Argo II: After Tartarus

Percy II

Hi guys! Sorry for this later update, I'm trying to get on top of all of it. Thank you to the people that left comments. (Thanks ajxx25 and ali_cinnamon) It was really cool to know that people have read what I wrote.

Please enjoy! xxx

Percy POV: Chapter 2

Percy knew immediately that this wasn't a normal storm. Not as strong as Kymopoleia but enough to knock the wind out of him when he tried to stop it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jason clenching his fists trying to quell the wind. Percy, knowing that it was his best bet, shut his eyes and tried to calm the waves that soared above their heads like skyscrapers. Disconnecting himself from the rest of the seven who were viciously fighting what looks like a giant snake. His mind seemed to be stretched out, intense pressure at the front of his skull as he tried to tap into that deep sinking feeling in his stomach. It was tearing Percy up slowly, his nails digging into his palms drawing blood. It was like a tug of war. Whatever was on the other end of the storm wasn't letting up. But Percy didn't crawl out of literal hell to be told, 'oh yeah. Your friends can all go and drown a couple weeks before the worlds supposed to end.' Part of Percy felt like he was already drowning. He just wanted to go home with his mom and girlfriend and sit out the next couple wars. He was drowning in expectations but also in other people's looks. It wasn't like Percy to be self-conscious or angry at his friends. At the enemy? Yes. At the gods? Maybe. At his friends? Hades no. But every time he walked into a room, people gave him the side-eye as if he would just start screaming for no reason. Or even worse, the looks of pity. He hates pity. He doesn't need anyone babying him for no reason, well other than the obvious one. And it's not like he's done anything to scare them. Yet. He knew he scared Annabeth. He hated himself, he really did. He saw the way she would look at him after using any sort of power as if he would start choking people with their own bodily fluids. Focus, Percy. Grinding his teeth together, Percy forgot all about staying dry and focused all of his energy into stopping the waves. Determination riddled his bones and flooded from his pores as he let out grunts of effort. He didn't know how Jason was doing but the wind seemed to be just as harsh as before, if not, even more so than before. After a few minutes, or seconds (Percy didn't really know) he felt a tap on his shoulder, completely throwing him off. His face was red with barely suppressed ferocity, and when Jason set a finger on her shoulder, he swung around and wanted so badly to snap at him.

"Percy! I can't control it!" Jason shouted into his ear, water slapping both of them like a whip. "Let's help the others out, we'll hopefully get past it!"

He didn't know what happened. Maybe it was all the pent up emotions he was carrying with him since Tartarus or maybe it was just a weird burst of adrenaline. Sea green eyes turned to bore into electric blue. Pure willpower coursed through Percy is frankly terrifying quantities.

"You go! I can do this!"

"Percy, don't do anything stupid! You could hurt yourself!"

Percy felt a familiar spark of anger in his chest. He didn't want to admit it to himself but a scary type of fury was quickly directed towards Jason.

"We're getting nowhere! Just leave me to do it!" Percy groaned, thick eyebrows furrowing together. He didn't want to argue but if Jason didn't listen, he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to hold back.

Sensing Percy's agitation, Jason wisely stepped back; face now slightly obscured by the sea sprays.

Jason hesitated before speaking again, "be--be careful"

Percy swallowed his anger that bubbled at the back of his throat, willing himself to not say anything unnecessarily petty.

He turned back to face the open ocean; a man on a mission, fierceness laced across his handsome features. White knuckles from clenching his fist too hard, and gritted teeth from the effort to pull the power of the sea back. His back straightened with an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent. He was no longer the laid back Percy, this was the man monsters feared. This is my birthright. He thought. I am the son of Poseidon, God of the sea and I control the waves. Someone seemed to be laughing at him, the sounds bouncing off the walls of his mind. Percy thought he blew a circuit from all the mentally and physically exerting power he was producing, the maniacal laughter making him feel like he was watching an episode of Batman with Joker. Although Percy couldn't control the wind, even the wind slackened for a moment as if unwilling to blow at him without his permission. Slowly but surely, whatever was the cause of this storm was weakening. Their grasp on the ocean loosening as Percy gained his footing and stretched his arms out. Knowing he was close to victory, Percy took a deep breath in, closed his eyes and pulled for his life. As if time stopped, the Argo II stopped moving. The giant, formerly violent waves froze in position. The demigods, even the sea serpent, turned to look at him. Was that fear or awe? Percy couldn't tell. His mind was ripping apart the longer he held on. Like a rubber band, the deity that caused the storm to let go and disappeared. Percy let out a guttural scream and spread out his arms. The dark clouds above saw no reason to dwindle, quickly moving away and dispersing leaving streams of sunlight to come down upon the ship. The waves were no longer choppy. They rolled in; long and white fringed. They were playful, not rough like they were a minute ago.

The serpent seemed to snap out of it quickly, razor-sharp mouth snapping at Piper who only barely got out of harm's way. Although Percy knew that stopping the storm was an achievement on its own but as he collapsed to the deck, he couldn't help but feel like he should be helping more. He laid his head against the wood of the side, sweat plastering his black hair to his forehead as he took gasping breaths. If he and many of his friends weren't in imminent danger, this would be a pretty cool film. From where Percy was clutching his sides and panting, he had a pretty good view of everyone fighting the beast. Piper was bouncing around shouting charm speak at the creature, things like "look behind you!" or "hit yourself". Unfortunately for Piper, it seemed that the sea serpent could easily tune out her magic. Annabeth was darting underneath the monster, Hazel and Frank close on her heels as they were all using their assorted skills and weapons to cut under the scales. Jason was crouching beside a crumpled Leo. Occasionally electricity shot from Jason if the monster came too close. Jason seemed to be looking at him with worry. It only occurred to Percy now that he should probably do something to help despite his aching limbs. He really wanted to shout 'my brain is on 1 per cent battery, so if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna take some time to rest and soak in the calm peace of the sea.' then promptly jump over the side. Only, thinking about it now, Annabeth wouldn't find it too funny.

Standing up, (certain limbs shouting at him for being an idiot) Percy grabbed riptide from his pocket and stepped forward. The first few steps Percy felt like laughing. He felt a bit like Bambi when he first learned to walk. But, knowing that laughing would probably piss Annabeth off at this moment in time, he decided to swallow it. He continued forward, ankles only rolling a couple of times, and Annabeth's grey eyes caught his. He knew that expression like he knew the back of his hand. She pointed to the back of the serpent and made a jump motion. It was pretty clear what Percy was being asked to do but that doesn't mean he had to like it. After looking in the direction of the finger he turned to her with a grin on his face. Rolling her eyes she shouted at Hazel, Frank and Piper to join her in front of the monster. Percy crept sideways as the monster's attention was focused on the 4 delicious demigods directly in front of him.

Annabeth's eye followed him as he summoned water to spiral upwards towards the back of the serpents head, like a ribbon made of water. Bouncing on the balls of his feet a couple times before he broke into a sprint.

Percy lept into the spiral water like a skydiver, feeling revigorated as soon as he touched the liquid. Percy became a firework the moment he touched the water, energy multiplying throughout his body. Directing the water towards the serpents head, when he got close enough he forced currents to push him out of the water like he was a demigod cannonball. The world was in slow motion as Riptide elongated into a sword and was shoved into the snake-like eye of the beast. Percy had to admit it was quite creepy when the pupil shifted to stare at him when he pierced it like an olive on a toothpick. Percy's weight and momentum on riptide caused the sword to quickly cut a deep slit down the side of the monster's face, sort of feeling like he was ziplining. The wind in his face made Percy feel exhilarated when he fell, blowing the water away from his face and drying his clothes off. His body twirled and jerked as he fell to the deck. Admittedly the fall wouldn't be nearly as hard as some of his other ones, but still, when he landed, his knees didn't absorb the force too well.

"Watch out!"

Percy didn't register what the voice called until he was knocked backwards.

"Percy!"

The rest of the seven, aside from Leo, crowded around him from where he was lying down. Their worried faces were each more sweaty than the next. He vaguely registered the sea serpent exploding into golden dust but it wasn't exactly hard to miss when it was all over his face and body. Frank reached out his arm to help him up. When Percy was fully upright once again, his head throbbed. The pain felt like someone had taken a knife to his skull. Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed the pain to go away. He could barely hear the people chattering around him. All he felt, no, all he knew was the pain of that moment.

"Well done, demigods!" Shouted a voice from above, aggravatingly crude sounding. "I have to say I'm impressed."

Oh for Gods' sake.