XXXVII
PIPER
Piper's hair blew into her face as Festus took off and started flying after Gaius' ship. Piper couldn't wait to give that scumbag a good punch in the face, or maybe a kick in the family jewels. As they neared the ship, Jason tapped her shoulder. "PIPES, ONCE WE GET ALONGSIDE, FIRE ON THE SHIP USING THOSE CROSSBOWS!" Piper nodded, and turned her attention to the nearest crossbow. She pulled it over to her and began looking for the ship. Its outline came into view in the dark sky.
"NOW!" Jason shouted from beside her. She pulled the trigger and a vial of Greek Fire shot out and hit the ship on its side. Green flames leapt out into the sky and the ship keeled over for a second. The ship righted itself soon enough, and alarms started blaring all over. She heard Jason fire beside her and more green flames erupted on the ship. The ship's inhabitants were in panic. Piper saw men with guns running along the gangways and taking shots at Festus. Jason summoned the winds and the bullets deflected harmlessly away from them.
"FESTUS! GET US OVER THE SHIP!" she heard Nico shout from the other side. Festus clacked and groaned but veered left towards the ship. Piper saw the ship loom closer. She heard whistles like those of bombs and saw tongues of flame leap up from the ship. Apparently, Festus had been converted into a bomber, too.
Festus landed on an empty area of the ship. Jason flew (literally) out of his harness, stabbing a guard in mid-air. Piper fumbled with her harness and burst out, unsheathing her dagger Katoptris with a flourish. She heard a battle-cry from the other side as Annabeth and Nico leapt into the fray. A man burst out in front of Piper. She slashed out with her dagger and cut a deep gash into the man's face. He screamed out in pain and dropped to the floor, his gun falling from his hands. Piper kicked the gun away and ran on. She heard sounds of fighting all around her. As she rounded a corner, she saw five men standing in front of her.
So this is how Piper McLean dies. Runs straight into a group of five men with assault rifles. Fortunately, it was not to be. A sword cut through one man, and sliced through another. Jason appeared behind the stabbed man. "GO!" he shouted at Piper while he swung his sword around at the others, cutting their weapons in half. As Piper ran, she couldn't help thinking ; gods, she loved her boyfriend.
Piper was getting exhausted by the time she reached the prow of the boat. At it, standing as calmly as if it were a pleasure cruise, stood Gaius. He didn't appear to notice Piper's arrival, but if he did, he didn't show it. Piper clutched her dagger tightly. She tip-toed over to Gaius, ready to stab him from behind. She struck – and missed.
Gaius seemed to vanish before her eyes. Her momentum carried her forward and she tripped over the rail. So this is how Piper Mclean would die. Fall in the sea and get crushed by the Titanic 2.0. But that was not to be either. A hand grabbed her wrist before she could fall down. "JASON!" she shouted, panicked. "PULL ME UP!" A low, cold laugh sounded from behind her. "I'm not Jason," it stated calmly as if reading the weather report. Piper looked up and saw Gaius' cruel features looking back at her. She screamed and writhed, willing to drown in the sea rather than get touched by this creep.
Gaius yanked her up, his immense strength causing her to fly over the rail and hit the floor. She struggled up but Gaius was already there. He kicked her in the stomach, hard. She doubled over, gasping and wheezing in pain. He grabbed her by the chin and pulled her to her feet. With his free hand, he struck her across the face, drawing blood. She shrieked in pain. Hopefully, Jason would hear the sound and come to her rescue.
She felt Gaius stuff a cloth in her mouth. She struggled to breathe, his kick having knocked the air out of her lungs. She felt a blade appear at her back, pressing into it. "You wouldn't want to get cut by this, dear Piper," he snarled into her ear. "So I suggest you keep moving." Prodded forward by Gaius, Piper stumbled over the floor. She felt like cursing herself. She should have used her charmspeak right away, but then it hadn't worked back at Camp Half-Blood.
Gaius forced her onto the gangway, his knife still pressing against the small of her back. Tears were streaming down her eyes now, as she tried not to move too much to avoid the knife. As she rounded a bend, she breathed a sigh of relief. Jason stood there, fighting against another man with a sword. He stabbed the man and he fell, leaving Jason surrounded by bodies. "GRACE!" Gaius shouted right in Piper's ear. She winced at the loudness. Jason turned around to face them. At the sight of Piper his jaw fell and his sword hand dropped.
Piper heard a loud clang to her right. Twisting her head to look, she saw Annabeth struggling off the floor as a man stood with his gun raised to hit her again. Blood coated her arms, and a few trickles ran down her neck. "PIPER!" she shouted and began running towards Gaius before the man hit her with the gun again, causing her to fall.
"NICO, NO!" Jason suddenly shouted, raising his hand to Piper's left. Piper twisted to see Nico advancing towards the two of them with his sword drawn in hand. At Jason's shout, he looked up surprised; giving Gaius enough time to punch him between the eyes. Nico fell to the floor, groaning and holding his nose.
"Jason Grace, I am disappointed," Gaius said cruelly as his guards dragged Nico to his feet. "You have become a murderer." Piper looked at Jason's dripping sword, his blood-stained clothes, and the angry expression on his face. Though she'd never admit it, she agreed with Gaius. Jason was never like this before; he'd never kill if he could help it.
"Says the man who wants to kill all Olympus," Jason growled back at him. Gaius laughed. "Your naivety amuses me, Grace. Join me, and we can have our revenge on our parents, for leaving us so cruelly in this dark world. Join me, and we can make it better." Despite herself, Piper felt his words taking hold. She shook her head violently and lashed out with her legs.
Gaius kneed her in her back – hard. She gasped for air as best as she could through the gag as tears welled in her eyes in pain. "PIPER!" Jason shouted and began to run forward but stopped abruptly when Gaius put his blade on Piper's neck. "STOP RIGHT THERE, GRACE!" Gaius shouted out. "UNLESS YOU WANT HER BLOOD ALL OVER YOUR HANDS!"
Jason retreated backwards, dropping his sword. He held out his palms pleadingly. "Please, please let her go," he said pathetically. Tears had crept into his eyes. Piper wanted to scream at him, for giving up so easily. She looked at him, defiance clear in her eyes, but he remained in his pleading position.
Jason sank to his knees, overwhelmed by emotion. Piper heard Gaius chuckle behind her, a low sound that chilled her to the bone. Her back still hurt, and it took all her effort trying to stand upright. She felt the knife move from her throat as Gaius used his hand to motion to two guards who jogged over to Jason and hauled him up.
"Drake," Gaius barked. "Here, hold her." He pushed her into the arms of another man who promptly placed a pistol next to her head. Guns, Piper thought, so uncivilised. Gaius walked over to Jason, who was now being held upright. Tears still streaked his face, but his jaw was set in determination. A bit late for that, she thought to herself.
Gaius wound up his fist and punched Jason in the face. His glasses flew off with the force of the blow and left him with a bleeding gash on his lip. Gaius punched him in the stomach, before punching him on the other side of the face, going all Rocky Balboa on him. Piper shrieked and screamed, but her voice was muffled by the gag. Jason was barely standing now, the guards holding him up now more than holding him back.
"Hey, asshole!" Piper heard a shout from her side. Annabeth stood defiantly, despite her hands held behind her back by a man twice her size. "Leave him alone!" she shouted. Gaius laughed, walking over to her. "Why, so that I can hit you?" he asked sarcastically. Annabeth spat in his face, causing him to reel backwards. Rage crept into Gaius' face. Annabeth might have had her moment of defiance, but she was gonna pay for it.
He backhanded her straight across the face, swearing as he did it. Piper shrieked and screamed again, but her voice was muffled by the gag. Drake tutted behind her, pressing the muzzle of the gun harder into her head.
"Sir!" Piper heard someone call from the terrace of the upper floor. Gaius looked up at him quizzically. "We're approaching Brazil," the man shouted back. A cruel smile lit up Gaius' face. "Drake, would you get our sacrifices ready?"