Abandoned- a pertemis story Ψ ☑️

Percy Strikes Back. Chapter 29

Alright. So. How's everybody doing? I know quarantine has posed some major problems and we're all tired of being cooped up. I mean, we've all gone insane at this point. -Disclaimer. This is a valid plead to insanity if the police ever catch wind of my string of murders- anyway, I think we're all ready to just kick back, relax, and read my story.
Because that's what everybody does. Read my story.
Only my story.
Enjoy!- Internet Head

ΩCarmenΩ
The last you saw of me was my body being sucked into a very cheery welcoming mat.
I feel like my image has been a bit ruined by this.
Furthermore, after being sucked down I ended up in the throne room with the crazy kid king and his magical associate.
The throne room was huge, surrounded by a liquid moat that dropped off into the abyss behind the throne.
I was on my knees, heaving. The ride here was not a smooth one.
I looked up and watched as the other half of my party, Artemis and Alexus, were locked in intense combat.
Artemis took on the king, spear against sword. Sparks flew as the blades slammed against each other.
Alexus was playing a dangerous game with Hawthorne, dodging his magic balls of ice and fire while dispelling illusions. She was fierce and unrelenting, even though she was clearly becoming more and more tired she kept at it.
They were both sweaty and covered in dirt, looking more worse for wear.
Their clothes had changed as well, Artemis sporting a camp tee and loose shorts while Alexus wore a grey tank top and jeans.
I looked down to see that my clothes hadn't changed from what they were in the weird flip flop version of Camp Half-Blood.
I felt uncomfortable and out of place. Flannel. When was the last time I wore that?
It didn't matter, the girls were beginning to falter. They needed help.
As I began to prepare myself for battle, Percy appeared next to me.
He looked queasy and dry heaved "ugh, that was absolutely no fun." He sputtered.
I helped him to his feet "We've got to help them dude, no time to waste."
He nodded and uncapped his sword "I'll help Artemis."
I gave him a wry smile "of course you will. That leaves me with Alexus."
It had been awhile since we'd fought together. I missed her.
Percy rolled his eyes "Don't get too handsie with her, she's still upset about your healing methods."
I furrowed my brow "what?" I remembered how she looked on the verge of death and decided that if I had to invade her personal space to keep her alive I would "oh-oh. That. Y-yeah."
Now I felt self conscious about where I'd put my hands. I remembered that she'd been soft though incredibly fit.
I shook my head "Percy! Shut it. Let's just go." My face burned and it wasn't from the fire that I had started.
Percy snickered but then turned serious "your sword. Where is it?"
I patted myself down to find that my makeshift sword was nowhere to be found "ah whatever. I'll figure something out."
He looked worried "going hand to hand? That's a little..."
I scanned the ornately decorated walls, flashy and gold and black.
I spotted something, two small dual scythes. They were held up on a rack like they were on display.
I grinned "have I ever told you that my specialty isn't swords. It's actually scythes. Dual scythes."
He gave me a incredulous look "what are dual scythes? That sounds made up."
I shook my head "whatever, just go."
Percy hesitated "Carmen..."
I shoved his shoulder, singeing his clothes slightly "go."
He did as I asked, interrupting Dave from getting a good hit on Artemis.
Of course he gets a savior entrance. He probably looks really cool to her right now.
I felt a little jealous, Alexus would never be that impressed with me like we all were impressed with Percy.
I turned away and scaled the wall, melting hand holds into the gold.
I grabbed the scythes and decided they weren't meant for battle, they just looked cool.
I twirled them and swung them a few times "it'll do."
I charged into battle, destroying a ball of ice magic that would've stopped Alexus from moving.
She turned and for a brief moment we held eye contact.
Alexus furrowed her brow as her eyes glittered, like: Your a bit late, stupid.
I shot her a look. Whatever.
Hawthorne interrupted me with a fire ball to the face at which Alexus burst out laughing.
I spat out cinders as Hawthorne yelled down at us from his raised platform "stop mentally undressing her and fight me! Coward!" He didn't sound confident, he sounded scared.
I sighed. He was most likely forced into this and way in over his head.
I looked at Alexus with a mock apologetic face and a completely serious tone "I'm sorry for mentally undressing you. It's just been so long I couldn't help it."
The corners of her mouth twitched up, like she was trying not to smile.
When we were out on patrol together I'd always make jokes like this and eventually they broke her cold icy exterior. She'd forced me to promise that I'd never tell anyone she laughed at one of my jokes, even for a moment.
Alexus had made this face more than I could count, the struggle between showing emotion and being cold and hard.
I enjoyed watching that struggle a lot.
She settled for punching my shoulder this time "I'll kill you later. For now let's skin the weasel."
I matched her devilish grin with my own "I'll draw fire. You stick your knives somewhere where it really hurts."
Hawthorne whimpered and began throwing elements erratically.
Alexus dashed forward and the fire began to consume me.
Burn. Burn everything. Burn her, burn him. Consume! Devour!
I shuddered. I hated the whispers of the fire.
I ignored them and looked down at my hands.
A metal one that looked washed out and skinny in the flames and one made entirely out of bone wreathed in fire.
I never got used to seeing my own skeleton.
Burn. Eat. hungry. Consume. Eradicate. Kill.
I turned My eyes on Hawthorne and effortlessly knocked aside the ice and fire he threw at me.
"What are you!? What kind of monster are you!?" His screams reached higher notes than I could in my second grade choir class.
I let out inhuman freaks and clicks from my mouth, to my surprise.
See the fiery spirit? The warm soul? Full of life! Full of passion! We eat life. We devour passion. Consume and burn! Eradicate life!
I reeled away from the whispers.
What? No! This isn't- no!
It felt as though my mind was being suffocated in smoke and flames, burning words pressing themselves into my bones.
Black spots clouded my vision, white light emanating from Hawthorne and Alexus.
Hungry. Very hungry. Rot away the light of life! Consume it! Smother it in the dark!
I forced myself to breath, to stop my limbs from moving.
The whispers were never this strong before.
I closed my eyes for a brief second and the opened them, my sight having returned to normal.
Burn?
No.
Devour?
In your dreams.
Eradicate?
Not this time.
I snapped out of it just in time to stop Alexus from being set on fire.
"Glad your with us again. Can you please do your job now!?" She shouted at me.
I nodded and kept at what I was supposed to do.
Alexus snuck behind him, as he was preoccupied with me, and shanked him in his calves.
He pitched forward, the fire and frost disappearing into mist in his hands.
He yowled and fell straight into my arms.
He screamed as he looked into my eyes.
I blew warm, ember filled air over his face.
His eyes rolled back into his head as he fainted from fear.
I set him down and quelled my flames.
That's enough of that for today.
Alexus clambered down from the platform and looked at me, her chest heaving as sweat rolled down her face "I didn't know you turned into the Ghost Rider."
I felt uncomfortable talking about my appearance when I engulfed myself in fire. I had taken guesses but apparently I looked like a Marvel character.
I didn't want to talk about it but she looked so curious, so attentive and inquisitive that I couldn't deny her an answer "is that how it looks?" I laughed "I think it has something to do with my mom. I won't know until I meet her though."
Alexus looked up at me thoughtfully.
She nudged herself up against me, her slender body making it more than easy "why do you want to meet her so much? She abandoned you, your a Rouge Demigod. Isn't your entire thing about not acknowledging the gods and making your own path?"
She was close. Too close. She looked so tiny there, next to me "I-I..."
I shook my head and sighed "I don't know. I don't have my dad anymore... and my mom is a goddess so it can't be that hard to find her, right? I just... if I can't have both my parents then I want one, and the other one is gone."
Alexus silently lessened her pressure on my side, like it was something she hadn't been doing on purpose "hmm. I guess that makes sense..."
We were silent for a moment.
"We should help Percy and Artemis." I said, breaking the silence.
Alexus nodded as we both turned to look at our companions.
They were both fighting the king and he was somehow keeping up.
He laughed maniacally as he knocked aside Percy sword and cut into Artemis's thigh "Come on Jackson! I'm better than you! The new you! They all said nobody was as good as the oh so great Percy Jackson! They said nobody could measure up! But look at me now! I'm absolutely destroying you!"
The king advanced on them, driving them back with quick sword skills.
Percy did his very best to protect Artemis but they were both beaten and worn "what's your problem, man!? Why are you going so far to be better than me!?"
Dave kept attacking, his wild strikes unpredictable and deadly.
He began to cry, tears silently streaming down his face "all my life I've been told I'd amount to nothing! That I was nothing! I thought I'd get a second chance at Camp Half-Blood! I thought it would let me actually become something! In the end I wasn't given that chance, everybody said that I could be better than you. Percy Jackson. The Hero of Olympus."
He said the names with such contempt, so much hatred.
I could see Percy falter at that, his resolve wavering if only for a moment.
Dave took that moment to scream and slash his sword across Percy's chest.
Artemis yelled his name and pushed back against the king, driving back his assault.
Alexus and I were already on our way but it felt like the room was so large we'd never get there in time.
Dave looked at Artemis with an insane smile, tears still pouring from his eyes "He gave me a chance. When everybody else said I couldn't become anything He Alone had faith in me. He taught me how to manipulate them, to make people believe in me like they believed in you Percy. I wanted them to abandon you and tear you apart, I wanted them to hold me in the golden throne while you rotted in your grave. He taught me how to make it happen. My wish will be fulfilled. I will be worthy of notice!"
He?
Alexus knocked and arrow "I'll get him off balance." She said, giving me a small nod.
She shot the arrow and watched in sink into Dave's foot.
I rushed forward and filled my prosthetic arm with flames. I slammed my fist into his hand, breaking it and knocking the sword out of it.
The golden sword warped and twisted with heat as it spun away from him.
Dave cried out as This happened, and screamed in pain when Artemis burrowed her spear in his upper thigh near a place where no man wanted sharp things.
I grabbed Artemis and pulled her away as the Broken son of Aphrodite grew even more crazed with pain.
He thought of nothing but ripping us apart with his bare hands.
I made sure Artemis was out of his grasp.
Percy was back on his feet, looking majorly disgruntled.
"Percy! Wash him away!" I cried and he nodded, raising the moat behind him.
"If you thought the only way to become something worthy of being noticed was taking over the camp and forcing everyone to do your bidding-" He started, his voice quiet and angry "-then you were never worthy of being anything in the first place."
And the the flooded the Dave with the moat, washing him over the edge and into the infinite abyss.
—

We made it out, thankfully alive.
We returned to the moment in time where Hawthorne had activated the labyrinth spell.
Nobody moved.
The king's eyes were blank and white and he slumped down against the stage.
Hawthorne was unconscious and the Guards around us were looking sick and glassy eyed.
We left them as is and went to clean up the camp.
None of us were in the mood to talk about what happened.
Alexus and I branched off from Percy and Artemis as we went to look for things Dave might have hidden.
We walked through the forest, both of us silent.
"once you told me you left Camp Half-blood for the Rouge Demigods. Why did you do it?" Alexus asked quietly, breaking the ice.
I thought about it "back then... my father was recently dead because of me..." I explained "I didn't think I could be a hero... a hero is supposed to save people. How could I save people when I was a murderer?"
Alexus looked like she wanted to protest but I kept at it.
"The Rouge Demigods offered freedom... the freedom to be a bad person, to kill people and hurt people, but for survival. To help those who asked for it." I said, thinking about the more ruthless syndicate of demigods I'd been apart of back then "it also offered me a family, all of whom I began to care for very much."
Alexus looked on thoughtfully, with worry.
I was silent for a long moment.
"And then bad things happened to them too... like my dad, it was my fault..."
I looked away from Alexus, feeling guilty "this new syndicate, the capital of all the syndicates, took me in. They taught me to control myself, to maim and not kill. It still felt like I didn't really belong though..."
You don't. Blood and fire is your true desire.
I winced "sometimes it feels like I'm not entirely in control anymore..."
Alexus silently linked her arm with mine, which for her was like holding my hand or hugging me. It was something she didn't usual do unless I was dying.
"I'll keep you in control. We're... friends now... right? That means I'll help you and you'll help me..." she said softly, looking anywhere but me.
I thought this was an excellent time to tease her but when she stared me full on in the face I lost the ability to speak.
She didn't look angry or grudging, reluctant, or uncomfortable at all for once.
She was looking at me like she'd said something incredibly important, something that meant a lot to her.
I was surprised. She meant it. She wasn't kidding around at all. She was more serious than I could ever be...
"You will help me right?" She asked, almost earnestly. Her eyes glittered dangerously and the shadows of the forest moved perfectly across her face.
I inhaled softly "of course I will. No matter what."
She gave me a smile. A real big genuine smile. One that wasn't hidden or fake or joking. It was one that showed her dimples and made her look like some fabled creature that was too perfect to actually exist.
I blinked. What was I just thinking?
She looked up at me with that face, ignorant of how different this was for me "then we can be friends forever."
I flushed and turned away. She doesn't even get the implications of what she's saying!
Alexus was a scary girl, a hunter through and through. She could gut a man before he could say a cheesy pick up line or start off his "heeeey baby" speech.
This scary girl was also incredibly innocent when it came to things like emotion and friends.
It almost made me laugh.