Chapter 26

Percy was walking. He was walking through a meadow, a beautiful meadow if he was more exact, and he felt completely calm, which was most definitely not a feeling that Percy was familiar with. His head pounded, but the sweet songs that the birds sang for him distracted his wandering thoughts about where his pounding headache was coming from.

Percy let out a sigh as he walked through the grass greener than even the finest of emeralds. The flowers bloomed so fully and so beautifully that he could reach down and just pluck a bouquet for Annabeth.

Annabeth.

Where was she?

His thoughts were suddenly filled with the images of a blonde haired and grey eyed girl. Percy felt a soft smile dance upon his lips at his memories of Annabeth. But it troubled him. Where was she? Why wasn't she here with him?

Percy looked down and noticed that his jeans were ripped, and the skin hiding underneath was bright red and bruised. He noticed that his shirt was tattered, and his hands were as red as fire could be. He frowned, confused as to why he looked this way, and when he looked back up, the beautiful meadow was gone.

In its place was destruction. Destruction everywhere, and destroying everything in its place. Percy could hear the screams of his loved ones, and the cries of agony, but they were screaming…his name.

Annabeth suddenly came into his vision, and she was so close he could just reach out and touch her, but her facial expression troubled him. Her eyes were shades darker than their usual color, and worry was stricken across her features.

"Percy please, I know you can hear me!" she cried, and Percy looked at her strangely. Of course he could hear her, why wouldn't he be able to?

"Annabeth," he spoke out, but Annabeth continued to stare at him, as if she was looking right through him.

"Annabeth, I'm right here!" he said, waving his hand in front of her face, but she didn't even blink. This is a dream, Percy told himself, it has to be.

But his surroundings were all too real to be a dream. He realized he was in the cafeteria at Goode, and students were scrambling away scared. His friends stood behind Annabeth with their weapons drawn, and Percy felt his heart stop.

Had he done this? Had he caused all of this destruction?

"Percy!" Annabeth cried again, and Percy's eyes shot back to her. He turned to see who or what she was talking to, and he almost let out a cry of shock when he noticed that she was talking to…him.

But how? He was right here, how was he seeing his body stand before him. Percy looked down nervously at his shimmering image, and felt panic swell up in his stomach. Was he dying?

He couldn't remember anything that had happened before, and his mind raced with possibilities of what could have happened.

The Percy that stood in front of him, wasn't him. His eyes were cruel, and a sleek smirk was plastered across his face.

"Percy can't hear you," the imposter spoke, and Percy scoffed.

"Actually, I can," he said, although no one moved when he spoke. It was like, he wasn't really there.

But if his body was there, but he wasn't.

Where was he?

Annabeth stared helplessly at the imposter who stood before them. This couldn't be happening, she couldn't lose Percy again. For what? The fifth time? She had lost count now, and she didn't want to plan on losing him any longer.

"Annabeth, we have to attack," Piper warned as the Percy imposter raised his hands and set off a blast of water towards one of the tables with cowering students underneath.

"Get out!" she heard Jason yell, which the students scrambled to get to their feet before the water exploded in the place where a table once stood.

Annabeth knew that they had to attack, but how was she supposed to hurt Percy? She couldn't, she could never.

But this isn't Percy. She tried to tell herself that over and over in her head, but her heart wouldn't listen. It was like she was frozen in her spot, and even if she wanted to move, she couldn't.

"Percy, I know you're in there," Annabeth said through gritted teeth, "please listen to me."

"How cute. You think he actually can hear you," the imposter spat before shooting more water at more tables which Jason and Frank were now evacuating.

Annabeth tried to compose herself, and she tried to think of possibilities to what this was. What could it be? She racked her mind, trying to remember reading anything about Greek myths where this could happen, but as far as she was concerned, Percy didn't shoot exploding water at cafeteria tables. Even if this…thing had taken over Percy's body, it would only gain the powers that he previously possessed, and exploding water was not one of them.

"Annabeth!" Piper warned while trying to get the students out of the cafeteria and out of harm's way, "now!"

Annabeth gripped her sword tightly in her hand, so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

And then she charged.

Skye knew that she should stay and help, but she was ushered out of the cafeteria in the crowds of students that were scrambling to get as far away as possible from the ongoing fight in the cafeteria. As much as she wanted to get back and help, the crowd wouldn't let her. Pulling her away in the sea of students, Skye found herself near the nurse's office.

She bit her lip before peering into the little glass window in the nurse's door. Something caught her attention, that probably shouldn't have, but she noticed it almost immediately. Percy was lying on one of the cots. His eyes were shut tightly, and he wasn't moving.

She barged into the office, not caring if she could get in trouble without a pass, although she didn't think it would matter with the school being evacuated. She wondered what the mortals saw in the cafeteria, but she knew it couldn't be good.

She raced over to Percy's side, and noticed that he was pale and clammy, not his usual sun kissed tone.

But how? She had just seen his body in the cafeteria fighting the others.

Unless…that wasn't him in there.

"Percy!" she said, shaking him vigorously, but gained no progress. He continued to lie limply on the cot, unmoving. Panic ran through Skye's chest, and she instantly raised her ear to his chest. The sound of his heart beating sent relief through her; he wasn't dead.

"Percy!" she hissed again, shaking him harshly this time, feeling slightly guilty for doing so, but she felt like she had no other choice at this point. Percy once again, didn't move. Skye groaned and ran a hand through her hair before letting out a breath. She had to think of something, seeing as she knew the others would never fight the Percy imposter seeing as they thought that it was Percy they would be hurting.

She had to tell them that it wasn't Percy and that Percy's body was safe and sound in the nurse's office. Well, as safe as it can get, he didn't exactly look that healthy. Skye glanced at Percy's limp form one more time before racing out of the nurse's office and towards the cafeteria.

Annabeth couldn't bring herself to hit the monster, or whatever it was that had taken over Percy's body. Every time the monster would look at her, she saw Percy, even behind those hollow eyes.

The others, on the other hand, also seemed very resistant as to hurting their friend. The fake-Percy seemed to be amused by this hesitation to actually attack him, seeing as all of their attempts to hurt him were merely on defense and not offense.

"Just give up!" he laughed cruelly, "you've already lost!"

Annabeth knew Percy was in there, she just knew. She had to get to him somehow or else they would never win. She knew, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hurt him, even if his body wasn't exactly in his control right now.

"Annabeth!" someone said, bursting through the cafeteria doors. Annabeth glanced quickly to see Skye racing over to her, with a newfound determination in her eyes.

"That's not Percy!" she announced while pointing her finger at the Percy imposter, and clutching her bow and arrow at her side. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at her just as the Percy imposter shot a ball of explosive water over their heads, causing them to duck. Frank and Piper were trying to fight him off, keeping him distracted as they tried to find a weak spot while Jason took it to the air and was fighting him with gusts of wind.

Nothing to cause damage though.

"I think we've established that," Annabeth said, and dragged her cousin to the ground just as more explosive water soared over their heads.

"No, I mean, that's not him! His body is in the nurse's office. He's asleep!" Skye explained quickly while picking up her bow and arrow (which she had surprisingly learned how to use well during her time at camp) and shot an arrow towards the Percy imposter.

Annabeth took this into account for a moment, and suddenly grew with a newfound anger.

"So that's not Percy's body?" she confirmed, although she was already feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins.

"That's not Percy's body," Skye assured, and Annabeth instantly leapt to her feet, charging towards the monster who almost took Percy away from her again. Piper dodged out of the way of an explosive ball of water, while Leo and Jason worked together to throw random tools that Leo was pulling out of his belt. Hazel was trying to steady Fletcher who had hit his head on a table nearby and Annemarie was with them.

Annabeth charged straight for the Percy look-a-like and ran her sword through his side, catching him off guard. She made sure to keep her eyes locked on her sword the entire time, not being able to look at his face as she did it.

"Annabeth!" the others gasped, and Annabeth realized that they thought she had just drove her sword through Percy. The monster turned and looked at her, its true features being revealed. Annabeth couldn't watch as Percy's face crumbled away, taking the image of what looked like an old ratty bird with features like a human. It let out an ear-piercing scream as it crumbled to dust and headed back to Tartarus.

"Annabeth! What was that?!" Jason exclaimed. Annabeth sensed anger in his voice, but she ignored him and ran towards the nurse's office, not even taking a second glance behind her. Nerves piled up in her chest as she ran, hoping that what Skye had said was true and she didn't just accidently-

No, stop it Annabeth, he's going to be fine, she tried to calm herself down and relief really kicked in when she saw Percy lying on one of the cots in the nurse's office, completely intact and not a pile of dust in the cafeteria.

"Percy!" she cried while racing over to him. She picked up his hand and almost gasped at how warm he was. His eyes were shut tightly, and she grew nervous for a moment, not seeing his chest rise up and down.

Her fears were disintegrated when Percy squeezed her hand ever so gently. It may not be much, but it was a sign that he was alive.

"Dammit Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, and she hadn't realized how hysterical she really was until tears were running down her cheeks, "You need to stop scaring me like this."

Percy didn't respond, expect giving her hand another squeeze, and Annabeth let out a nervous laugh. The others were in the doorway by now, and Annabeth hadn't noticed until they came over to his side.

"So what was that thing?" Leo asked after she explained that it wasn't Percy's body that was taken over, but a mere copy.

"I don't know," Annabeth grumbled as she ran her fingers absentmindedly through Percy's hair. The color slowly seemed to return to his face, and it was only a matter of time before he woke up.

"Whatever it was, it was freaky," Piper said and shuddered. Jason laughed and slung an arm around her shoulder before pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Don't worry, Pipes," he said, "it's gone now."

"Good," Piper grumbled, but leaned into Jason's touch anyways. Annabeth sighed and pressed a kiss to Percy's forehead, hoping that whatever it was that was keeping him like this, would fade soon enough.

Her prayers were answered, and as soon as her lips made contact with Percy's forehead, his eyes fluttered open ever so gently.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty," Leo said, and Annabeth shot him a glare as chuckles broke out amongst the group.

"W-What happened?" Percy asked groggily, his voice was thick and heavy as he ran a hand through his hair and blinked a few times.

"We'll explain later," Annabeth assured him, "right now you need some rest."

"Annabeth, I've been resting for what feels like hours," Percy protested with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Annabeth rolled her own before standing up.

"Whatever you say," she said.

"Uh Annabeth," Piper said, while tapping on her shoulder. Annabeth turned, and looked at her best friend and Jason, whose arm was now around Piper's waist.

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk to you for a minute?"

Annabeth eyed both of them suspiciously before nodding and following them out of the nurse's office while Leo and Frank started talking with Percy, telling the most idiotic jokes Annabeth has ever heard. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth asked once they were in the hallway.

"We were thinking, that maybe it'll be best that we all go back to camp," Jason said, and Annabeth stared at him. She loved camp, really she did, but when she was at Goode she got to feel like a normal teenager for once, besides all of the freak monster attacks that would occasionally happen, but other than that, she liked it. She liked going to school, she liked learning, and she liked feeling…normal.

"Why?"

"Just, after everything that's been happening, we feel like it'll be safer than for all of us," Piper continued, "we don't have to go right now, but I think by Spring Break we should head out of here."

Annabeth stared at them for a moment and then turned back to look into the nurse's office at Percy who was laughing at something Leo had said, although he still seemed somewhat pale.

"You have a point," she said softly. As much as she loved learning, safety was a priority.

"We know you like it here, but maybe it's just for the best," Jason continued, and Annabeth nodded. They were right. They couldn't put anyone else at risk for their presence in being here, and being at Camp Half-Blood was their safest bet.

"Okay," Annabeth answered, "Yeah that sounds like a plan."

She smiled at them, hiding her disappointment, before heading back inside the nurse's office to treat her boyfriend who was laughing way too hard at a joke about dolphins.

Story's coming to a close soon.

Sorry

Expect Chapter 30 to be the last one. All stories must come to an end, or else they're just way too prolonged.

Question of the day: If you had to choose to date a character from PJO who would it be? (If their partners weren't in the picture).

Nothing against Piper, but I'd have to say I'd date Jason. He just seems like a really sweet boyfriend.

Review.

Thanks for reading xx

~stay beautiful~