I do not in any way own or profit from the Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus series.
"Just my luck", Percy thought as he dodged another clawed swipe, "I couldn't get even one day off."
It was Percy's 18th birthday & he had been spending it with Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood, relaxing in the strawberry fields when they noticed a commotion on Half-Blood Hill. A lone half-blood was running up the hill while trying to use a branch to fight off a pack of Dracanae (snake women) that were chasing him. Seeing that the boy was being overwhelmed, the pair ran to help him, resulting in Percy's current position. He could see Annabeth a few feet away, shielding the newbie with her body as she took on three Dracanae at once. Dispatching the last of them near him Percy looked over again to see Annabeth finishing the last of the monsters & brushing the golden monster dust out of her long blonde curls. As Percy walked over, she turned around to face the new boy & helped him up, brushing him off as she did so. Looking at him, Percy was startled, the boy could have been his clone, if about 5 years younger. Annabeth must have noticed it too, as she was so distracted; she didn't notice one of the snake women who had escaped the slaughter of her comrades sneaking up on her. Seeing Annabeth's would be killer, Percy broke into a run, but he was too far away for his blade to make any difference. Making a last minute decision, Percy dropped Riptide & threw himself between Annabeth & the Dracanae's sword, which was ironically aimed at the small of Annabeth's back, Percy's only weak spot before the Giant's war.
Seeing the horrified look on the new kid's face & hearing the gasps from the assembling crowd of demigods Annabeth turned around, just in time to see Percy run through as he took the sword for her. Before she could even process what happened, the new kid, Theseus, grabbed her knife & killed the Dracanae. With a strangled cry, Annabeth collapsed to the ground, indifferent to the monster dust now covering her & gathered Percy's head into her lap. Apollo campers rushed forward to help the pair, but after 5 minutes of flurried activity around Percy's midsection Will Solace looked up at Annabeth & slowly shook his head as he and his siblings backed away quietly, eyes downcast. Annabeth looked back down at Percy & was startled, he was gasping for breath & clutching his stomach wound, but he still managed to smile for her.
"Why so glum Wise Girl?" he asked with a pained smile as her tears rained down on his face, "You took a knife for me; I took one for you, now we're even."
"NO!" she sobbed, "It's not supposed to end this way, you promised me forever, you promised!"
"I never break my promises Wise Girl, but I think we're going to have to take a rain check on that one." he replied with a laugh that quickly turned into a hacking cough as he struggled for air.
With an air of solemnity, Clarisse broke away from the assemblage of weeping demigods to hand Percy Riptide before she quickly walked back into her boyfriend's arms, silent tears pouring down her face. Annabeth tried to smile for Percy as she went to place his sword on his chest like the heroes of old but shook his head at her. Grabbing Riptide by its handle, he looked up at her, the amount of love shining in his sparkling sea green eyes stunning her.
"Annabeth," he said, "thank you. You made this basket case New Yorker feel more special & alive then he probably deserved & I wish I had more time to show you just how important you are to me. I love you Wise Girl."
Looking away from her face for the first time since he took the knife, Percy turned his head to look at the demigod he & Annabeth had saved; his mini-clone who had been standing, stunned, behind the pair since Percy had been stabbed. Noticing the trident pendant around his neck Percy gave him a small smile before raising Riptide & handing it to the boy.
"Riptide responds best to the Sons of the Sea," he rasped as the boy grasped the hilt tightly & raised the celestial bronze sword high, "use it well little brother…."
Theseus smiled tightly at him & began to turn away, but in one last burst of strength, Percy grabbed his wrist.
"…Just promise me one thing…" Percy gasped, "Just one last thing… do what I can't anymore…keep her safe for me ….just keep my Wise Girl safe."
Theseus nodded tearfully. "I will…brother." he said as Percy let go of his wrist & let his hand drop down to Annabeth's face, caressing her cheek one last time as she leaned into his hand.
"See you on the other side Wise Girl." he said as his strength failed him & his hand fell.
Annabeth was shocked back into reality with the lack of contact, having been stripped of her voice as her brain tried to process the fact that she was really losing him; that Percy wasn't getting back up from this one.
"No! No, you can't leave me! We can fix this. Don't you dare leave me alone Seaweed Brain!"
"There's my girl," he chuckled softly as the lights started to dim in his eyes, orbs that had once been roiling seas of green now glazed & dull, "always trying to fix everything. Don't worry darling, this isn't goodbye. I'll be waiting for you, as long as it takes. Remember, forever."
With that, Percy's body went still & an invisible Hermes quietly led his soul off to Hades, Chiron's proclamation of the death of the Son of Poseidon & the claiming of the next Sea Prince ringing in his ears. & he kept his promise, Olympus's greatest Hero waited many years in Elysium before he was joined by his other half, but he didn't mind. After all, he had promised her forever, & Percy Jackson never broke a promise.