Clockwork

32

"Clockwork, I'm glad to see you. Hephaestus said you'd been out of commission because of some equipment complications." Hestia greeted Percy warmly. Percy nodded his head. "I'm still suffering from the after-effects of these 'complications', but I can function enough to move," Percy said. He found himself attempting to match the goddess's warm tone.

Artemis looked at Percy with a semi-pleased expression. "So you're not dead for good. That's good news." She said. Hephaestus had yet to say anything and still remained silent when Percy took his stand next to Hephaestus' throne.

"Now that everyone is here, our most recent problem has started with our brethren, Poseidon. We need to help him or he will use all of his energy and fade." Zeus said. "Why don't we bring his son's spirit to talk some sense into him?" Athena asked. "Thanatos made the mistake of losing the demigod's spirit," Hades said. "How does one simply 'lose' a spirit?" Hermes asked. "Death makes a mistake, or the spirit gets away with divine help. They are set out on the world, haunting places and objects." Athena said.

"Call Thanatos here. I want him to explain exactly what happened." Zeus said. Hades looked bored as he snapped his fingers. The god of death appeared instantly, the wings on his back tucked away making them seem smaller than they were. He nodded his head toward the Olympians, but mostly to Hades. "My lord?" He asked Hades.

"Describe the last encounter you had with the soul of Perseus Jackson," Hades said. The god of death nodded before he started speaking. "I'd been beside the young man for hours, as he had been half-dead for a while. He was going through immense pain, and while I traveled to and from him and deaths around the world, he lasted for a long time. I tried to make his death quick and peaceful, but his healing ability countered my power. When he died, it had been because his body was deemed uninhabitable by his spirit, not because it was his time, so I had no direct power his soul to take it to the underworld." The God of death said. Percy frowned under his helmet. Thanatos saw. Thanatos saw the torture. Why hadn't he told the gods?

"You've taken young lives who've been killed because of injuries and sickness, have you not? Why was this time different?" Hades said, asking the question as if he'd gone through this conversation hundreds of times. "There was a godly presence, one stronger than my own. When the son of the sea finally died, he was gone. His spirit only lingered for less than a second before he was beyond my reach. I haven't encountered the spirit since then." The god of death said.

Percy frowned and noticed Apollo did too, for different reasons.

That was a lie. A very obvious one.

Thanatos just lied to the council, but no one else noticed. Hades sat there, indifferent and unaware. Nico had an almost pleased look on his face. "Say that last sentence again, please," Apollo said, frowning. Thanatos remained calm and repeated the last sentence, word for word. Apollo's frown became more prominent before saying, "You are hiding something within your words. What is it?" Apollo said.

The smile that played on Death's lips was faint, but Percy saw it. It reminded Percy of Jasmine when she was trying to not laugh when Percy's leg fell off mid-step. "I'm sworn to secrecy." The god of death stated, smoothing the smile out to his normal straight face.

That was the truth. He'd sworn on the Styx to keep his actual meaning a secret. "You said Percy's last hours were painful. Wh-what does that mean?" Piper asked, though it was obvious she had an idea and was almost scared of the answer. Annabeth wasn't there as she had lost her spot as a council member to Malcolm Pace.

A dark look crossed Nico's face, and the Hephaestus covered his frown with his hand. Hades looked at his son in question but said nothing as the god of death answered.

"Adrien and Annabeth Du Vel prolonged his death hours before he actually died." The god of death said. Percy instantly felt something inside him get agitated. He felt like this when there were bad storms when his father was angry. Percy looked towards his father's empty throne.

The waters were getting restless. That couldn't mean what Percy thought it meant. If it did... they should stop talking about his death. Now. Right now.

Where is my father?

Hephaestus responded quickly to Percy's alarming tone.

Atlantis. Why? What's wrong?

Percy didn't answer him. "I'm sure you all can imagine what 'prolonging' means. I doubt they should be described... out of respect to the soul in question." Said Thanatos after receiving a look from Nico.

The agitated feeling rose up again, and Percy felt the wrath of his father. It was pure, uncontrollable wrath.

"Where is Lord Poseidon right now?" Percy asked, his voice louder than normal. Percy noticed the inhuman sounds that exited his mouth at every word, sounding like a dying engine since he hadn't used his voice for weeks. "In his Kingdom," Hephaestus answered, puzzled by the fact that Percy had asked the same question twice.

There was a sinking feeling that overtook Percy's whole being, a feeling he only felt every so often on his birthday or if Poseidon was just having a bad day. "Iris message Chiron," Percy said, talking to Hephaestus. "My lord, please contact your brother. It's urgent." Percy said to Zeus.

The face of the old Centaur was already in front of Hephaestus, his gentle brown eyes aligned with panic. He was surrounded by a couple of dozens of demigods in a single room. "Hephaestus--!" The Centaur was cut off as the Iris message blacked out and disappeared.

"Any luck reaching Poseidon?" Percy asked as half of the demigod council and Hermes left for the camp.

"No. Something is severing the connection," Zeus said before standing. "Why is it so important, Machine?" Zeus asked. "Your brother is unstable right now. His mental instability is allowing him to be controlled by his emotions. Try Amphitrite." Zeus looked reluctant before Hestia spoke up. "Please, brother. I trust Clockwork." She said. Zeus nodded to his older sister before sitting back in his throne and doing just that.

"Hephaestus, can you get me to the camp?"

Hephaestus nodded before raising his hand and snapping.

(=-O) (:-P) (B-)( -_-)

Percy was sinking.

He was surrounded by dark water, and while Percy was having no issue with water pressure and the clothes under his armor was still dry, Percy had no power over the water around him.

The Celestial Bronze armor was weighing him down, so as he sank, he tossed pieces of armor to the side until he was wearing his jeans and t-shirt that he'd waken up from his 6-week nap in.

Percy looked at the prosthetic skin that remained in one piece, wondering how it had survived this long. All of the other fake skin that Aphrodite had provided for Percy had shredded in the first few hours of basic training. This skin was actually staying together.

He began swimming up, hoping to see light or even run into something. He was completely lost even though he was in water. Was this really Camp Half-Blood?

"Chiron!" The soundless scream left his mouth as he called out to his former teacher. He called out another name. "Grover!" The sound was suffocated by the water once again. "Dad?" Percy tried again. The sound didn't carry, but that didn't matter.

"P-Percy?"

That's the end of this long awaited part. I am so sorry for the wait but I finally got this chapter posted. I'll try to have the next chapter out earlier than this one but I'm not really sure. Anyway, what'd you think?

Comment your thoughts and until next time,
             ~DemonsFromAbove