A Dishonored Demigod

Empathy the Worldly

Bold- Power/Voice change
Italics- Thoughts

I'm standing in a side alley in Brooklyn and type a number into my cell phone. The number rings for a second before it's picked up and I'm getting screamed at,"Perseus Jackson! Why didn't you call us two days ago?! Where are you?!"
I cringe and hold the phone away before hesitantly placing it to my ear,"June? Sorry I haven't talked to you all sooner but I kinda just woke up from a long nap."
Instantly the anger changes to concern,"What happened to do that to you? The only time you were near that point was when you unlocked The Darkness."
I wince as my joints pop when I walk into the shadows of the alley,"I'm in Brooklyn right now. The Egyptians called me in to help them win a war with Apophis. I had to use bakudo 99 to hold him down until the spell to destroy him was cast. Add to that I used The Darkness in tandem with Thráfsma and Moíra Kófti to give me the power I need, yeah I was pretty tired."
I emerge from the shadows of the pine trees surrounding my home and open the door while ending the call,"Anybody home?"
June slams into me and I stumble back as she hugs me tightly,"I was so worried! You've never been out for more than a day without letting us know, and when you didn't check in we all got worried!"
I walk in with her still attached to me and set her on the couch before sitting down next to her,"Well I'm sorry about that, but I really couldn't know I would knock myself out. On the bright side, I got a huge energy burst from the payout and unlocked one of the final stages of The Darkness. Can you fill me in on what happened while I was gone?"
June sighs and rubs her head before I add,"And tell me what happened on your date with Alex."
She pales and breathes out,"Okaayy then. While you were gone we got some demigods that crossed the border and are snooping around for us."
I growl softly,"Can't they take a hint? I already warned them what would happen."
June looks at me morosely,"You're really going to kill them?"
I don't like it anymore than she does,"I have to. I can't just make a threat and not carry it out. You lose too much respect that way."
She closes her mouth and stays quiet for a time before softly saying,"At least leave one alive."
I slam my fist down on the arm of the couch and nearly break it off,"Damnit June! You know I can't do that in these cases!"
She glares at me,"What cases? This isn't a contract job like you have with those...employers of yours! I want you to resist your instinct in this case and leave one of the demigods alive!"
Thráfsma is raging inside of me,"Boo-hoo little girl! How dare she try to order us around on who we kill! Listen to me Perseus, go with your instinct on this and everything will turn out fine."
I can feel him trying to force my transformation and our wills clash. I can feel the tattoos creeping across my skin and my teeth draw blood while my claws extend outwards,"Percy?"
I look over at June and smile painfully,"Everything's alright princess. Thráfsma is just being a little difficult."
"Difficult? Difficult?! I'm looking out for our number one here! You can't listen to her Perseus! I'm you, the only one you can trust to look after your best interests! Stop making this more painful for you! Perseus!"
He takes control and my body lunges for June,"Percy!"
She rolls out of the way and I slide over the wood floor,"Get out of here June! Thráfsma is going on a rampage!"
She bolts out the window, breaking through it in the act, as Thráfsma forces my body to conjure a ball of fire and throws it after June. He tries again after it hits the tree next to her but my left hand clamps down on my right wrist,"That's enough out of you!"
"Shut up! Nobody orders us to not kill! We. Are. Monsters. Killing is in our blood! Go on Perseus, kill the girl."
I resist,"What the hell is wrong with you?! You were never this aggressive!"
I hear him laughing before he answers,"You're getting too attached to those...lower beings! I won't let you get close enough to a person for you to be hurt! Kill that brat and everyone you have connections to!"
I feel another entity moving about in my mind and a new voice rings out,"Ignore him!"
Thráfsma is surprised and yells,"Who the hell are you?!"
The being answers in a quick manner,"My name doesn't matter now. Now, be silent!"
Thráfsma is screaming in my head,"Get away! Didn't you hear me?! Wait a second here! Aaaaaaauugghhh!"
"I said be silent!" and the voice speaks to me,"Now that the pest is gone you can calm yourself. Go, confront those demigods. We will talk after you've done your task."
I sigh as I feel the presence leave my mind and my monster transformation fades away. I get up and pop my wings out silently and fly to where I can feel the demigods. I land in front of them,"Listen here. I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I've just had a fight that's made me pissed as hell. So either leave now or I'll butcher you lot."
They don't listen and charge me with weapons drawn before two demigods are driven to the ground with Excalibur and Dyrwyn spearing their hearts and the third has his left hand cut off. He screams and I slam his head into one of the pines to shut him up,"Two dead, one alive. That's fair warning."
I point my right hand at the group of demigods,"Metaforá."
The three glow before vanishing and I sit down with my back to a tree as the new voice speaks,"You resisted."
I growl,"Of course! I know the two I killed betrayed me, that other kid was too young to die yet."
The voice chuckles,"Fair enough. Now I bet you're wondering who I am eh?"
I close my eyes and enter my mind to see the usual two paths I have that lead to Thráfsma and The Darkness are joined by a new path,"This way hatchling. You needn't worry about interruptions."
I follow down the path and enter into a pathway made of blue crystal and coral before entering into a cavern made of coral and crystal formations with a giant pool in the center. I walk to the edge and freeze the water
under my feet so I can walk out to the center and look around,"Where are you?"
"Under your feet."
I look down and nearly jump when I see the giant blue sea dragon staring up at me,"Holy-!"
It grins at me with a mouth full of serrated teeth,"Nice to finally meet face to face. You can call me Empathy."
I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion,"Empathy?"
Empath loses its grin,"I am what remains of your former self, mixed with your new self. I am the echo of your power that was drawn out by Ladon via your dragon arm. In a way I'm both Percy's and Perseus' emotions."
I can't keep the doubt from creeping into my voice,"Ladon did this? I had no idea he was capable of this."
Empathy sighs and breaks the surface to meet my height,"He's one of the oldest monsters in existence, a member of Echidna's first brood with Typhon. He didn't intentionally do this, in fact all he wanted to do was give you the dragon arm. However he's old enough to have forgotten what implanting a fragment of a dragon's soul does to an existence. Dragons are emotional creatures and because of this I was created. I latched onto your emotions and grew over the year while monitoring the monster soul fused with yours."
I'm speechless and sort through everything he said before remembering something Thráfsma told me,"We're the same except we have three names. One for my power, another for my power mixed with Lord Outsider's power, and a final release where all three of your special powers can be used."
I smile slightly and ask my question,"You know the final name, don't you?"
Empathy smiles,"Indeed I do. However you are not yet ready to hear it. I'll let you know when you are ready. I can offer you something else though as your body can now handle my power combined with your monster form. It'll be different, and you won't be able to use The Outsider's power until a few minutes after you leave your hybrid form, but I can guarantee you'll be just as strong as when you use The Outsider's power."
I nod and Empathy's yellow eyes seem to glow,"My name is Empathy the Worldly. My command to be released in conjuncture with Thráfsma is as follows; Awaken beast of humanity, Kyōkan sezoku!"
I quirk an eyebrow,"Japanese? Not Greek?"
Empathy snorts,"I prefer the elegance and it's less wordy than if my name was in Greek. Now get out of here and go find June."
He dives back into his pool and I exit my mind in a smooth transition so that I'm aware of my surroundings. I get up and roll my shoulders to rid them of the stiffness from leaning against a tree, popping my wings out in the process. I jump a few feet into the air and start flapping until I'm flying over the green trees and fields until landing a few feet away from my house so I can just walk over. I open the door tentatively,"You here June?"
I duck under Earth Shaker and Destroyer's point screams towards my chest,"Whoa!"
By quickly rolling aside I'm missed by mere centimeters,"Hold on there! I'm in control! I'm in control!"
June stops both swords from chopping my head off and as I sweat a little,"Thráfsma is locked up for now. Don't have to worry about another outburst."
June sheathes her swords and sighs in relief,"Good. He's been getting more and more demanding the more you use him lately."
I nod,"Yeah. One of the others forced him to back down though. I didn't hurt you did I?"
June shakes her head,"I only got lightly toasted from that fireball, but nothing bad."
I sigh in relief,"Good. So, now that I'm back to normal, tell me about your date."
June locks up and starts to give me a overview of her date with Alex while I listen with rapt attention, looking for anything I can use as an excuse to hunt Alex down for.
****
Olympus
The Olympians are conversing over trivial matters when a fire flickers to life in the center of the room and blazes silently. Conversation dies down as the fire fades to show the bodies of three demigods. Athena and Ares jump off their thrones and rush to the demigods with Apollo right behind them. He immediately goes to work on the one missing his left hand,"Come on kid, you gotta stay awake and not go into shock!"
He weaves his magic and manages to staunch the blood flowing from the arm stump and the boy stays awake,"What did this to you?"
The boy is silent as his brain processes before he speaks softly,"It looked human, but he was tall. He had black hair and red eyes. Wings, Raven wings. Mark on his right hand."
He goes limp and Apollo checks his neck for a pulse and breathes out,"He's just unconscious."
Athena takes the child and holds him as his brother is dead in front of her while Ares is hunched over his son's body. He's shaking in barely controlled rage as red energy flickers from behind his sunglasses,"That ba*****! I'll kill him!"
A chill falls over the room as a disembodied voice speaks,"Honestly? That's the best you've got?"
Ares turns to face the transparent silhouette behind him,"Who are you punk?!"
The silhouette laughs lightly,"Me? I'm Thráfsma, the monster in Percy's soul."
The entire room erupts into shouts and death threats before Thráfsma's eyes sharpen and an aurora of terror overtakes the gods,"Silence."
Sound is cut off and Thráfsma grins,"Nice. I'm just here to drop by and see the fruits of my labor. Shame Perseus didn't let me eat them. Oh well, there's always the next batch."
It vanishes in a burst of darkness with a laugh that chills the Olympians to the bone. The survivor wakes up just in time to see Thráfsma and in a horrified whisper says the one word on everyone's lips,"Monster."
****
Metaforá- Transport