Back with round two. Powers are prohibited. They are on top of a mountain.


Percy and Annabeth

vs

Nico and Clarisse


ιι.

Percy uncapped Riptide, glaring across the flat mountain top. "I'm going to kill you, Clarisse."

The daughter of Ares spun her electric spear. "Fuck you, Pussy Jackson!"

"Easy, Clarisse," Nico breathed beside her as he drew his wicked black sword. "Don't let him bait you."

Annabeth flipped her dagger and caught it. "I can handle Clarisse," she murmured. "You need to keep Nico at bay, sword on sword."

Percy glanced at her. "Fine. Crisscross, then?"

Annabeth nodded.

The duo started forward, stalking toward their opponents like massive, extra dangerous predators.

Annabeth stared Nico down with her intense grey eyes as she approached, but Nico found himself glancing at Percy, who was also foused on him.

"Spread out," Clarisse muttered sharply, readying her six feet long spear. "I've got - "

"No! They're gonna switch," Nico whispered fiercely - just in time.

Percy and Annabeth surged forward together, crossing paths and closing in on the two demigods.

However, Nico and Clarisse were ready for it.

Percy practically pounced on Nico, his bronze sword flashing in a powerful downward slash. Nico twisted away, and Riptide sent up sparks as it clashed against the stone ground.

Nico spun, swinging his sword around in a deadly arc. Percy threw himself away from the whirl of movement, narrowly avoiding Nico's blade.

He landed on his back and rolled to his feet. Then, he stood to meet the the son of Hades, a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

"Alright, Nico," Percy grinned his easy grin. "Alright."

Meanwhile, Annabeth was ducking under Clarisse's lashing javelin, being extra mindful not to touch the electric spearhead.

The larger demigod maneuvered her spear with deft hands, twisting and spinning and whirling it to match Annabeth's rapid jabs and slashes.

They were almost equal in skill; however, Clarisse wasn't nearly as patient.

Growling, she tested Annabeth's guard with a stutter step forward and a feint to her head.

Annabeth didn't fall for it. She surged forward immediately, dodging Clarisse's follow up thrust and stabbing the daughter of Ares in the gut.

Clarisse screamed. Then, she socked the smaller girl so hard in the face, she lost her footing and fell to the ground.

Clarisse adjusted her grip on her spear, then brought it down hard with both hands, aiming to stab Annabeth in the heart.

But Annabeth rolled to the left, and, once again, she was inside Clarisse's guard. Annabeth spun and kicked her leg out from underneath her.

The daughter of Athena straddled Clarisse in a schoolgirl pin, sitting on her chest and holding her dagger to her neck.

Clarisse's wrists were pinned to the ground above her head by Annabeth's knees, so she could only squirm and shout as Annabeth tipped her chin back, and -

BAAM!

Nico and Annabeth tumbled to the edge of cliff with the force of his tackle. Clarisse looked around in a daze, then sobered up quickly enough as Percy swung his sword down at her.

She twisted away, grabbed her spear, and forced herself to her feet. Percy was going hard, his reflexes on overdrive. He pressed her, forcing her to retreat - she was still in pain from her deep stab wound.

Clarisse dodged his slashes, his thrusts, and his backlashes the best she could. He jabbed at her chest, but she brought her spear up with both hands, and Riptide came down on the shaft instead of her head. Then, she kicked him in the stomach, and he stumbled.

Meanwhile, Annabeth was having trouble holding her own against the son of Hades. His sword was half the length of Clarrise's spear, making it much harder for Annabeth to get inside his guard, and he was also much quicker then the daughter of Ares.

He sent a flurry of strikes at her: a quick vertical slash; Annabeth leaned away. His sword slid forward immediately afterward; she sidestepped and knocked the blade away with her dagger. He retracted his sword, spun it once, then feinted left with sideswipe; Annabeth nearly fell for it, but then she caught the whirl of movement from her left. She went to parry the blade -

- but it wasn't there.

Too late did she realize, it was a double feint. Then, the daughter of Athena lost her head.

Percy was distracted as he watched Nico push her headless body of the cliff. "Annabeth - NO!"

Clarisse's lashing spear ripped open his thigh. He fell to one knee, grunting as electricity coursed through him. She brought her spear down again, aimed for his heart. He parried with Riptide and returned with a slash. Clarisse darted away, but Nico came forward.

Percy stood and met Nico's blade with his own, then he immediately stepped out of range of Clarisse's thrust. Nico came back with two feints, both of which Percy practically ignored as he knocked Clarisse's second spear jab away. Nico slashed wide, and Percy stepped back again.

The two demigods continued pressing Percy, forcing him to back up farther and farther, nearing the cliff edge.

Nico stabbed at Percy's neck, but he knocked the blade away, returned a wild thrust -

- Nico stepped inside, grabbed Percy by the shoulder, and went to stab him in the stomach, but Percy shoved him back, hard.

Clarisse saw her opportunity and didn't waste it. Her spear flashed - Percy surged away - and the electric spearhead sank into his side.

He screamed, grabbed the shaft, and brought Riptide down so hard, the celestial bronze spear broke in half.

Percy ripped the broken half spear out of his side with a grunt and threw it at Nico, who ducked under the projectile with ease.

Clarisse came at him with her four foot long pole, but he wasn't nearly as dazed as he let on.

His sword came down hard, once again, over her head. This time, however, she didn't block it.

Her face split in half, Riptide sank down to her chin. She crumbled, dead as dead can be.

Nico flew at the wounded demigod, his Stygian iron sword a whirl of slashes, hacks, jabs, and thrusts.

Percy couldn't keep up with the sheer speed of the attack. His shoulder was cut so deep, he couldn't lift his sword arm. His stomach opened next, and he felt like his guts would spill out.

Then, Nico sank his sword deep into the son of Poseidon's chest.


What'd you think? Tell the surviving demigod (Nico) in the review section below!