They Call Me Evil

Reiterate

So this is a bit confusing. Basically in this chapter, Percy is the good loyal Percy and Perseus is the one we've been following. Got it? Great. I would say it gets dark, but most of y'all know I get dark a lot.

Reiterate: to say, state, or perform again

Everything hurt.

Everything always hurt where he was. Trapped in memories, reliving the worst parts of his life. Watching what was going on.

This wasn't Percy, not the evil one bound on taking over the world. Well, he was Percy. But he wasn't the person up there, he wasn't the person murdering everyone.

Perseus.

That's what Percy had decided to call him. He was Percy, the son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson, hero of Olympus. The person in control of his body was Perseus, the son of Tartarus.

Two separate people. Two halves of the same heart.

It was scary. It was probably the most terrifying thing Percy had ever had to do. He watched himself laugh, watched himself kill, and watched himself do it all.

But what was even worse than watching your worst nightmare, knowing that some part of you wanted to do this, even if that part wasn't with you anymore.

The world around him blurred and Percy knew what it meant. Perseus was going to sleep, and while he dreamed, Percy relived his own memories.

First came Gabe. First was always Gabe.

The smell reeked, but that wasn't the worst of it. Gabe came out, and Percy felt seven again. He felt weak and defenseless, which he was then and he felt like now.

Gabe was mad. Gabe was always mad in his memories. He came out with a big glass beer bottle that was broken, Sally Jackson out at work.

First he hounded Percy for money. He checked him, searching ever pocket and taking everything Percy had saved up. Every dime Percy made would be gone before he could even tell his mom he had it.

Then Gabe got upset he had it, and hit him. Over the back was always the first blow, and Percy didn't know any other option besides letting him.

It always stung, Percy knew that. But the pain always felt newer, fresher, it hurt more. Blood seemed down his back, and Percy tried to hold back tears. He didn't even know why he tried anymore, he always failed.

That was the next reason Gabe hit him. There should be no crying, Gabe didn't want to have to deal with it. Every tear was another hit, and each hit made him cry more.

He felt a tear slide down his face. That would cost another hit. Percy tried to brush it off, but he was too slow.

Another hit. Another tear. More pain. Third hit; it felt like his bones were breaking. Fourth hit: big chunk of glass got stuck in his skin. Fifth hit: his vision was darkening. Sixth: he was out.

It ended there, but he knew tomorrow it would be a different memory. It depended on how much rage Perseus needed most of the time. The more rage and pain he needed, the more memories Percy relived. The worst points of his life, gave him more rage that would just evaporate and head back to Perseus.

Everything felt numb. That was something Percy had realized through his time here. He watched and he knew he should feel pain to anger or even loyalty to some people, but he just felt numb.

It was like he knew something should be there, and his brain screamed at him what his memories said, but it just felt numb. Nothing was there, though he knew there should've been something there.

He looked up, seeing through as though he were still in a dream. He could see everything, but the words he was saying was scripted and untrue. He watched as Perseus lived, dwelling on the pain Percy had given him.

Perseus threw Nico in a cell, and touched the amulet around his neck. Like it had every time Perseus touched it, Percy felt a little bit stronger, but in a matter of seconds, it faded into weakness.

When he had watched Will before, he was loyal. He cared about the blond, he wanted to keep him safe. But now, he felt the same numbness from before. Perseus had taken his loyalty, he knew the feeling all too well.

Nico was the only one he had seen in a while that his loyalty lasted, but it only made him feel worse. All the threats Perseus had said, the pain in Nicos eyes as he said it.

What hurt more was knowing Nico might only ever see Percy as a monster, not who he really was. Percy had tried to escape before, but it was getting harder.

Perseus knew what he was doing, that much was obvious. By surrounding himself with people he were loyal too, it left Percy feeling numb.

But all Percy needed was a final moment of loyalty. One last second where he could break free and trap his anger.

He hadn't been out since he told Tartarus he'd except his deal, and even then it didn't feel like Percy was saying it. Maybe because he wasn't.

They were the same person then, but it wasn't Percy saying it. It was just anger and pain. The rain was pouring, but in the middle of a thunderstorm, doesn't lightning always light up the sky?