A/N: So, after a lot of thought, I decided to go back to my original idea when I deleted the old stories. Re-make them, and complete my plan for a trilogy. A mark left behind, in the wake of a war that threatens to turn life itself into dust.
A warm wind cast itself over New York City, as the sun slowly began to disappear behind the tall skyscrapers, and jagged edges of steel, metal, and concrete.
Street-lights began to seamlessly snap on, nearly invisible to the deluge of people walking right beneath them. It was a Friday evening. A time for relaxation, for making plans, for enjoying the respite that was nearly upon them all.
The same was true of the city's silent heroes, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Three months had passed since Kronos's death, and the defeat of the Titans at the very gates of Olympus.
All the mortals had seen was a mass of storms that tore the Eastern Seaboard apart. In spite of this, those two knew what they did. The entire Olympian world knew of the heroics done that day, and all the sacrifices made to save the Gods from their own mistakes.
However, Olympus was soon to face its greatest crucible. For a conflict that has been waged since time immemorial, shall soon take hold…
"Are we really going to see 'The Legend 4'?" Percy asked, his voice nearly a whine. Annabeth looked over her shoulder at him sharply.
"Oh, stop complaining. You promised me. And besides, you'd probably like it, if you could pay attention." She smirked.
Suddenly, an almost nefarious grin crept across Percy's face, as he took hold of Annabeth's hand, turning her to face him.
"Well, you'll be sitting right next to me…so it won't be totally boring…" he trailed off, an evil grin finding its way onto his features.
Annabeth smirked a bit in response, pulling herself up to his ear.
"If the movie can't keep you entertained…I'm sure I have a few tricks…" she winked, before abruptly letting go of his hand, and turning back to face the front of the line.
Percy sighed, a slight bit of contentment sneaking into the undertone.
Unbeknownst to the happy couple, however…they were being watched.
A set of binoculars was fixed on Percy directly, and the eyes at the other end narrowed in a mix of anger and success.
"At last." A voice spoke, before setting down the binoculars.
Suddenly, a door opened up behind the figure, and a janitor entered the room tentatively.
"Someone in here?" he called out, a slight bit of fear evident in his voice. "Building's closing down!"
The figure watched the man with a hunter's grin from the shadows, bringing a set of long-jawed daggers to bear, their unearthly metal glinting in the dim light.
Before the janitor could turn around to leave, the figure moved in a rush, gouging a dagger through the back of the man's head, and another at the base of his spine, before tearing forward with both, causing the vertebrae to snap like a twig.
The janitor fell over dead on the cold concrete floor, blood seeping from his wounds, streaming onto the carpeted hallway he'd just finished cleaning.
With the man dead, the figure moved to return to the window, the skirt of his black jacket flowing behind him.
He tapped his ear gently, to access the headset piece within, as the expression on his face returned to a dead-pan.
"Target located. Is auxiliary in place?" he demanded over the set.
Inside the theatre, the man's cohorts were carrying out their tasks.
"Yes, milord. Everything is set. The plan is in its final stages and the clock is running." An agent responded, looking up from the corpse of the man set to watch the film play at the top of the screening theatre.
"Have our men taken their positions?"
As the agent prepared to respond, he watched as his men dragged a gagged usher into a back room, and others came out wearing the uniforms.
"Yes sir, they're already herding the crowd into the assigned positions. There won't be any witnesses." He confirmed, his voice carrying a tone of confidence, mixed with arrogance.
"Very well. How long until the target enters the building?"
The agent checked his watch, before leaning over his shoulder to look at the line outside.
"About five minutes, sire." He answered, before ducking a little bit, pretending to simply be a man on a phone.
"Then I'm moving. Wait for my signal. When everyone is inside…ensure no escape."
The figure cut the communication, before storming off, slamming the door behind him.
Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth were slowly moving up the line, nearing the ticket booth.
The two had been making small talk while moving through the line, but Percy was the one to interrupt, when he saw someone out of the corner of his eye.
A brooding figure stalked up to the theatre, pushing his way past the people in line, and raising a fuss among the people ahead of them.
"Hey!"
"What's the idea, pal?"
"Line starts back there, jackass!" Among several others of note. The man paid them no heed, as he strode past the booth, stepping into the theatre itself.
"Em, sir! Wait! You need a ticket before you can go inside!" one of the staff at the booth called out.
The man stepped aside for a moment, and flashed something at the booth worker, before putting it away, and walking inside without a word.
"What was that about?" Percy asked, once the commotion had died down. Annabeth shrugged, but kept her eyes on the door.
"Who knows? Probably some movie big-shot incognito or something. Why else would they let him in like that?" Annabeth posed, placing a hand on her hip.
As Percy and Annabeth were about to get their tickets, inside the theatre, the final preparations were being put into place.
The man appeared behind the agent fielding his calls in the film box.
"Is everything in place?"
The agent looked over at the man nervously. It was extremely easy to become nervous in this man's presence.
"Yes, sire. The last of the men are in position. As soon as the target enters the area, we can begin on your signal." He informed him, much to the man's dead-pan response.
The man simply drew his blades, clenching his fists around the hilts, grinding his teeth down for a moment.
Below them, Percy and Annabeth had finally made it through the line, got their tickets, and were moving to their seats.
Eager to sit down after such a long wait, they nearly collided with the back of their chairs, as Percy extended an arm around Annabeth, much to her craftily concealed glee.
The rest of the audience followed suit, and the man signaled for the agent to allow the film to begin rolling.
The agent raised his wrist to his mouth; a communicator jammed half way through his sleeve.
"This is it. All ushers, secure the exits."
The disguised men in the red and white 'Milestone Theatres' usher uniforms moved to cover all the exits to the multiplex room they were now in.
The agent turned to face his master, a confident grin slowly appearing on his face.
"My lord, all exits are sealed. They're trapped."
The man darkened the black tint of the visor around his eyes, and scraped his blades against each other for a second.
"Orion Squad, permission to commence attack is granted."
Suddenly, the movie went dead, causing the audience to react in confusion. Seconds later, the grates on the vents were blown out, and a series of men in red and black body armor began roping down out of them, creating a mass panic.
People began to bolt for the exits, only to discover that the room's ushers had drawn weapons, and had them aimed at them.
The room became a mass of confusion, as the soldiers' captains shouted orders.
"Nobody move!"
"Hands in the air! Now!"
Percy and Annabeth stood up, knowing that the weapons they carried on them to defeat monsters were celestial bronze. They wouldn't be any help here.
The man took the chaos as his own signal. He lept from the film room down into one of the rows of seats.
Right on top of Percy Jackson.
Percy felt his neck nearly snap under the sudden shock, as he rolled out of his seat, trying to figure out what had landed on him.
"Percy!" he heard Annabeth call out, and felt her hand tug on his shirt collar, pulling him away from the seat, as the man rushed forward.
With a quick stroke from his blades, he jammed Annabeth in the arm, causing her to flinch back in pain, before he slashed at her side, making her fall over.
"Annabeth!" Percy screamed, summoning his strength from the curse of Achilles to defend his girlfriend from their attacker.
The man kicked Annabeth right into Percy's arms, as he stood facing the two of them, a blade in each hand. The dim light of the theatre was glinting off his visor.
Percy knelt down, cradling Annabeth's stab wound, his brow furrowed as he looked up.
"What the hell! Who are you, and what's going on?" he demanded, an unholy wrath in his tone.
The man breathed in slowly, before hooking his arm at an angle, staring Percy down, like a predator.
"My name is Raptorius. And you are dead." He said, before charging forward.
Raptorius lunged at Percy, who was forced to set Annabeth down, albeit gently.
"Percy! No!" she yelled, trying to stand herself up, feeling blood seeping from her arm and her side.
Percy pulled out Riptide, knowing it wouldn't do any good offensively, but it would work as a defense. The two clashed blades.
Riptide offered greater overall protection, but Raptorius's two blades gave him more versatility, as the two moved about the room.
Percy ducked a double swing that cut two giant slashes into the theatre screen.
But then, he made a fatal mistake. He left a gap open as he rushed past Raptorius's defense, in an attempt to check on Annabeth.
Raptorius gripped Percy's right arm, which was wielding Riptide. Percy looked at Raptorius for a moment, a flash of fear running through his eyes, as he moved his hand to Percy's wrist, and head-butted his knuckle, the shockwave breaking his arm, and causing Riptide to fall from his hand, sliding onto the ground near the screen.
It was then that Raptorius spun Percy around, as Percy moved his other hand to try to nurse his broken arm.
"Percy!" Annabeth called out, standing up via gripping a chair, blood coating her hands.
"Annabeth! I...I…" Percy began, his voice a stutter, as pain shot through every nerve he had. But, he'd never get to finish.
Raptorius jammed both of his blades through the base of Percy's spine – the small of his back. Annabeth couldn't stop herself from screaming as the blades came out through Percy's stomach, and blood flowed from his mouth as he tried to finish his sentence.
Raptorius then stepped away, allowing blood to drip from his blades onto the theatre floor for a moment.
"We're done here. Orion Squad, time to fallback." He said, before he and his men disappeared into the same vents they came from.
Annabeth crawled over to Percy, the blood coming from her own wounds the last thing on her mind, as she saw Percy's blood torrenting from him like a fountain.
"Percy!" she yelled, reaching his side, her hands on his chest. She could feel the power of the wounds through Percy's shirt and leather jacket.
"Damn it, Seaweed Brain! You are not dying on me! Do you understand?" she screamed, as she felt Percy writhe and twitch under her.
"Anna…beth…" he breathed, his voice a faint whisper, as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
She grasped his hand, holding it to her chest with both of her own, tears falling from her eyes.
"That's it, Percy! Stay with me!" she assured him, trying desperately to keep him from slipping. She took a second to glance over at the horrified audience.
"Someone get a damn doctor!" she screamed at them, and a few quickly rushed off.
"Annabeth…I…" He tried to speak, but she silenced him, tears still falling down her face.
"Percy, save your energy…just hold on, okay? Help's coming…" she said, her own voice trailing off.
Percy felt his throat seize up, every nerve felt like it was on fire, and being dipped in magma. Tears formed in his own eyes, both from the burning sting, and his own sadness.
"Annabeth…I…love you…" he whispered to her, the blood from his mouth running down to his chin.
Annabeth's nerves tensed up hard, hearing this from him, she gripped his hand even tighter, and leaned down to him.
"Damn it…" she trailed off, before composing herself for a brief moment. "I love you too, Percy…with everything I have. Please…don't let go. Just stay with me!"
Percy's response amounted to little more than a gag, as more blood came up his throat.
Finally, Annabeth heard rushing footsteps behind her, and three paramedics entered the room in a frenzied rush.
"Step aside, ma'am!" one of them said, as they got to work trying to stabilize Percy enough to get him to a nearby hospital.
Annabeth could still feel tears flowing from her eyes, as she looked around the room. The paramedics weren't alone in their arrival. The NYPD had shown up on the scene, and were locking down the area while the paramedics tended to Percy.
She could see them administering bandages, hear them trying to hook up a field IV to him, to pump more blood into him to keep him from going into shock.
She watched his bloodied hand extended out from his body, as his fingers finally stopped twitching, and Annabeth's heart sank lower than it ever had before.
"He's got no pulse." She heard one of them mutter. Another one looked at a pad that was resting on his knee.
"Yeah, call it." Another one said, his grim tone indicating to Annabeth what had happened. The paramedic that had pushed her aside placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. He's gone." She told her, her head looking down.
Annabeth buried her head in her hands, as the paramedics slapped bandages on her, and ushered her to the ambulance outside.
When they stepped outside, the theatre's entrance was chaos. There were NYPD cars everywhere, and more than one ambulance, though they were all going to the same hospital.
She felt an NYPD officer give her a blanket, as she sat in the back of the ambulance, the doors hanging open.
She felt her eyes sting as she watched paramedics haul Percy out on a stretcher, a white sheet over his head.
As she prepared to depart to the hospital they were going to, she watched the police taping off the site, and saw a few officers re-directing traffic. But, her eyes fixed on the ambulance behind them. The one carrying what was left of Percy. Her Percy.
"Goodbye, Seaweed Brain…Percy. I…I love you too." …