Hatchetfish was chewing on the blindfold, and it wasn't long before the thing fell off. Many creatures surrounded her, from Fringheads to Snaggletooths. A giant octopus was even curling itself around the throne. (Full name: Sarcastic Fringhead. I know. I snorted too.) 

Now seemed as good a time as any. Despite their better instincts, they attacked. 

It was a blur to them. It happened to fast. Poseidon went for The Silence, Luke and Ash for the fish surrounding Gaea, while Percy shot upwards, before coming down to attack Gaea herself. 

She shrieked in surprise. Their element of surprise had been useful, but it was gone now. She quickly recovered, and hardly moved out of the way to keep herself from being decapitated by Percy. 

Her arm was sliced heavily, however. She grabbed something that seemed to have been strapped to her tail, and Percy recognized the sea glass knife she herself had sliced him open with. 

"I thought you'd been killed when the cave collapsed on itself!" She shrieked, slashing at him. The hard golden stone of Riptide clanged loudly against the sea glass of her knife, and the hit had enough force behind it that the knife shattered, pieces going flying, scratching himself and Gaea, and even a few of the nearby creatures. 

"Oh, you certainly tried to do that," Percy snarled, shaking glass out of his hair before quickly slashing, managing to nick her tail. She cried out, and Percy let a feral smile adorn his face.  

He went for her neck, rage getting the better of him. It was strong, steady, and she was distracted by her tail, which was bleeding heavily. 

But his swing misfired when something that felt like a Snaggletooth bit his side. His sword lowered, and ended up slashing her stomach. Not as lethal as he would have liked, but it would do, he thought as he swung around to swing at the creature that had bit him, which indeed had been a Snaggletooth. 

Gaea swam away quickly, and he lost her to the crowd. A hand gripped his arm, and he almost shouted in protest as Ash dragged him away. But he was loosing blood quickly, and they were to small a group to continue fighting. 

They retreated, thankfully all still alive, but worse for ware. They managed to make it to a smaller cave than the last, tucked underneath some boulders, some miles away from the Palace. Percy's visioned blacked as they arrived. 

~~~

Ah. Poor Percy. And Luke. A truly fruitless hunt, that boy is going on...or is he? Hm. I already have the whole story written, I'm just giving out chapters a day or so at a time...Do you like Luke? I tried to make him somewhat useful in this story. At least, so far...cackle cackle.