Second Chances

Chapter 18 - The Stench of Death

(Percy's P.O.V.)

I couldn't help but stare around the wreckage in a nervous apprehension. It didn't seem that anyone had honestly suffered much more than a serious headache and distraction, until I spotted the Hunters encircled around a larger boulder than anything else in the vicinity.

“Oh gods, no...” I murmured slightly aloud, making my way to the group where Thalia was, crouched with her Hunters in mourning.

“She was still so young.” A girl with strikingly blond hair sobbed next to Thalia.

I could only just stand back and watch the sadness. They had lost a couple of other girls atop these now horrid fields of death, but I guess that this would be the final straw in terms of suffering.

“Elyssa, help me carry her back towards the tents.” Thalia coldly stated, giving me a look that mixed pain with rage.

She would need time with her fellow Hunters, so I would have to find something else to occupy my time. It wouldn't be as hard as I assumed. Chiron galloped beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he gazed into the rubble of Troy.

“Percy, my boy, we need to have a chat with that man.”

I was floored by his words. Surely, he wasn't intent on trotting out to meet the person who confusingly brought death to seemingly everything around him. This wasn't apparently enough to dissuade Chiron, as he had already started down the hillside of camp.

“Hurry boy, we must do this quickly.” Came the call back.

Running to catch up seemed nearly impossible, but with a stroke of luck I tripped and rolled half of my way down to the plains. Embarrassed would be a slight exaggeration as I brushed myself off, taking one brief glance behind us, only to see Thalia and Nico glaring with mixed expressions of hatred and curiosity.

“You..” Chiron snorted in frustration as I clearly got the first look of this mystery man, the one who had declined our offer to meet once before.

“Long time, cousin.” The man with wavy brown hair and a medium skin that reminded me of Zoe, smiled disturbingly.

“Ha.” Chiron retorted back, before remembering I was present. “Barrick, this is the new God of Heroes, Perseus Jackson.”

“You can easily just call me Brian.” Another hidden smile behind haunting blue eyes.

“I hate to ruin reunions, but you just pummeled a chunk of our forces with that tossing display.” The bitterness was seeping through but the large teen just shrugged with a half smile.

“The girl was unfortunate, but fate holds no remorse.” Brian chuckled.

I was taken back by the blatant lack of disregard for life. This guy was utterly confounding and frustrating, but Chiron seemed to have pressing business with him for reasons I couldn't yet grasp. Was he on our side or not, I assumed that was most likely less than likely, seeing as everything taking place since he first arrived.

“To be truthful, I never expected to see you again.” Chiron coldly cut through my thoughts and the resounding silence around us.

“Hey, what can I say... Kronos slipped up on this one.” Brian didn't laugh or smile this time, but stared into my eyes with a look of apology. “I'm sorry about that whole mess, if I had been around...”

Chiron seemed to understand where the line of thinking was heading and cut off his cousin, but I was stunned by what he could have meant.

“Things don't go how we want them sometimes, and you aren't responsible for maintaining the whole world's order.” Chiron looked back and forth between the two of us, finally decided to explain.

“Percy, despite how he comes across..” there was a short, uncomfortable pause. “Brian isn't on the site of the Titans, not entirely.”

“Which means what? He just fancied pelting stones at us for the fun of it?” My frustration was growing more now.

“He is the son of Ophion.” Chiron sighed as he looked back up the hillside to our camp. “Perhaps you should check on your army, and we can discuss this further tonight.”

I nodded, getting the hint that this would be all of the information allowed to me for now. With a bit of a beleaguered stance, I trotted back up to where the others were cleaning up. Thalia approached in a angry rush up to me, hitting me with a punch to the face.

“You asshole!” She was seething but managed to keep her voice level. “We get attacked by that jerk and you go off for a meeting with him? You realize what he's done to us? Do you really care about all of this?”

The flow of questions rattled out in a haste, all of them rhetorical. What was I suppose to tell her though, that Gods sometimes have to operate in neutrality. Anything I could say would only incite her temper worse, so I let her lash into me.

“Thalia, can we talk about this alone, please.” It was the only thing I could do to hopefully handle the situation.

She closed her eyes and nodded, stomping ahead of me back to our tent. Once inside she stood at the back, near the bed, with her hands on her hips and an I'm going to hurt you if you don't explain fast expression on her face.

“Chiron needed me to meet with him, Brian Barrick, the demi-titan son of Ophion.”

Her face paled as she let me tell her about the conversation that I had been dismissed from. I went into everything I knew about the siege of Troy and how it all kept connecting to the guy talking with Chiron. Eventually she sighed and back tiredly on the bed. I knew that somehow, this only opened up what would be a long night of many explanations.

(Brock's P.O.V.)

We were generally all just lounging around, getting to know the group of new inductees. Jace had wondered off with Artyom and the new guy, Aaron. They had dragged the Knight bodies off down a corridor for safe keeping. Theia had been left slightly reeling by Atlas's unnerving confession that Brian was somehow in Hades.

My most immediate concern would be sleep, as it usually was. This wonderful thought didn't seem to last me very long though, as a group of girls came clambering down the halls. It was the usual gossip talk, who was seeing who and all of that ridiculous girl talk. It wouldn’t have really caught my attention except for what one of the girls had spouted.

“So, do you see the boys here?” the first girl asked, but I blanked on her name.

“What boys, they only have five if you don't count that one that came with us.” The older black hair girl rebutted.

“Oh, Alexis, you really need to learn to live a little. I personally think that one duelling was quite nice.” It was the first girl again, her name finally coming to me. Elise. She had been the high spirited one of the bunch.

“I think his name is Jace, unless you mean the guy who got filled up with arrows.” Alexis answered back dryly.

The two girls behind them both snickered at the comments and as they started to walk out of earshot, I couldn't help but follow from a distance to eavesdrop on what else might come up. It's not that I had a particular interest in listening to their thoughts, but there wasn’t much else going on really either.

“Well, we can rule out the fire kid and the guy who got beat before.” Kendall, the girl with black hair covered up by a matching black beanie laughed.

“You mean Artyom and Trevor? Yeah.. they both seem to taken.” All of the girls laughed at Elise's comments.

“What about Brock, the King dude.” Carmen, the fourth girl spoke up.

“Oh my gods, no. He's like, uh, a bit too creepy.” Elise said in a mock horrified tone.

“Creepy? Really, Elise?” Carmen asked with a hint of curiosity.

“Well, not creepy like stalker or nothing. I mean, he just seems like he might have a short temper or something. Nasty violent and all that.” Elise retorted, nervous.

“Also, wouldn't he most likely be with Hana, the Queen?” Alexis offered with a bit of boredom for the subject.

“That leaves the guy who found you guys... the grave-robber.” Elise replied.

“Brian.” Alexis answered her quickly. “But you heard what.. what Atlas said.”

“Yeah, but what about him?” Elise snapped back at the taller girl.

“Yes, indeed. What about me?” All four of the girls looked terrified as they stood frozen in front of their subject.

Brian looked at the girls each with a smile and snarl both. His clothes were torn and covered with filth, he looked like he'd spent days crawling around with the dead. His hands looked burned and it made me wonder what exactly he had been up to down in the underworld.

“Ah, King Brock, what a pleasant surprise to find you first.” The snarl hadn't receded from his voice. I couldn't yet place what didn't fit about the scene, but something seemed terribly amiss.

“Glad to see you alive, if that is you are such.” I replied cautiously, still unsure what his game was.

He simply strolled on past me, glancing back over his shoulder just once to inquire Theia's location as he strode onward.

“Is he alright? I mean, he looks so..” Alexis began to ask, but a new voice cut through the air.

“Dead.” Cassie called out as she neared us. “Brian looks dead. I'm sure you felt it too, Brock.”

“Something totally doesn't feel right about this.” Artyom smiled from next to her.

“I agree, and I take it everything is secured?” I quizzed about the Knights bodies.

“Aye, good and safe, for now.” Arty smiled nervously at me.

It was a rather large crowd we had now, everyone was present in the room except the obvious. Theia was deeper in the black palace with Hana, but only the gods knew where Kathryn had slipped off too. Sam and Jace were still treating Chang at our makeshift infirmary.

“I think I'm gonna check on things, keep everybody away from the back quarters.” I said towards Cassie and Arty, who both nodded and led the group of girls off in a different direction than Brian or myself headed down.

It took me a couple of minutes to catch sight of him, but he was on a direct course for Hana. I couldn't see what she was doing, as I was peering from a shadowy spot along a crevice in the wall, to conceal myself.

“My lady, I'm sorry if I brought you any discomfort in my delay.” Brian spewed unnaturally.

My head started to spin as he leaned down and kissed Hana on the lips briefly, which seemed to stun her before prompting the oddest response I'd ever heard from her, that I could recall.

“Oh, think nothing of it, dearest. It's just good that you've returned to me at last.” The words spilled from her lips, with an injustice.

“Now, my dear, tell me the most efficient way to dispose of that terrible Duchess.” Brian said as he helped Hana to her feet.

“You need a counter for her powers.. something invariably dark based.” Hana said in a dreamlike trance.

“Ah, then I suppose Kathryn would be ideal for this, correct?” Brian asked with a venomous bite to his sentences.

“Kat, yes. She would prove quite useful.” Hana swayed slightly before sitting back down.

“Fabulous, and where would our lovely ladies be hiding?” He asked with the oddest hisses to his voice yet again.

Hana just pointed further to the back, pouring once again over the stack of documents that I could at last make out. Then the words struck me. Brian was asking questions he would know the answers to already. Efficiency, locations, and who was skilled at what. This was all rather unnerving, so I just had to keep on following.

I couldn't help but stare with a bit of hurt at the Queen as I passed by her, but she didn't even seem to notice that I walked through the room. Another oddity indeed, and this was beginning to form something I was not excited to learn more about.

Because of pausing by where Hana was seated, I missed the meeting and conversation with Brian and Kat, but I couldn't properly tell if she was under the same seeming influence as Hana or not. At least, I severely hoped that Brian had somehow enchanted Hana.

At last we reached the back doors to Theia's chambers. Brian strode into the room along with Kathryn, much to Theia's alarm. I stayed at the doors, peering in curiously but with a pang of worry.

I could just barely make out Theia glancing up to see her intruders. “Brian! What are you doing here?” Her eyes were literally flashing with light.

"You sound so utterly disappointed to see me." Brian snickers for a moment, then gestures towards Kat. "I even brought our friend Kathryn, in hopes of celebrating my return together."

“You act like I should be happy about this.” Theia sneers with narrowed eyes. ”Perhaps we should all celebrate after you've taken a shower.”

Brian gasps dramatically. “Perhaps, you are the one tainted with filth...”

“What did you just say to me?” Theia shrieks loudly through the back corridors.

“He said, that you're a no good piece of trash!” Kat called from the side of room, half shadowed by the dark.

“You stay out of this!” Theia couldn't help but snarl viciously.

“Now now, my lovely ladies, how about we deal with this trifle more accordingly.” A cruel smile perched on his lips, showing the cracks of death.

This prompted Theia to instictively reach for the dog-tags around her neck. “What are you doing here, Brian?” She replied dangerously.

“I came to dance with the most beautiful girl in this dark, abysmal garden. Brian clenched his fists tightly, as I caught notice that he had no dog-tags himself. Theia seemed to catch sight of this as well.

“Did you now? You seem to have come rather unprepared.” She pulled the dog-tags off her neck with slightly overdone casualness.

“Unprepared? For our dance, or your death?” The confusion in Brian's voice was apparent.

“Pick one.” Theia replied as she quickly strings her arrow and prepares to fire.

“Hmm, quite a nifty trick there. A toy bow on a string, how cute.” Brian cackles wickedly, as Kat pulls off her dog-tags.

“Indeed. Would you like to see another nifty trick?” Theia asks rhetorically.

The first arrow all but explodes with light when it's released, but Kat springs to life and slaps the arrow out of the air with her daggers. A well of darkness swallows the light completely, causing Brian to begin a new taunt.

“So freaking melodramatic!” Kat huffs.

“How did...how dare you!” Theia stares in shock before nearly screaming in frustration.

“Ah, you see... She has some good uses after all.” Brian cracks his knuckles slightly before slamming his fist into the wall, causing a fissure crack down it's whole side. “Can you survive in darkness, against such overwhelming strength? I wonder.”

“You seem to be forgetting somthing, Brian dear. I'm never in complete darkness.” Comes the retort through bared teeth.

“Darkness will always black out the light!” Kat seethes back in response, slipping in and out of the shadows.

Theia glares in pure hatred. “I told you to stay out of this, you worthless...” Her words are cut off as Brian grips her from behind by the neck, squeezing violently.

“I surely hope our dance isn't yet over.” This statement is a followed by a grunting sound as Brian is kicked in the leg with the back of Theia's heel. Kat lets out a soft laugh before momentarily blacking out the room with darkness.

“You little bug, come here to get squashed!” Brian slams his fist into the wall, just missing her head. Theia struggles to get a good position to fire another arrow, but can't seem to find one.

There are a flurry of curses in ancient Greek. “Damn these long-range weapons!”

Theia takes her arrow in hand and tries to stab him with it as he gets too close. Much to eveyrones shock, he allows himself to be stabbed, giving the close range to sucker punch Theia harshly.

“I'm not exactly feeling myself lately, perhaps you could help light things up in here.” Brian taunts.

Theia doubles over in pain and as she struggles to breathe, a blinding flash of pure white light illuminates and heats the room.

“Kathryn, now!” Kat creates a large vacuum of darkness, to swallow up the light but drains herself almost completely of power.

“Such a shame... it seems she has run out of use.”

I find myself in shock as Brian grabs Kat by the throat, snapping her neck and tossing her into Theia with force and a resounding thud. Theia is sent flying backwards, momentarily pinned under the dead weight of the lifeless girl, as she continues gasping for air.

“What...who are you?” Come out Theia's garbled words, as Brian approaches, grasping her head and lifting her high off the ground.

“Isn't it obvious? I'm everything that Brian will never be! I've come to crush the pathetic order that he's fought so hard to protect.”

You can clearly see the death etched across his face, the horrible smell of decay from his breath. Her eyes widen as the horror starts to set in, I clench my fists tightly and grit my teeth as her eyes start to bulge.

“No... you can't be... it's not poss...” The choking sounds break the short silence of the room.

“Your dear Brian... I wonder how he's really faring, trying to explain himself to the demigods as we speak most likely.” Brian slams her body into the wall as she chokes, until it starts going limp.

I hated the fact I could only watch, peering with my overcome curiosity. I burst forth into the room, causing this demonic illusion of Brian to release his hold on Theia. She crumples to the floor on top of the now dead, Kat. The cold yellow eyes glow in the room as he observes me for a moment, before swinging a vicious closed fist into my skull.

“She's not dead, just crushed... but don't worry, my friends will be arriving here soon." Brian growled as I slipped into the unconscious.