Demigod Avenger (a PJO/Avenger Crossover)

Chapter 20

A/N: And now... The long awaited showdown between Tartarus and Percy!

Disclaimer: The characters and settings portrayed belong to Rick Riordan and Marvel.

Chapter 20:

Percy stopped walking when he was ten feet away from the pit, before calling out, "Tartarus!"

As Percy waited, his fingers were tapping nervously against Riptide, and his eyes were darting back and forth and up and down and everywhere and back again.

Finally, an agonizing minute alter, Tartarus appeared. Despite already knowing what to expect, Percy still shuddered from the horrid, abominable appearance of the primordial.

His purple glistening flesh rippled with muscle as he stood up, towering over Percy, as his face, a whirlpool of darkness and the manifestation of evil, looked down on him. His fingers, tipped with black talons, twitched with the utter want- no, need- to just rip the teenager apart, and his armor was embellished with the figures of Greek not-mythology's terrifying monsters.

The being radiated pure, concentrated malevolence and darkness, and the ambiance pierced through Percy, leaving him almost trembling in fear. Riptide fumbled in his fingers, barely keeping a hold on it. Percy wanted nothing more than to run and hide.

Well, that was a lie. More than running, Percy wanted to save his friends and camp, despite his anger at having to do so.

"Perseus Jackson... Son of Poseidon." Tartarus cackled, the sound resembling the sound of a mountain splitting in half. "Have you come to die?"

"I have come to fight, and if that means death and you getting your revenge... Then yes. But, only if after this fight, you swear on the River Styx to not harm Camp Half-Blood, the Avengers, and the world." Percy shouted up to the being, forcing his fear down. He uncapped Riptide, and held it in front of him, easily shifting into a fighting stance.

"You speak as if you even have a chance against me, puny demigod!" Tartarus shouted. Much quieter, he continued, "But yes... After this fight, I swear on the River Styx to leave Camp Half-Blood, the... Avengers you speak of, and the rest of the world alone. We already know that I'll have my revenge."

The next words came out of Percy's mouth before he could stop and think about it. "Are you sure about that? Because I'm pretty sure that Gaea said the same thing, and now she's a pile of dirt. Well... An inanimate pile of dirt."

Oops, Percy thought to himself.

Tartarus roared, anger and hatred clouding his actions. He lunged forward, talons razor-sharp. Percy rolled to the side, barely missing the talons, and instantly, he shot up, bringing his celestial bronze sword into an upward arc.

Tartarus, despite his hulking size, pulled out of the way.

Percy remembered Annabeth's observation that things seemed to pull towards Tartarus. He would have to be careful about keeping distance, unless he had a clear shot.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Percy's vision narrowed onto his adversary, and he raised his sword again. A familiar pull on his gut told him his intentions were working. Water molecules from the air pulled together, forming a rush of water surrounding him..

"You think you can defeat me with your water tricks? Boy, your powers are nothing but child's play next to me!" Tartarus shouted vindictively.

Percy ignored him, focus narrowing, and he shot off, using the water around him to propel him upwards. He called the water around him, creating a raging hurricane within seconds. 

The water and ice lashed at the primordial, as Percy flung himself into the fight. Tartarus' talons pierced through one side of the hurricane, and he forced his hand in, ignoring the pain he must have felt from the shards of ice penetrating the purple flesh.

Percy dashed away, but a hand came down from up top, blasting Percy into the ground. 

Shaking the stars out of his head, Percy stumbled up, ignoring the small crater from his impact. Tartarus' strength completely surpassed that of a titan's, and his size didn't help, either.

His size... Maybe Percy could use that to his advantage.

Grinning, Percy darted up, feeling the water slide pass his skin, reviving him and filling him with energy. Jumping up, he created a platform of ice beneath him, and, like Ice Man, he swirled around Tartarus, baiting him.

Talons streaked past him, but each time, his ADHD and reflexes saved him in the nick of time. 

"Come on, you can do better that that!" Percy taunted. He dove slightly into Tartarus' reach, wary of the dark gravity that seemed to pull him towards Tartarus, and at the last second, darted back out.

Angry, Tartarus stepped forward, pursuing the elusive demigod.

"You little-!" Tartarus screamed. The being pushed off the ground with his feet, jumping forward to grab the demigod.

Percy, as Tartarus was mid-air, vapor traveled behind him, and with all his force, gathered the ice and water he was using, and pushed Tartarus forward. 

Tartarus' momentum coupled with the added force, left him toppling into the ground. 

Percy grinned, feeling victorious. He dove down for the final blow, a stab through a chink in the primordial's armor leading to the heart if angled correctly. 

Right before the blade would plunge through, Tartarus twisted around onto his back, talons flashing towards Percy.

It was too late.

He was too close.

The dark gravity pulled him in towards Tartarus, straight through Percy.

Pain like no other exploded inside Percy.

He screamed, so loud that he was sure that Hades, Connor,  and even his friends in Elysium could hear his bloodcurdling screams.

Blood erupted from his puncture wounds, spraying the glistening, viscous red liquid all over Tartarus and the ground. Percy's diaphragm and lungs seized, throwing blood up his throat and out his mouth, as his heart desperately pounded to spread the blood that wasn't there through his body, but each pound grew weaker and weaker and weaker.

Percy's eyes watered, and tears began freely flowing out as he felt his life slip away. But, he reused to try and hang on. He had lived his life and fulfilled his duties. He had met the love of his life and lost her, losing himself in the process, only to be healed by the Avengers. He had made friends and lost friends. He had fought in wars, won the wars, and now, lost the war to save his loved ones. He had lived his life.

A last desperate gasp for breath and...

A horrendous, booming laugh sounding like a mountains breaking echoed through the Underworld.

Tartarus had won.

Perseus Jackson, Champion of Olympus, was no more.

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A/N: ... Sorry guys. 

Stay tuned for two more chapters. Things will get better, promise. Well, depending on your definition of better.

As always, feel free to comment!