Serendipity // PJO

My transformation to the creep next door

Monsters were everywhere. Over me, under me, surrounding me. All monsters attacked me, only those under me didn't - they were dead. They were dead, I had killed them and now I fought on their dust against their allies.

The monsters covered my body, this dam dust sticked to everything. But they hadn't suffocated me yet, I was still living, I was still slaughtering their kind.

But maybe I was a monster, too?

I hated this thought. I hated it more than everything else. Desperately I continued fighting, killing everything, what came in my way. Hellhounds whimpered, telchines yelped, cyclops howled. I cut, stabbed and parried until I was able to see something different than my enemies.

Jason and Piper. Finally!, I wanted to scream. Finally I find someone of the seven! Maybe I screamed it, I wasn't sure, it was too loud to hear anything properly despite the primitive cries of the injured, dying, desperate and broken.

I decided to get to Jiper (Piper had introduced us to shipping names) and killed with new power. It is necessary, my conscience explained. You or them.

I know this, Gilbert, I answered my conscience. I don't kill because it is fun so it isn't wrong to do it. I just want to get to my friends. Maybe they know where Annabeth is.

Gilbert, my conscience (how creepy can I get? I mean, naming my conscience, that's quite weird), only whispered: What would be without our Anni, Pery? Nothing would be, nothing, then he was quiet.

Finally I wasn't surrounded by monsters anymore. At least not in direct proximity. Whilst I was running to Jiper, I additionally turned some of our enemies into dust.

Jason and Piper didn't move when I came to them. Jason and Piper hadn't moved since I had seen them before. Jason and Piper wouldn't move ever again. Jason and Piper were dead, Jiper was history.

You weren't fast enough, Gilbert informed me. A howl resonated from somewhere, protracted and pained like a hurt wolf's. Did Lupa come with her wolfs to help us?

No, she didn't, I just needed an eternity to realize that it was me, who blurted out this sound. Put yourself together, two of your best friends just pushed up daisies, Gilbert sneered. You just didn't sacrifice yourself enough, Percy. After all you could have saved them, if you fought fast enough.

A hole gaped in Piper's chest, deep and bloody, somebody had torn her heart out. In Jason's leg stuck an arrow, another one had hit him in the throat. The two of them were connected through the arrow in Jason's throat, it was also sticking in Piper. United even in death, I thought with a soft smile.

Why are you smiling? You are standing on a battle field, your friends croaked and you are snuffing monsters if it is nothing important while staring at your dead besties. What's wrong with you?, Gilbert squealed.

Fiercely I shook my head, Gilbert became quieter. Then, finally, I saw Annabeth.

Dozens of different karpoi besieged her and commanded her attention. A manticore stalked near her, but it was in her back and due to the karpoi she didn't notice it.

As fast as I could I dashed to her, annihilating every monster, that came near me. "Anni! Behind you!", I yelled, as unlikely as it was that she could hear me in this tumult.

But she heard me, glee and relief let her beautiful, grey storm eyes sparkle. The karpoi were forgotten. "Per-" She didn't get further. With a paw stroke the manticore tore her head off. It flew high into the heaven, her gold shimmering hair flapping jollily. A hellhound jumped into the air and swallowed it.