Chapter 2 - I Fight an Old Enemy, Twice
Hey guys, Sumarbrander here. Although I had no reviews, I will still be updating my story. (Although now I hope someone gives feedback.)
We were a few blocks out of the Empire State Building. It rose up thousands of feet high, looming over the shorter buildings. Above it, in the six hundredth floor, was where Olympus was situated. Annabeth and I were talking seriously about where Persassy might be.
"Where could our son be, Annabeth?" I asked her, I had thought about our son again, whom I, as a father, failed to save. Thinking about it made me feel guilty, I knew I could've saved him. I looked at Annabeth. Surprisingly, Annabeth looked at me blankly, like giving a dumb blonde stare. I had really hoped for an answer. She had been trying to suppress her sadness since Persassy got captured.
"Maybe he's-or maybe-I-I don't know." She cried, her tears cascaded from both her eyes like miniature waterfalls. I felt bad. All of this was my fault. I tried to comfort her, I knew she felt safe within my arms.
"We will find him, Annabeth. I'm sure of it." I said, trying to sound confident to give her even the slightest of hope.
"Well. I know we—"
Argus suddenly swerved to the right, desperately trying to dodge the car that was heading straight for us.
"Argus! What's happening!?" I asked him.
"I don't know! One car just headed straight for us. I think we'd lost it. But—"
The car rammed us in Argus' side. Making our van tumble over. I wailed as I felt my left arm dislocate. The pain was so unbearable I wasn't able to think properly. Luckily for me, I had enough willpower to suppress the pain, I looked through the window. I saw someone wearing an armour made from pure gold, his helm had a design reminiscent to that of a Gorgon, giving him an intimidating look. In his hand lay a leaf shaped sword made of Imperial Gold. His identity dawned on me, the only person who was able to toy with me in a duel, Chrysaor. I inserted my hand in my pocket and felt my new and improved Riptide 2.0 in pen form. (Yeah, yeah, I know it's cliché. Don't judge me, I still haven't thought of a name for my new sword at that point of time) Before I opened my door, I glanced at Annabeth, she was unconscious, which troubled me. Her forehead had a bloody gash a few centimetres across. I tried to wake her up.
"Annabeth, Annabeth." I said, while shaking her shoulder.
When she woke up, I suddenly felt my door creak, when I looked back, I saw Chrysaor's hand yank the door out, flying a few metres away.
"Be back in a few." I murmurred to Annabeth.
Chrysaor unanticipatedly held my shirt and threw me out of the van. I went flying and I fell back-first in the asphalt. My back felt as if it was burning, my back was as worse as my left shoulder. But I needed to defeat Chrysaor. I spun and pushed myself up, I cursed myself, I was barely able to stand upright, how will I be able to match up against Chrysaor?
When all hope seemed lost, I thought about my blade, I hadn't realised that I was able to channel water through my sword.
"Thanks Leo." I thought.
"I can't believe my brother, the Great Percy Jackson, is so helpless. Do you need someone to save your butt again?" His insult struck a nerve on me. He made me even more furious.
"Half-brother." I corrected. I was trying to keep my cool. Which was, at that time, tough.
I uncapped Riptide 2.0 and pointed the tip at my chest, I saw Chrysaor take a few steps back.
"You're not gonna kill yourself. Stop bluffing me."
"You're right. I won't."
That seemed to make his confidence increase. But I continued, saying, "Because I will be the one to kill you."
With that, I willed my energy into my blade and a cooling stream of water hit me. Revitalizing my body, making all my injuries heal and mending my bones. My body was again at its peak. Chrysaor was in utter shock, I lunged towards him. I knew I had him, but even years of experience was paltry compared to Chrysaor's centuries of experience. He was able to react and he parried my sword. I knew I had improved my swordsmanship since we went to Greece. We fought so furiously that our blades met as quick as lightning. Our swords blurred on our exchanges. I let my instincts take over me, dodge, spin, roll, slash. I fought like a quintessential swordsman, I was so confident I thought even a god would have trouble fighting me. After a few more exchanges, I was finally gaining the upper hand. I had not realised I had improved this much, I hammered Chrysaor down with blow after blow, I used my favourite move and his sword flew out of his hands. I pointed the tip of my blade in his neck.
"How did you—" I didn't want him to speak any further, I whacked him using the flat of my blade. He fell like a sack of potatoes.
Once I capped Riptide, I wondered what would the mortals have seen during our fight. I managed a weak laugh as I thought about all the possibilities. I trudged over to the tumbled van. I knelt and I saw her.
"Annabeth." I called to her.
She was barely able to look up, her forehead was still bloodied due to the gash and now, I noticed a part of her shirt was ripped. At least I knew she was alive, which made my worry disappear. Wasting no time, I went inside and I pulled Annabeth out carefully, avoiding any shattered glass or pointed edges of the van's interior and exterior.
When she was outside, I carried her in my arms and I propped her against a metal pole near the van. I stroked her hair a few times before I went on to save Argus.
"Thanks Percy." She managed to say.
I looked back and smiled at her, "I'll be back." I gave her a thumbs-up.
Argus was more difficult to save, his hand was lodged in the steering wheel and the steering wheel was under parts of the roof.
"Argus, are you all right?" I tried to ask him, although he wasn't responding.
"Argus?"
Still no response, I felt edgy. What happened to him? Before anything else, I pulled him out of the car along with the lodged steering wheel. I took out a drachma and offered it for an Iris-Message. I contacted Grover, who, in my surprise, was kissing Juniper.
"Holy enchiladas! Percy what in the name of gods!?" Grover said as he pulled away from Juniper.
"Sorry G-man. I didn't mean to. Argus is here and by the looks of it, he's gravely injured. Send some nature spirits to save him will ya?"
"Okay. You owe me one, Percy." Grover bleated as the iris-message faded away.
"Time to save Annabeth." I thought.
She breathed heavily as she sat, she held her right arm as he stared into the sky. As I walked towards her, I heard a faint sound from my back, before I knew it, I felt someone bludgeon my head. I fell down and felt dizzy. The last person I saw was Chrysaor, his armour glinting against the sun, before I blacked out.
When I woke up, I felt my arms and legs tied to a chair, a sack was secured tight over my head. Based on my internal clock, I estimated that I was out for about three hours. Then a single name materialised into my mind, "Annabeth."
Where was she? I began struggling. I needed to get free of my bonds. The bonds was starting to loosen for some reason. However, my progress was halted when I heard a door open, its hinges creaking as I was blinded by light, at that instant, I knew it was Chrysaor.
"Percy. Why struggle? You won't get away anyways. You're as helpless as a snake in the clutches of an eagle's talon, you will never get out of that."
I gritted my teeth inside the sack. I ran simulations in my head, will I be able to get out? I might, if I buy myself some time.
"Chrysaor, where is Annabeth" I inquired.
Chrysaor chuckled, "Oh, that blondie? She's also tied up in a chair like you, but she's surrounded by spiders."
My anger went to its boiling point, I thrashed and wriggled, trying to get free, "You-YOU WILL PAY! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"While you're tied up there? I don't think so." Judging by the increasing sound of the clanking his metal boots, he was getting nearer and nearer to me. Chrysaor held the sack and yanked it free from my head. I felt apprehensive, will he kill me? He raised his sword upwards, carefully aiming for the centre of my head. I though to myself, "Sorry, Annabeth."
I closed my eyes, I was ready to die. But before Chrysaor was able to kill me, I heard him cry out in pain. My eyes flew open, I saw a pretty girl with blonde hair slowly materialise in front of me when she removed her Yankees cap.
"Annabeth!" My eyes gleamed, I felt sanguineous. I knew that if I'm with her, we can achieve anything. She proceeded to cut my bonds, once my hands were free. I asked her, "How?"
"I have my ways, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth grinned.
"I do too!" Chrysaor yelled, he back handed Annabeth and she collapsed. I whipped out Riptide and uncapped it, three feet of deadly, glowing celestial bronze.
"Round Two." I thought, I charged him.
Our battle was tougher than what I had expected, he anticipated all my strikes and forced me to go the defensive. Beneath his helmet, Chrysaor's eyes looked at me with the intent to kill, he bared his teeth as he unleashed some of his most complex moves.
I managed to slip through his defences once but he was quick to react, parrying my stab and countering with a move of his own. I tried my favourite move against him again, however, it proved to be useless as it was stopped as quick as I initiated it.
I was left with one option after a few more exchanges, my legs burned and my sword weighed heavier on me. Time seemed to slow down as I barely parried his strikes. An idea popped in my head, I squeezed the hilt of my sword as I stabbed upwards. Chrysaor parried my sword, bringing it down. My sword slowly extended, becoming longer and longer until it became a three pronged spear. He knew his fate a moment too late, I brought the trident through his heart, he groaned as I yanked my trident out of his chest. He took a few steps back before falling to his knees. Clutching his grave injury, he fell face first on to the cold concrete.
Honestly, I would've felt guilty, but I didn't. He wasn't a demigod. He was a monster. A pirate who once terrorized the Mediterranean.
"It is done." I said out loud, as I uttered the last word, My knees buckled and my grip on my trident loosened. My hands fell on the ground and trickles of sweat dripped from the edges of my face. I huffed and puffed as I gasped for air. I hadn't realised I was this tired until now.
Just then, I saw Annabeth from the corner of my eye. She had just stood up and shook her head. She walked towards me, "Good job, Seaweed Brain." Her warm smile made me feel euphoric. She extended her slender arm and gave me a hand, I took it and she placed my arm around her. "Easy now, Percy. I have Chrysaor's keys, we're at a warehouse in Manhattan. Don't worry. We'll be at Olympus in no time."
We walked out of the warehouse, the afternoon sun rose stridently above us. Annabeth directed me to a black sedan. Annabeth used the remote control to open the car, we rode Chrysaor's car as we headed our way to the Empire State Building.
Annabeth parked at the Empire State Building. My shirt had been discoloured due to blood, which will attract attention. Annabeth and I changed to the spare clothes we packed and folded in our pockets.
We went inside the Empire State Building and approached the man in front.
"We need to go up to Olympus." I said firmly.
The man calmly handed us a security card, from me and Annabeth's experience, we were to insert this card in a security slot. Once we had done that, a floor appeared in the console. It read, '600'. I pressed the button and in no time, we were back at Olympus.
Olympus was as magnificent as I remembered. The pathways that had bronze braziers led to multileved palaces. Roads spun around the mountain where the largest palace gleamed. While Annabeth and me walked to the palace, we passed the open-air market filled with rows of stalls selling various merchandises. Annabeth and I wove our way up to the palace of the Gods. We were in the throne room again, I saw the massive columns that led up to a dome shaped ceiling, both Asgardian and Olympian Gods talked to each other apprehensively. Jason and Magnus stood on one side, talking seriously.
Zeus clapped his hands, "Finally. You two are here. Let the meeting begin."