Dark Tides

Percy felt like he was going to throw up. Seeing that knife plunge into Emily gave him the most horrible feeling in his gut that he'd ever felt, and he'd felt some truly horrible things. Next to him, the entire crew of the Spirit had tensed at the same time Scarlett and Ben did. Ben looked like he was about to explode into flames. Scarlett didn't wait for anyone to pull themselves together before taking a few steps back and taking a running leap off the end of her ship, swiftly landing on the railing of The Serpent. Ben and the rest of her crew followed her, all with their own battle cries, but Percy couldn't move. Within all of the chaos and movement, the only thing Percy could see was Emily fall to the ground and hold her side, almost in slow motion. Standing above her, Nathaniel wiped her blood off his knife, locking eyes with Percy with a challenging glare.

That glare was what did it. Percy's face twisted into something of pure rage as he held his own knife between his teeth and leaped across to The Serpent, running straight for his father. Nathaniel was ready, blocking the attack and shoving Percy aside. Percy jumped back up and tried slashing him again, but when Nathaniel grabbed his wrist, he swung his other hand and punched Nathaniel in the jaw with a cringe-worthy cracking sound. While Nathaniel took the opportunity to move his jaw back into place, Percy rushed over and picked up Emily, who still looked shocked as to what had happened.

"You're fine," he muttered to her, moving her out of the way so she didn't get trampled. "Just focus on staying awake."

She nodded quickly, squirming and holding the wound as Percy put her down. Her eyes suddenly widened and she looked as if she were about to say something, but Percy was distracted by the clang of steel on steel right behind his head, whipping around to see that Nathaniel had attempted to run him through while his back was turned, but Ben had managed to block the hit. With his teeth tightly clenched, he lifted a leg to kick Nathaniel in the chest, back into where Scarlett was waiting to hit him over the head with the back of her own knife, knocking him down. Percy had noticed that when they fought, Ben and Scarlett now moved together, almost perfectly in sync. He would have been impressed if he wasn't so worried sick about Emily.

Nathaniel turned on Scarlett, drawing back and slapping her hard across the face, enough to knock her back a few steps. With the power of the amulet, it couldn't have left a mark or left any permanent injuries, but it couldn't have felt very good either. No matter how it felt, it left Scarlett in a state of shock and Ben furious.

"Don't you lay a finger on her, you brute!" he yelled as he attacked Nathaniel again, this time getting a good gash in his cheek.

Emily let out a quiet little laugh, watching over Percy's shoulder. "Always so passionate..."

Percy looked back at her, giving her a half smile and helping her stand. At least if she was talking, she wasn't dying. When she wobbled slightly, he picked her up, weaving through the fight and locking them both in the control room before anyone could stop them. He was about to go help Emily again when he found that she'd already pulled herself up and started fiddling with the controls, hand holding onto her side. Percy moved beside her, examining her wound while she fiddled with the buttons.

"You shouldn't be-"

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do," she snapped suddenly.

Percy stopped talking, but stayed close behind her, noticing her swaying as if she'd collapse at any minute. She stopped what she was doing and bent with a soft wince to rip a strip off the underlayer of her skirt, though she wasn't able to get back up. Percy helped her, taking the strip out of her hand and wrapping it tightly over the wound to press it and soak up the blood.

"The more it happens, the less you start to feel it. You'll be alright," Percy muttered to her, holding her up as she plugged what looked like coordinates.

Just as she entered it, the door was smashed down, and a very ragged looking Nathaniel stormed inside. Clearly, Scarlett and Ben hadn't been easy on him. But now Scarlett and Ben were nowhere to be found, likely distracted by fighting off anyone else who tried to help Nathaniel. Her own crew was helping, but every now and then one of them would be run through or shot, which left them stunned for about a minute before they were back up on their feet. Invincible to death, but not to pain.

Percy instinctively moved in front of Emily as Nathaniel stepped towards them, fire blazing in his eyes. He pointed at the both of them, shaking his head as they backed away slowly, Emily hanging on to Percy for support.

"Percy, we need to get off the ship," she whispered, though Percy was focused on his father.

"You two... You know, Percy, I never thought you would be the one to do this," he said, reaching for his pistol and pointing it at them. "You were always the little pain that just wanted everyone to be happy and love each other. I wouldn't have been surprised if you tried to join me. But to turn against me like this? On your own father? Shame on you."

"I don't have a father," Percy said, hand twitching towards his own firearm.

"Percy, we really need to go," Emily whispered again.

"You two aren't going anywhere," Nathaniel growled.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Percy snapped. "Haven't you taken enough from me? You've taken my brother, you've taken my mother, and now you want take the person I've given whats left of my love to."

"Love?" Emily breathed.

"Your mother?" Nathaniel asked, his tone still bitter, but different.

"She's dead, and it's your fault," Percy snapped.

"Malina is dead," Nathaniel repeated.

For a split second, a look flashed across Nathaniel's face that Percy wasn't sure what to make of. It wasn't anything he'd ever seen before. He took the moment of opportunity of Nathaniel's confusion to suddenly pick up Emily and sling him over his shoulder, barreling past his father and back out onto the deck. The Serpent was moving away from Scarlett's ship, and quickly.

"Get off the ship!" Percy yelled, catching Scarlett's attention.

She barked the order to her own crew, watching as everyone frantically scrambled back to The Silver Spirit and leaped across before they were stuck on the Serpent. Most of Nathaniel's crew wasn't so lucky. Some jumped out into the water, but others were too confused to realize what was happening. Percy made a running leap off the end of the ship just as his father grabbed at him, just barely missing. He grabbed onto the ledge and swung Emily over, dangling dangerously off the rail himself until some members of the crew helped hoist him up.

When he turned around, he caught glimpse of Nathaniel staring at them, angry but somewhat defeated.

"I'll get you! All of you!" he cried out.

He then suddenly seemed to realize what was happening and jumped out of the ship and into the dark water below him, just moments before a blast came from within the ship. The Serpent exploded to bits and pieces when it got too close to shore. In the end, Emily had been the one to save them all.

Percy watched with wide eyes as people got lost in the debris of the ship, looking down at the water. He couldn't see Nathaniel anywhere. He stayed frozen, staring straight ahead at the wreckage when Scarlett came up from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder. He put an arm around her, pursing his lips.

"Is it over?" he muttered.

"It's never over," she said.

Percy suddenly remembered Emily, whipping around to see that her brother was tending to her now. He kept his distance while Ben was there, though Ben glanced up every now and then with a look that might have been gratitude, if it wasn't laced with such reluctance. Emily was quiet, but awake, wincing softly every time he touched the wound. Emily had saved them. Now it was up to them to save Emily.