Legends Never Die

Battle For The Bloody Baron

Percy paced the length of the hospital tent. He knew if he entered the tent itself, he'd probably release whatever Sin was attached to Annabeth now that they were back. He was unsure which it would be, since Pride, which was her actual hubris, had been attached to Zoë.

Sighing, he resigned himself to finding out once he entered the tent, and stepped inside. It wasn't immediate. And, for a while, Percy thought that Annabeth was not one of his catalyst's and that Wrath had been wrong. Just as he turned to leave, he caught the unmistakable scent of fresh Drachma's, dollar bills, gold, silver, and many other forms of money. Greed, the Baron of Blood Money. 

"What am I being called forth for by a mere mortal?"

Artemis pushed inside the tent, eyes wide as she heard what was said. "Mortal? He's definitely immortal."

"Artemis, we'll discuss this later. Greed, I'm going to absorb you. I'm not asking, I'm telling you. We're going to a place better suited for a battle," he snarled, lunging forward and disappearing with him.

Reappearing in the magical infused air of the Demon Realm, Greed's eye's widened. "WRATH! I knew you smelled funny. And it seems like you have Pride and Envy in you too. I believe you have me confused with those two. I'm a lot harder to take in." And he was gone. Percy's eyes widened.

'It seems the others have been...informed of my return. I doubt you'll be able to absorb any more before you face off against this...moon guy. Your best bet is just focus on what you have now,' Wrath spoke in my head. A frustrated growl emminated from me and I released a stream of superheated air which quickly caught fire. 'CALM YOURSELF PERSEUS, BEFORE YOU LOSE CONTROL,' Wrath thundered in my head.

Percy, took a couple of deep breathes and let them out slowly, regaining a semblance of control. "I just let him get away."

'You had no control over that. Even if you had set up a containment barrier, I'm sure he would have broken it. He is the one of us that was always strongest at magic. You really didn't stand a chance with him if it came down to that.'

Percy sighed and flashed back to Artemis. She looked at him, surprised at how quick he was in his return. The look  on his face said that his attack was unsuccessful though. "Are you okay Percy?" she asked.

"He got away. And Wrath believes that the rest know I'm looking for them. He told me it'd be sheer luck if I was able to take down any more of them. I should just focus on drawing out the power in the ones I already have."

Artemis nodded. "I know that must be difficult for you to take it. You want every advantage you can get in the fight, don't you?" Percy nodded. "Okay, then instead of talking about that, how about we talk about what he said? He called you a mortal."

"I am. The moment I took over Wrath's true power, I became a mortal again. I can't hold onto Wrath's power, or any of the Seven Sins, as an Immortal. I'd be unstoppable. It's why Wrath was sealed inside mortals. If an Immortal were to obtain Wrath, it'd be incomprehensible the amount of damage they could do. They couldn't die, giving them unlimited time to master his powers and never have to worry about dying. Wrath is all about seeking out a fitting end through battle. A warrior's death."

Artemis' eyes watered a little bit. "But that means you'll die one day and leave me..." Her voice was small and it nearly broke Percy's heart.

"We don't know how that works right now. I might still be like your Hunters," he said, knowing he was lying through his teeth to her. He already knew his destiny all too well.

Artemis took a shaky breath and nodded her head. She needed time to wrap her head around all this, and what she wanted to do. She didn't know how much time she had left with her husband. There was no way she was going to let the chance slip through her fingers. She just needed time to psyche herself up for it.

Percy grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I never would have agreed to the marriage if I had thought things would get this bad."

A slap rang out across the campsite. Percy stared at Artemis stunned. She was furious. "You think that's what I think? We have a beautiful daughter not fifty feet from us! I fell in love with a good man. The only decent man I've met in my immortal life. You've shown me that love is worth it. Don't you dare say something like that again."

Percy's eyes widened. A grin slowly spread across his face and before she could react, he drew her in for a heated kiss. "Thanks. I needed that," he whispered against her lips.