Abandoned- a pertemis story Ψ ☑️

Ink. Chapter 17

And there we have it. A chapter in which another OC makes a guest appearance. I liked the chapter, did you like the chapter silent audience? Oh you did! Awesome! Well guess what! If any of you guys want your OC featured in this fanfic I would be happy to include them! All you have to do is PM me or comment a character profile. Okay? Cool! You like what you see @Dj_the_demigod ? Because I do!
-Internet Head

ΦArtemisΦ
Falling into a rather large basement was fun. I say that ironically because in no way, and in any circumstance, is it fun.
I hit the ground hard and immediately popped up, waiting for my friends. There was nothing in the gloom, not even an outline.
I could feel the absence of friendliness. I grabbed my spear and slowly advanced forward, ready to stab anything that would jump me.
I jumped at a random sound and looked towards it, pointing my spear. There, groaning on the floor, was Carmen. He looked fairly battered but his clothes were mostly fine.
I walked over and helped him up.
"This place is... woah." He muttered more to himself than me.
"Do you know where anybody else is?" I hissed to him.
"I saw Percy but only for a few seconds..." he replied, his swords in his hands.
I growled and continued forwards.
We kept walking, occasionally bumping into each other, and we managed not to lose each other.
We came to a set of stairs leading to an alter. It was the shape of a flat topped pyramid which was odd.
"Should we?" Carmen asked, looking a little queasy.
"We have nowhere else to go." I said, taking in a breath and starting up the stairs.
We took the stairs as fast as possible, reaching the top in what I would count as record time.
"What the...?" I trialed off, looking at the things in front of me.
There was a stone statue, ornately carved, with a large open head ole in its base.
Carmen walked over to it carefully, he ran his fingers around the hole and the statue. It shimmered slightly and then there were lined and symbols, looking suspiciously like Rouge Code.
Carmen gasped a little bit a "I get it now..." he removed his fingers.
"Get what?" I said, still whispering. I didn't get an answer. Instead Carmen put his swords in the hands of the statue and it groaned a bit, it's lines flaring up.
In the sudden light I could see that the statue had no facial features and was crumbling behind the head. It's body seemed to be made into a toga that became part of its body, barely distinguishable from any other part.
The arms moved and disappeared behind its back.
Carmen waited for a moment and then sighed "it's not enough..." he muttered.
"What? Carmen, explain!" I said to him, starting forward but it was too late to stop him.
Carmen plunged his right arm into the hole and it closed up around it.
Carmen tugged a bit "it's stuck." He observed, giving me a puzzled look.
I gave him a what do you want me to do about it look but moved closer, gripping his shoulder.
The statue flared to life once more, raising its arms and showing off Carmen's swords.
It swung its swords into its base, where slots to receive them hid, and a sickening sound was heard.
I flinched as a sound like shattering and burning fire came from within. Carmen shouted as the statue vibrated and its arms withdrew, showing off the jagged handles of both swords.
The base released his arm and he fell back.
"What happened? What was that? Are you okay!?" I asked, hovering over him.
Carmen gritted his teeth and breathed raggedly. His sleeve was burning as he showed me his arm. Or what was left of it.

ΨPercyΨ
I woke up on my bunk. I immediately felt out of place, weirdly unwelcome and painful.
Camp Half-Blood was not my home any longer. Not since the Son of Aphrodite drove me away, taking over the minds of the new campers. Making me seem as though I were nothing but a faker.
I didn't like to think about it. I'd lost Annabeth which I could never forget but somehow I'd let my old home slip my mind.
I realized that even if I did return Artemis to Godhood... I would have no place to go. I could stay with my mom but... it would never be the same.
I looked around my bunk, wiping my eyes.
"What...? Oh." I figured out what was happening. The cabin wasn't vibrant with color or life. It felt like a black and white movie in which I was the only color and here it felt like even I was being drained.
I got out of my bunk, spotting Riptide and grabbing it, and opened the door. I blinked in the sudden light, bringing up my arm to shade my eyes.
The light faded and instead of Camp Half-Blood I had walked into the streets of Camp Jupiter. I felt really confused but I decided to go with it.
I turned the corner and suddenly I was no longer in california, I was in my moms living room.
It had no life and no movement in it though. I realized that there was literally nobody but me. There was nothing living other than the plants and I.
I stepped forward into the hall and turned another corner but suddenly I was in Tartarus.
I felt a spike of panic but then realized it couldn't be real. It wasn't physically painful to be here, I felt no pain. Everything looked washed out and bleak. This was only a pale imitation.
I turned around and found myself inside of a cozy looking room. I say cozy but I meant 'attractive'. It looked like a place you'd want to stay in, to lie down and chat with a best friend for hours and hours, laughing the entire time.
It didn't feel that way though. It should have been a vibrant room, filled with color and light, but it was still that black and white shadow. The candles lighting the room only made this grey which may have been the 'light' that I was looking for.
Anger boiled up inside me "oh come on! Get on with it!" I yelled angrily, drawing Riptide.
"I can see that your angry... was it the wait?" A voice said to me, suave and cool.
I turned and saw a man. He was also black and white but he had a weird kind of definition to him. His skin was light grey but I could see it was a bit darker than some of the other shades. His curly hair was straight black like his eyes that flickered in the grey candle light. He wore a dress shirt and a vest and a tie as well as dress shoes as though he were going to a party.
He had a glimmer in his eye, as though he had something planned.
"What do you think?" I growled, not caring which god or deity this was.
"I think you need to take it down a notch." He replied, setting himself down on the couch.
I bit back a scathing retort and took a deep breath.
"And if I don't?" I said, staring him in the eye.
"Ahhh mister Percy Jackson. I don't think you want the answer to that question. It would be a waste." He replied, a smirk on his face.
"Who are you." I said after a long moment.
The man smiled and bounced his hand "I'm not sure you want the answer to that question either."
I shook my head "that's stupid." I said.
The guy sighed and made a face "that's exactly what they all said when I described dead Helen." He sighed longer.
I frowned "Helen of Troy? I'm guessing you were a suitor?" I asked.
The guy frowned deeper "well aren't you a smart one..." his voice was as a dry as the Sahara.
"I know somebody smarter." It was the default response. I said it before I could think. Annabeth.
"Oh you do? Not as smart as me, I guarantee that..." he said smugly.
"She was a thousand times smarter." It was the only defense I could give her. The only one I could offer.
"I doubt it. No man could arrange chariots or shield bearing warriors like I. I am the man who brought fifty black ships to Troy." He sneered at me.
I smirked a little, knowing I was right "it doesn't matter, Menestheus, Your the oracle right? Can I have my prophecy?"
Menestheus made a noise "fine." He got up and walked over to me.
I raised Riptide a little as he put his palm to my forehead.
"Dream deep of Love and Strife." He said softly and my body pitched backwards.
The world spun around me and sank into darkness.
The entire world was black and I sank into the deep black ocean once more. My eyes fluttered, they were heavy and it was hard to keep them ocean.
Voices spoke to me through the waves, the very cold itself seemed to force patterns and words into my brain. This is a lot different than Delphi. I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and let out my breath.
The last thing I saw was the bubbles floating up towards the 'surface' each one filled with a happy memory. It made me kind of sad to see them.
The voices grew louder in my head until the overwhelmed everything else.

Two moons sink into flame.
The sea swallows the shooting star.
Four must play a devils game.
Three will get far.
Two must face their own fame.
One will stumble through the bizarre.
None will come out the same.

Per gallon of blood,
Every drop in vain,
Rain will flood.
Cry with pain.
Your quest will be dowsed with mud.

Join the one who will keep you sane.
Aim true and all will be clear.
Crack the codes for they don't remain.
Kick and scream to blind the seer.
Soon you will clear your name.
One is in danger who you hold dear.
Never forget what you cannot explain.

I screamed as the words pounded into my mind. I opened my eyes and saw the water streaming down, swirling as though it were draining. Panic flooded my system.
I was drowning. Not suffocating. Drowning.
I gurgled in the water as it drained away, revealing a bright sky. It was no longer black and white. The sun shone brightly, too brightly, and then I was blinded.
I blinked, my body moved on its own. I was already halfway out the front door.
Enjoy your premonition, Percy. Was it worth it? Menestheus' voice called from behind me as I made way down the steps to my friends.
Alexus, Artemis, and Carmen sat huddled up on the bottom step.
I struggled to speak, my throat felt oddly dry "hey guys, what's up?"
Artemis got up and grabbed my sleeve, pulling me to the side.
"Woah! What's wrong?" I asked her. She looked a little queasy.
Artemis took a deep breath "there was a statue a-and some swords..." she shook her head "see for yourself..."
She led me back to the other two, staying back a little.
I crouched down and sucked in a breath.
"The price." I said darkly and Carmen nodded with pain.
Alexus looked between us "what price?" She asked, looking worried and confused.
I sighed and sat down heavily "there was a brief moment when Carmen and I were together..."
"Strange." She replied, muttering.
"The oracle told us that there was a price. We didn't know what it was..." I trialed off, staring down at him.
Carmen cradled his arm "a price in blood and bone." He said quietly.
I sighed and covered my eyes, trying to escape.
That's not okay. It's your fault, you didn't take the price when you should have.
I forced myself to look.
Carmen's arm was brutally torn. He no longer had a hand and forearm, the bone showing clearly where the elbow should have been.
The blood soaked into his jacket which he'd removed and used to stop the blood flow. The jacket seemed to burn, cinders flying off of it occasionally.
A price in blood and bone...
I mentally berated myself. How could I let this happen? It was my fault, I should have taken that price. Was it worth it? Menestheus' voice cat called me from the back of my mind.
"I-I'm sorry... I should have-." I started but I was cut off.
"You don't have to be sorry." Carmen said, gritting his teeth and hissing with pain "I said I would pay the price. Just tell me it wasn't in vain."
The prophecy I thought to myself. I'd gotten it! I couldn't forget it, it felt burned into the back of my skull.
"I-I got the prophecy. But is it worth your arm...?" I asked.
"Worth every drop of blood." He said, giving me a small smile through the pain.
"The prophecy... what is it?" Alexus asked, grabbing hold of Carmen who almost toppled over, his face white with exhaustion and pain.
"Yes. That is the only good thing to come of this." Artemis agreed, biting her thumb nail.
"Yeah... the prophecy..."