Forged Destinies

Let's Have A Drink

Ch. 2

The first sensation Zoë felt was the rough, jagged ground that was prodding into her back. Even with just the weight of her small body, the ground was digging into her skin painfully. She could also faintly hear the sounds of a struggle near her but her brain wasn't putting things together quite yet. She assumed this was some kind of weird dream, an all too familiar experience for her and most offspring of immortals.

"I FREAKING HATE SPIDERS!" A voice boomed from around her, finally shaking the daze from her mind. Her eyes shot open and she found Percy standing in front of a giant spider, Arachne. She tried to gnash at him with her fangs but was met with a foot to the forehead... Do spiders have foreheads?

She pushed that irrelevant question from her mind as Percy jumped back to avoid a web shot at him before diving forward, going into a baseball slide and stopping right under her unprotected underbelly.

He pulled the pen from his pocket and drove it straight into her stomach, eliciting an agonized wail from the giant arachnid.

"Time to die Charlotte!" He yelled as Anaklusmos suddenly sprang out of its pen form and into full badass celestial bronze monster killer mode while still imbedded in her underside. He slid out the other end, pulling the sword with him and cutting a three foot long gash in her stomach.

Arachne let out another wail of agony before her body dissolved into dust.

Percy wiped the monster blood and entrails from his blade and kicked her remains into river for good measure.

"Stay dead bitch."

Zoë had watched the fight in silence, too stunned to do or say anything. Part of her heart seemed to break at what she was seeing.

Percy was in Tartarus... Because of her.

Another part of her wanted to cry out in happiness.

Percy was in Tartarus... For her.

Apparently her face was having trouble making up its mind by the confused expression Percy had. He looked torn between running to comfort her and running for cover. He settled for option C.

"I really hate spiders."

His random and very Percy like comment seemed to break her out of her stupor. She got to her feet and ran at him. He flinched involuntarily thinking she might smack him but she grabbed his face in her hands and crashed her lips onto his. He recovered and smiled into the kiss, clearly pleased with this outcome of her internal debate.

"You're so stupid." She whispered as she broke away for a quick breath.

Percy put his hands on her hips and pulled her back. His face had a smile on it but it was strained.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun, could I?"

Zoë glared at him. She tried to be angry but just couldn't. Honestly, how do you get mad at someone who just jumped into Tartarus for you?

"What have you done Percy?" She pressed her head into his chest. She rarely felt so vulnerable and never showed it, even with Percy, but as she continued to breathe in the noxious air of Tartarus, she felt the indescribable urge to just give up; forgo the impossible task ahead of them and accept death.

Percy pushed her back off him. His multicolored eyes shone as he looked at her. She expected him to comfort her but instead he looked angry.