This is Annabeth's POV on Luke's Death in the Last Olympian. It's a Percabeth though. It's a songfic to the awesome song Kill Your Heroes by AWOLNATION. It's amazing, so go listen to it.
Even as he backhanded me across the face, and pain overtook my body, I knew he was still there.
Well, I met an old man
Dying on a train.
No more destination,
No more pain.
Well, he said,
"One thing before I graduate
Never let your fear decide your fate."
Kronos stood there, in front of me, in all of his broken down glory. Even with the change of eyes and terrible pain he had just caused me, I still saw Luke Castellan. I still saw the man that I had once upon a time had a crush on. I saw the guy that had held me when I was seven years old and had been a brother when I needed it.
And now, he had a sword raised over my body, prepared to kill with it. I could feel the blood dripping out of my mouth and the pain the swirled through my body. More than anything, I wanted peace.
For some reason, I wanted to be in Percy's arms, and for him to get rid of the agony that I was going through, mentally and physically. I wanted to kiss him like I had last year, but not because he was doing something stupid.
I tried to find my voice, and it didn't want to come out. I could only whisper with a hoarse voice. "Family, Luke. You promised."
With those words I spoke, something came over him. He looked deep into my face and at the blade at his hand before repeating, "Promise." He said it like it was a trigger for memories, and something about him flashed.
It was as if he was trying to get air into his lungs. He gasped loudly. "Annabeth… you're… bleeding…" It wasn't in the voice of the Titan of Time though. It was in that of Luke, the old Luke that I loved.
There wasn't enough time left to say all of the things I was thinking. "My knife." I needed the knife. The prophecy was starting to piece together in my head. I raised my dagger, but it fell down because I was too weak. My arm wasn't working right.
I looked at Percy, standing there, not knowing what to do. "Percy, please…"
I say ya kill your heroes and
Fly, fly, baby don't cry.
No need to worry cause
Everybody will die.
Every day we just
Go, go, baby don't go.
Don't you worry we
Love you more than you know.
Percy disarmed Luke, but he didn't seem to notice. He took a step towards me and Percy placed himself in between us. "Don't touch her," he said, his voice shaking with some sort of emotion I couldn't place.
There was anger in Luke, and he was back to Kronos as he sneered, "Jackson." His entire body started to glow a golden shade, like a second skin. My breath caught in my throat. He was changing, and when Luke snapped back into himself for a second, he even confirmed what I had though.
"NO!" bellowed Kronos , shaking with rage. He tried to stumble towards his sword, which was in the hearth. Percy attempted to stop him, but some force controlled by Kronos was knocked into him. He flew backwards and landed next to me with a sickening crack. I gulped.
My knife was the cursed blade, and none of them seemed to realize it. The hero's soul cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days. "The knife, Percy," I murmured, my voice barely audible. I suddenly could barely breathe. "Hero, cursed blade…"
I looked at Kronos, who'd just picked up his scythe again. He screamed and dropped it back to the ground. His hands were smoking, and the blade was bright red and hot from the fire. He turned and collapsed, and when he spoke next, it was Luke who was back in control. "Please, Percy…"
The look in Percy's eyes was that of anger. He was going to try to kill Luke and it wouldn't work. He wasn't paying attention to the prophecy. I didn't like Rachel, but I remembered a few of the things Percy had told me she had said. He was not going to be the hero. And for once, Rachel had been right.
Percy wasn't supposed to be the hero. Luke was.
Well, the sun one day will
Leave us all behind.
Unexplainable sightings
In the sky.
Well, I hate to be
The one to ruin the night.
Right before your, right before your eyes.
Luke then told Percy the fatal truth, the words that I didn't want to ever hear from anyone. He said that Kronos would strike back and defend himself. He said that only he could do it to himself. He said that he could keep him under control. Obviously, I was even skeptical, but I couldn't talk anymore.
I hardly noticed Grover's arm wrap around him body as he held me to him, being extra careful with my bad shoulder and arm. He was trying to shield me. I meekly protested, knowing that nothing more would happen. I knew how this battle would end, and I was dreading it.
Around Grover's body, I could see Percy staring at us. He had my knife raised to strike down on Luke, which would only shatter the blade, since he also has the curse of Achilles. I silently begged Percy to give Luke the knife. Luke groaned something that sounded like a plead. And then, there was recognition in Percy's eyes. I could almost see everything going through his brain as he realized that Luke was actually right.
Luke was going to commit suicide. And for some reason, right then, I realized that I didn't love Luke.
He was a brother and a once crush. He was all things that mattered, but yes, he was like a brother. I loved as if I were his sister. And as I saw Percy standing there, handing over my cursed blade, and standing defenseless in front of him, I realized that I loved Percy Jackson.
"Percy are you… um…?" Grover stuttered helplessly. Percy shook his head and we all stared at Luke.
He undid his armor with difficulty and stared intensely at a small spot just under his left arm, a spot that no one would've been able to hit in battle. He looked at my blade one more time, and brought it down and stabbed the area.
What happened next was as strong as a nuclear explosion. Kronos, not Luke, screamed as he was destroyed by the knife of prophecy. The entire room shook with power. My eyes were slammed shut as the burning heat rolled over my skin and blistered my body. The energy that had consumed Luke exploded.
Then there was silence.
I say ya kill your heroes and
Fly, fly, baby don't cry.
No need to worry cause
Everybody will die.
Every day we just
Go, go, baby don't go.
Don't you worry we
Love you more than you know.
Grover helped me limp over to Luke's broken body, sprawled on the ground by the hearth. The scythe was nothing more than molten metal. Percy was already there, kneeling down. Half of his body was entirely covered in blood. There would be no saving him today. But his eyes… they were blue.
I was crying softly, and when Luke looked at me, a part of me withered away. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew…"
"Shh." My body shook with grief. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."
He shook his head. "Think… rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."
I almost wanted to smile down at him. "You always pushed yourself too hard." When he held out his hand, I ran my fingers across his charred palm. The skin seemed to fall off with my small, simple touch.
He coughed, and his lips were coated in blood. "Did you… did you love me?"
I wiped my tears away. What was I supposed to tell him? I knew what he was asking. He wanted to know if we had ever wanted to be something more than a brother and a sister, more than best friends and battle buddies. "There was a time I though… well, I though…" I looked over at Percy, who was watching me with such love that I could feel myself melting. And then I realized I was looking at him the exact same way.
"You were like a brother to me, Luke. But I didn't love you." He nodded like he expected me to say that, and I ran my hand over his burnt cheek. He leaned into it a little bit. Grover said, "We can get ambrosia. We can-"
Luke cut him off. "Grover, you're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But no, there's no healing." He started to cough again. And then he gripped Percy's sleeve. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it… don't let it happen again." He almost begged Percy for it.
"I won't. I promise," Percy said faintly.
Luke nodded and his hand went slack. He stared at all of us, and his eyes lingered on mine and remained there.
Well, I met an old man
Dying on a train.
No more destination,
No more pain.
Well he said
"One thing, before I graduate
Never let your fear decide your fate."
I looked down at his face and I knew the truth.
Luke Castellan was dead.
Honestly, even after all that happened, I too loved Luke. I wanna do another songfic… so I want you guys to choose the song: Stubborn Love by the Lumineers or Anna Sun by Walk the Moon. Reviews are loved.
-BBH
