DA : Chapter 157: Rampage I

He watched as the gory bits of divine flesh and ichor dripped through his fingers, slowly turning into white dust and letting him know that Artemis was well and truly gone.

With her passing the moon lost its glow, darkening to the point Percy wondered if it could even be seen from the planet anymore. However it wasn't his concern at the moment. No, that was how he felt as he watched the ashen dust blow away even when there wasn't a single breeze.

His right ear twitched from a random itch but he ignored it for now.

He watched as it faded away and out of sight, even the ichor dissolving into nothing as he remained kneeled down. His breathing was even as he kept looking at the last spot Artemis had been as he checked himself and felt remarkably … empty. His emotions were still there and he was far too aware for it to be another episode for him but with everything said and done concerning the goddess, he was just left as is.

One would think he'd feel jubilant or happy or fulfilled, and any other nonsense considering revenge being served best cold and all that. While maybe true, after the fact there was a grand total of nothing. He hadn't regained anything or taken any prize after the act. He felt calmer knowing his mother and step-father's deaths were avenged while also removing a volatile being that would have presented a threat later on but he wasn't necessarily happy.

He was just … tired.

With that in mind he sighed as he started to shrink down from his thirty foot stature to that of his mortal form, a miasma of darkness flowing off him like spent ash as he reverted to his base form and his manifestation re-sealed itself. It took all of thirty seconds before the process was complete before he inspected himself.

His coat of darkness had reformed, covering his body in comforting darkness rather than being another layer of dense, armor-like skin. His wolf features faded away as his fangs decreased to a more appropriate size. His jeans were torn at the bottom but his boots covered the fact and his shirt was still gone though but he had no intention of fixing it at the moment.

Most of his wounds were already healed even his right hand still had a dull ache but that was a given. Considering how much of Artemis' divine energy had been present in and around the wound before he forced it to regenerate far faster than it would have on its own, it wasn't a surprise that his hand had 'divine contamination' and was slowly expelling trace elements of energy left from the late goddess.

Overall he was fine, after all, when you've been trained by the likes of Nyx and Tartarus which included literally having body parts crushed and/or removed as a manner of toughening while tempering a body to withstand the strain of forced regeneration, you learn to keep going regardless of what kind of injuries you take. Didn't mean he didn't curse out both of them during those decades as he was pushed to the absolute limit time and time again.

But now it was done and he just wanted to end the battle still raging near his home and go to bed with his wives. This night was done and with Artemis gone, one of the goals was complete. So as he prepared to shadow travel back the itch he'd felt earlier returned full force making him wince before his eyes widened as he looked at the planet.

It was only now that he realized that itch had been his own charm transmitting a desperate call for help along with the terror of its holder, Cloelia. Narrowing his senses his gaze fell over the continental US, specifically over New York. He released a deep growl as the darkness around him intensified, his mood dropping as anger bubbled up within.

He was tired and ready to turn in but now someone was not only attacking his (possible) charge, but an innocent child no less and that was something he had no mercy for. With a thought he disappeared in a burst of shadow, already prepared to rip apart whoever it might be…

...

With Annabeth, Seconds after flashing away

In a golden burst she arrived, sword drawn as her head swiveled around as she scanned the familiar beach, her heart sinking as she took in the sight. Marring the normally pristine beach were all manner of smoking craters and piles upon piles of golden dust along with some stomped plants along with some mortal bodies dressed in mismatched armor of both mythical and mortal origin.

Jutting out from surprise outcroppings and hidden latches were all manner of small automated guns, crossbows, and grenade launchers implemented by Leo as the island's own safety defense but it seemed that they were overwhelmed and broken regardless. Even as she looked she could see the sand staining with their blood as the very sea behind her remained unnaturally still.

It didn't paint a pretty sight.

"Cloelia!" she called as she finished her observations in less than three seconds before running up the steps to the villa, her senses pushed outward in order to find anyone present.

"Calypso, Leo, anyone!" she called again as she quickly arrived to the entrance, noting the battered foyer and columns along it with more monster dust and some mortals.

She didn't even care if she accidently stepped on them as she dashed in, having detected two divine signatures within the house … but it was the missing one that worried her most.

In less than a minute she moved through the house and passed the halls until she arrived at the entrance to Leo and Calypso's master bedroom, the door completely blown off the hinges. She could feel a smoldering heat coming from inside and smell the stench of burning flesh so she slowly entered, already aware that Leo had to be furious at this point.

Inside was just another horror scene. At least three bodies had become charred husks, all in a direct line from the door opening and burn marks on the opposing wall. Then another two bodies, one dissolving into golden dust while the other was mortal and missing a head with the brains splattering on the wall behind it. At their feet was a smoking shot-gun made of steel and Celestial bronze mix, Leo's mid-range weapon.

Turning away from the grizzly seen she looked to the bed itself and the two occupants, her heart nearly leaping to her throat at the sight. Leo was kneeling on the bad, hair steaming with flecks of fire and his frame almost glowing due to his rage even as he held his sobbing wife.

Calypso was in her nighty, the soft garment ripped up and torn exposing her chest with only her panties keeping her modest even if they did look a little stretched. It was only the sight of another body, pants halfway down but underwear still in place and a tiny knife lodged into the shit's throat that gave Annabeth an idea of what happened.

And judging by the positions of the bodies, Leo had arrived before any of the other scum could try a go once their friend had been killed in his attempted rape. As for the others … Leo had been less than merciful and Annabeth's only complaint would be not having the pleasure of skinning them herself. Still, she quickly moved around to the other side of the bed, casually grabbing the other body and tossing it over her shoulder without care before slowly placing a hand on Calypso's shoulder.

The crying goddess started as she looked to Annabeth but relaxed if only slightly before her eyes suddenly widened and she clutched onto Annabeth.

"They took her!" she cried in near hysteria before babbling apologies as she held onto Annabeth for dear life.

"I know," she replied, trying to sound calm even if she was ready to blow herself but she needed answers before she could go looking. "Please Calypso, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened?"

Calypso seemed to catch it as she slowed down from crying and hyperventilating until it was choked sobbing. It was also only now that Annabeth noticed Calypso had a bloody welt at the side of her head.

"They came so quickly. I tried to leave but there was a barrier and they passed the defenses before slaughtering the servants," she starting sobbing harder. "And then they had us both and h-he saw her and just ripped her right out of my arms!" she shouted before breaking down again as Leo held her close.

"Who took her?" Annabeth asked, feeling her nerves fry by the second.

"P-Pallas!" Calypso replied making Annabeth gasp.

The Titan of Warcraft himself!? But, what was he doing here and why? How did he get passed the barriers hiding Ogygia even? However, her thoughts trailed off that and settled on the more important matter of actually finding her daughter. So she refocused on the crying goddess before asking, "Do you know where they took her?"

Calypso looked at her as she turned her head slightly away from her husband's chest before slowly nodding.

"Where?" Annabeth asked urgently.

"H-he said … 'Hurry … or her head will rest beside that blade', then he left with her," she said softly, hiccupping slightly.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where exactly she needed to go as she got up and turned but paused as Leo finally spoke after having calmed himself and his wife.

"You're not going alone are you?" he asked as she straightened up while still holding Calypso to him.

"I can't just wait," she retorted while glancing at him over her shoulder.

"It's a trap!" he returned while moving to stand but Calypso clutched onto him with a whimper.

Both gods looked at the goddess, seeing how the shock was finally setting in after everything that happened in the last several minutes. Seeing Calypso so shaken and knowing just how close they had been to being too late if not for Cloelia's active panic button cooled their tempers even as Annabeth shivered in disgust.

Too close, far too close.

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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.

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