Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the plotline which belongs to The Immortals

Chapter 6

Will didn't know what was happening as he saw his more than dead friend laying on the ground. He didn't know what was happening as he took out his bow and shot at every single living thing that moved. He didn't know what happened as tears came out as he held his friend.

It wasn't that they actually acknowledged each other every day. The only thing Will had once the infection spread out was a friendship. A friendship between a son of Apollo, and a son of Dionysus. They could relate. Each had lost a half or actual brother. And maybe that was what made them brothers once the disease spread out.

Will didn't even care as he saw an Infected come forwards to him as if greeting him. He didn't even care when he stepped backwards and fell right into a well that had to be hidden. He didn't care...

With Annabeth and her group, in the streets:

"It's deserted in here," Rachel spoke as she looked around.

"It's hard to believe that this used to be New York," Annabeth laughed bitterly, while walking on, searching for Percy.

"We'll find big brother," Tyson tried reassuring everyone.

Two specs of green were seen, and Annabeth rushed to the spot quickly. She was hoping it was Percy. But hopes could almost never become true for the demigods can it?

The two specs of green were becoming bigger and bigger as Annabeth and her companions ran towards the color. No such luck. But it was a demigod. A demigod that wasn't infected, or dead, or even injured. It was a daughter of Demeter. Katie Gardner was staring at them with bright eyes.

"I know how to kill them," Katie spoke as she rushed forwards to greet them.

"Kill who?" Grover was confused.

Katie smiled at him and returned her gaze back to Annabeth, who stared right back with her grey eyes.

"I know how to kill an Infected."

With Clarisse and Chris:

"Get ready for your ass to be kicked!" Clarisse yelled as she charged at the Infected with Maimer.

Chris admired Clarisse for what she was going to do. However, no matter how much admiration he held, he knew it was pointless. He picked up his weapon and knew he had to try and help his girlfriend, no matter how pointless it was. At least he would die fighting, instead of being a coward.

"Draw Kronos's scythe on the back of it!" Clarisse shouted to Chris.

Chris was confused, but as confused as he was, he knew he should try and do what Clarisse said. But first, he had to get good grip on its shoulders to make it still. He wasn't exactly the best drawer in camp, but he wasn't the worst either. So he tried. He got a grip on its shoulders without vomiting all over the place and started carving the scythe. But he needed backup.

And that's how Clarisse came in. She threw her spear accurately at the Infected's head. It impaled itself right through its head, and blood spurted out as if it were a blood geyser. The Infected stopped for only two seconds. Its IQ dropped dramatically, and Chris drew the scythe on its back quickly.

The Infected paused longer now. The bloody skin that stunk like the Underworld shriveled away like a baby growing into a very old grandma in speed form. The skin became wrinkled and turned gray. Very gray. Like ash of a cigar or cigarette. The eyes rolled to the back of its impaled head, and the mouth turned chapped and broken. Not just the mouth, the grey skin itself turned chapped as if it was a layer of stone with a real person underneath it.

A flash of blinding yellow light shone on the Infected and the two demigods turned away. A cracking sound was heard and darkness once again consumed them, a little torchlight flickering light. Once they turned back, the Infected was gone.

With Percy and his two cousins, still in a forest:

"Where are we going?" Percy asked weakly, as he tried hobbling on his good leg.

"Somewhere safe." Thalia replied, looking around.

A bitter laugh that was identified as Nico's was heard. "Is anywhere safe?"

"No," Thalia said, and then pointed to Percy's leg. "But with his leg, we need to go somewhere safe. Like back to base."

Percy knew Nico was right, where was safe? But now, apparently they had a base. His interest peaked, but he didn't ask. Talking cost him energy, and if he lost his energy, he wouldn't be able to run if an Infected came. He doubted that Thalia or Nico could carry him.

Nico couldn't help but look at Percy's chopped off leg. He couldn't help but ask what had happened.

"Who knew Paul was good with a weapon?" Was Percy's only reply when Nico asked.

And Nico already figured out the rest of the story on his mind, and winced at how painful that must have been.

"How were you alone?" Thalia suddenly asked. "I'm sure that you were in a group."

"Most of the head counsellors," Percy replied, stopped to rest, and finally sat down. "Some got turned or died. We split up, and I was with a group, but I got left behind because of my leg."

"They left you behind? As in, they thought you slowed them down and they just left you?" Thalia yelled angrily.

"No. Annabeth supported me, and let me rest before a tree. Then they walked away to find Clarisse, and I guess they thought I was there all along. Then you two came and I don't know what happened to them. Or if they're even alive."

"Annabeth and the rest are strong, they'll survive don't worry."

"I was strong, look what happened to my leg."

Thalia suddenly grinned. "Your ego hasn't decreased has it? If your ego is there, you're ok. Now get up, we still have a short way to go."

"Help me up?"

Thalia shook her head, but helped Percy up as she supported his back while he walked on, back to their base. They walked for only a few seconds when the silence was interrupted.

"How come you managed to find each other and survive?" Percy suddenly asked.

"I was with the hunters when Lady Artemis disappeared. The hunters were going in panic mode, and even I couldn't calm them down. And one by one they disappeared. I didn't know where to go after that so I just decided to go back to camp. But that was kilometers away, and I didn't even know about the Infected. So I just walked through the forest and I saw Nico," Thalia stopped her talking and finished with looking at her cousins.

A moment of silence hung in the air eerily, as if Kronos had stopped time.

"I was in the Underworld when suddenly all the skeletons started going crazy. All the dead people were running around, and I was waiting for Hades to come, but he never did. So instead of helping them calm down, I left, and shadow traveled to a random forest, and that's where I saw Thalia," Nico said, tired from speaking so long.

"So how do you know about the Infected?"

"We found a recorder that told us everything."

Percy slowly reached into his jeans's pocket and pulled out a small recorder.

"Exactly like that," Thalia nodded while speaking.

"It doesn't explain everything though," Nico added to the conversation. "For one, if the vial turns the person's skeletons into flesh, how are the Infected any actual threats if they are some infectious blobs on the floor?"

Silence. No one could answer that question. But they could guess and assume. But assumptions were never the same as the truth,

"Because they can move into your mouth and turn you into one?" Percy guessed.

"Two, the recorder mentioned that the Infected's wounds never heal, but later, it mentioned that the Infected's can heal their wounds if they touch fire. Is it trying to explain that fire is the only thing that can heal an Infected's wounds?"

"Probably."

"Three, it mentioned that the Infected can't be destroyed other than death by hunger, but that's really no problem for the gods, for they can just transform the Infected into something else like plants or chicken or something. They might just go godly form on them and vaporize them for no mortal can survive seeing a god's true form."

"I have no idea. Who knows, maybe the gods are watching us right now, making and turning this into a gameshow for us."

"They would never do this to us."

Thalia looked Percy right into the eyes. "They're the gods. They can do anything they want. And if it means having entertainment because they're bored, it would make sense. Maybe that was our answer all along. Maybe the gods created the recorder. Maybe this is just a gameshow of the gods."

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I had a bit of writer's block. And to my very first reviewer, these are the answers to your question right above. Thanks for all the support!

mitch2001liu: You'll see what I'm trying to do in future chapters and what Thalia said in the story might answer your questions...