Chapter 10
Natasha POV
We were all lounging around in the living room when he heard shouts coming from Percy's room. We rushed thinking he was having another nightmare but as we got closer I realized that there were two voices shouting. One was a girl and another was a boy.
We burst into the room and saw a strange sight. The skinny, pale boy was supporting Percy as he slumped onto him and the girl was crouched near his hand a piece of cloth wrapped around it. Dread filled me as I thought of the possibilities. Further I notice that Percy's arm was covered in blood and there was some blood on the carpet too. Near Percy's other hand was a knife glistening with blood.
Suddenly I felt sick to my stomach. Percy had tried to kill himself before I could say anything Cap said, "Who are you? And what did you do to Percy?"
I snapped at him, "We can discuss this later first let's get Percy to the med bay. Bruce go ahead and prepare. Cap and Clint take Percy to the med bay. Both of you come with us. I can see you were not the ones to harm him. So follow us."
The teens exchanged glances with each other before agreeing and they warily stood up still holding Percy. Cap and Clint strode forward and gently picked him up. As they passed by me I saw the deathly pale colour of Percy's face.
He was so close. If they hadn't come he'd have been dead by now. There's a sharp pang in my chest as I think about it and it is then that I realize I have come to care for him, a lot. Why hadn't I seen before? I might've been able to stop him.
Then the girl, with spiky black hair places a comforting hand on my shoulder saying, "Don't think it was your fault. He hides his emotions very well. Let's go I want to check on him."
The girl leaves the room along with the pale boy who has an arm around her shoulder. They seem close not like lovers, they have a sibling bond between them.
I sigh quietly and set out following them to the infirmary.
Thalia's POV
I walk with Nico's arm around my shoulders to the infirmary. We're both silent trying to process what just happened. Percy. The Kelp Head. He had tried to kill himself. I knew that Percy was sad but I had never even thought that he'd go so far.
A shudder passes through my body as I think what would have happened if we arrived a little later. As soon as that Kelp Head wakes up I'm going to smash his head in. How dare he do that? What about us did he think nothing of us? How Camp would do without him? That idiot.
Nico squeezes my shoulder to show me that he's here and I bump his shoulder back to show my support. We finally reach the med bay as they call it. The doors are open so we walk in and see the men standing by his bed.
He still looks pale but much better than before. His face looks peaceful and he looks years younger when he is asleep. I wish that we could bring that sarcastic troublemaker back now. It was annoying but I'd grown fond of it.
Now-a-days he didn't speak much. Even if he smiled or laughed there was no realness behind it. It was just a mask, a façade. To convince us that he was okay, that he was alright. No one had noticed the sadness, the pain he had hid. And I felt ashamed that I had never seen this before. I gently reached out to touch his hand.
One of his wrist was covered and bandaged up. I rolled the other sleeve up gently. I let out a choked sob as I glance at it. It's covered in scars. Some look fresh and the others look years old. I had no idea he was doing this. I feel tears slide down my cheeks as Nico gently pulls me away from his hand letting it drop back down.
"Oh Percy. Why? Why didn't you tell this before? We could've helped you before this got any more worse." I whisper quietly and ignore the sympathetic looks from the other people.
Eventually the guy who treated Percy asks, "Do you know about his other scars?"
I look up at him questioningly and shake my head. I can feel Nico do the same too. He sighs before telling, "Look he didn't tell us what happened and I don't want to show you if he doesn't want to. We practically had to pin him down to remove his shirt."
Nico interrupts, "No. He'll never show us any other way. We have to see." The doc as I decide to call him opens his mouth to argue but one glare at him from Nico and me silences him.
He lets out a shaky breath and says, "Prepare yourselves."
I wonder just how bad they are. The doc then removes his shirt and I gasp at the horrific sight. Nico runs to the nearest trash can and throws up. It's horrific. The skin on his torso is literally covered by multiple layers of scars. There are whip marks, stab marks, poison marks and gods know how many else.
I can also see some brands along them. First on his heart is a tattoo which is a simple A but I smile softly knowing who it stands for. Next on his left shoulder had a T, then on his collarbone he had a G & a P near his waist.
I traced them my blood boiling with anger, wishing eternal torture for whoever did this to him. Nico approaches slowly. He still looks shaken up. He examines them closely and says, "I recognize them." it still scares me to think what they went through. The A is obviously a tattoo and stands for An-Annabeth." His voice catches at the name. Although I knew he didn't have a crush on her, he did admire her and it still was painful. He cleared his throat and continued,
"The T I think stands for…the person of that place." Tartarus. The God of the Pit. Percy encountered them. Oh Gods what had they done to him? Nico let's out a shaky breath and continues, "The G probably stands for the woman this summer. And P for his father's opposite."
Gaia and Polybotes. Poor poor Percy. He went through so much just to lose it all. I can't even come close to understanding what he is feeling right now. It must be painful to carry the world on your shoulders. That is literally what Percy is doing right now.
Everyone, even the Gods look at him under any crisis. Suddenly Percy starts twitching on the bed. Then he starts practically thrashing around. And we watch our eyes wide as cuts appear on his body, soaking the sheets in his blood. His heart rate sky rockets and his breath shallows. Then he calms down for a second before letting out a heart-wrenching pained scream.
My heart practically shatters listening to it. I send a quick prayer to Poseidon to come here urgently. He appears in an instant and I see him gaze down with horror on Percy's scarred body. He goes deathly pale.
He silently puts a hand over Percy's head trying to wake him up to no avail. Finally unsure about what to do he places a finger on Percy's head and a shimmering image projects upwards. There are gasps all around as we see it.
Percy is in a dark pit. I hear Nico shakily whisper Tartarus. The place is horrible, no wonder even Gods avoid it. The image shows Percy chained to a wall. His chest bloody and some monster standing in front of him. The monster has a humanoid body but his face is empty like a swirling whirlpool. Then I realize that it is Tartarus. Tartarus, the Primordial is hitting Percy.
We hear him say, "Ah, young hero, time to play. Today I will break you."
Percy despite being bloody and beaten responds, "You will never break me Tarty sauce" And despite the situation I have to laugh. It's either laugh or cry.
Tartarus snarls as he chooses his weapon from a rack where impossibly horrifying weapons are kept. He picks up a poison laced knife and a spike embedded whip. Picking up both he advances towards Percy with an evil grin on his face.
Percy to his credit puts on a brave face and as Tartarus whips him and drives the knife into his body, Percy doesn't scream but eventually as the whips increase he lets out a scream and in here the Percy on the bed lets out a scream too. There are cuts all over his body.
Then just when we thought it couldn't get any worse another giant appears, Polybotes. To my right Poseidon goes even paler than paper if possible.
The Giant picks him up like a rag doll and starts taunting him, "What the almighty Perseus Jackson defeated? Just like you let your friends die? Just like you let them die for you? What does that make you Perseus? It makes you a monster just like us. Now be a good little monster won't you?"
Percy replies his voice shaky, "At least I don't kill people half my size."
The giant laughs and replies, "What about Akhlys Perseus? What about the time you almost killed the Goddess of Misery herself. What then Perseus?"
What? He almost killed a Goddess? Percy doesn't even deny it and hangs his head down in shame.
The giant booms, "That's right Perseus. Now you deserved to be punished for that, don't you?"
Percy doesn't say anything and the Giant laughs and picks him up dropping him in a black river.
"Poison" Poseidon whispers. I glance back at the screen, horrified. Percy let's out another agonizing scream as tears cascade down his eyes and he writhes around.
Suddenly Tartarus' cruel laughs ring out as he says, "Go for now Perseus we will meet once again."
Percy gasps and the screen goes black but Percy doesn't wake up. Deathly silence rings out in the room. The tension can be cut with a knife more almost everyone is already crying or are on the verge of tears. Silent tears creep down Poseidon's cheek as he weeps silently for the agony of his son.
Nico then quickly reminds us that Percy is still bleeding. Poseidon instantly leaps up and conjures some water, the mortals watch their eyes wide and red rimmed as Poseidon places the water over Percy and it envelops him like a second skin.
Percy lets out an audible sigh of relief as the cuts start healing and fading leaving only scars in their place.
PS: Would you guys like to read an Avengers Watch the MCU fic, it will be Tony-centric movies. I'm already done with IM1 though it needs some major editing. It may take some time to post (I'm hoping by the end of this month) but what do you guys think??