A Pirate's Life For Me

Super Secret Saboteur Symposium

"You're either very very smart, or incredibly stupid...."

Percy didn't look up from the knife he was sharpening. "I've been called both of those things. Which are you leaning towards?"

The hooded figure stepped into the light. Percy wasn't surprised to see that his face was covered.

"Depends on why you asked me to be here. Are you going to beg? To bargain for the life of that scum you call a crew?"

"Absolutely not."

"Well, then I think you're an idiot."

Percy grunted and held the knife up, inspecting the edge. "You never know. Maybe I'll find a way to appeal to whatever shriveled bit of humanity may still reside inside your twisted mind."

"Unlikely." The man sneered, crossing his arms. "And you would know that. So why are you here?"

Percy flipped the knife around in his hand so the blade was parallel to his arm, then back into the traditional knife-fighting position, before slipping it back into the sheath on his hip. "I'm going to kill you."

For a moment, silence reigned between them.

Then the man began to laugh loudly, throwing his head back. His hood slipped and Percy scanned his face.

He was fairly attractive, by most standards. A strong jawline, with no scruff to blur it. His eyes were closed, but Percy would have to guess they were a grey-green. His hair was dark and shaggy, hanging in front of his eyes.

He was young though, and rather short.

"I always imagined you'd be taller."

That stopped the man's laughter.

"Do you know who you're toying with, son of Poseidon?"

"Alabaster Torrington, seventeen years old. Son of Hecate, an orphan because of the Grace family. You're the one who attacked our ships, killed Thalia's crew, and sent a bunch of mindless bodies after mine. You're extremely vindictive, aggressive, and sadistic. And you're a master of Hecate's Mist."

Torrington narrowed his eyes, glaring at Percy. "If you know all of that, why are you here?"

"I told you. I'm going to kill you." Percy leaned against the wall.

He'd picked this spot strategically when he'd set up the meeting. It was a dead-ended alleyway, with one opening. Unless Torrington's sympathizers had a way to get to the ground from the two story buildings without hurting themselves, he could see anyone trying to get the upper hand in a fight.

Of course it had occurred to him that Torrington could form Mist stairs for his comrades that would give them a way into the space, but Percy would be able to see that and he'd cross that bridge if he came to it.

"You think you can kill me? That's laughable, son of Poseidon."

"A lot of things are laughable." Percy shrugged. "I'm not one to judge, I spent most of my life on the ship of a murderous pirate, taking the beatings meant for others without making a single sound."

"That's what interests me." Torrington shook his head, shoving his bangs back for a moment. Percy noted a dusting of freckles on his forehead.

"How so?"

"You've taken so much abuse. Years of it. And all from Thalia's family and crew. They've beaten you, tortured you within an inch of your life. Called you names, ripped you apart, nearly killed you. After all of that, after everything they did to you... you hold no grudge?"

"Not my style." Percy shrugged. "I allowed them to do all of those things, it was my choice. I could have let the other prisoners that were with us over the years take those beatings. I could have done what I was told and not put in any more effort beyond that. But what I did kept me alive when I needed to be.

"What I did on Thalia's ship secured my position as someone they could say anything around, could do anything to, and they didn't feel the need to worry about me telling anyone. They didn't think I could.

"They aren't to blame for what I put myself through. They only gave me the means to get what I wanted, without realizing it. So I don't hold a grudge. I wouldn't want to hold one anyway, that sounds exhausting."

"Well I do hold a grudge," Torrington's lip curled, "and I do not plan on being forgiving when I exact my revenge."

"Ah, but you forget. I'm here to kill you." Percy pushed himself off of the wall calmly.

Torrington laughed again. "I'd like to see you try."

Percy unsheathed the knife again. He'd left his sword on the ship.

As he lunged forward, Torrington threw a small ball of green smoke at his face. It hit him square in the forehead and he recoiled, scrunching his face up.

"Still intent on murdering me, son of Poseidon?" Torrington stepped up to him. "I hardly think you could withstand the overwhelming pressure that my mother's mist puts on one to obey. Stay still."

He lifted his hand and swung, intending to slap Percy sharply across the face.

A hand grabbed his wrist sharply and stopped the movement completely.

"Think again." Percy said coldly.