Ha Ha hey guys. I'm so sorry. I've been forgetting to update because I am no longer writing as I have finished the story. So I am sorry but will try to remember to post from now on. There are roughly 3 weeks worth of updates left if I post on time, so have fun. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO
Reviews:
SupremeCommanderOfTheArgoII: Firstly, please breathe I don't want to be the reason you die. And secondly, don't worry about me finishing the story as it will be over in the next 3 weeks! :(
ARTSY30: Thank you so much for your lovely comments and don't you worry there is going to be a bit more Poseidon in the coming weeks. Not loads though, sorry.
Nico POV
I walked slowly around the camp, doing the final checks. Each cabin had been given a set of tents to pitch and the mess tent was in the middle.
The day after Kronos IMed us in the throne room the gods transported every able bodied fighter and medic from both camps to a field in Greece. We had been told to set up camp on one end and, if Apollo's prediction was correct, the enemy would have set up camp on the other side of the field a forest.
We had left plenty of room between the two encampments for the battle to take place. After all we had our backs to the first Olympus, so the titans would have to go through us to destroy the gods' roots.
The Roman and Greek camps had been mixed together with the demigods most suited to war closest to the other army and the ones least suited further away. The infirmary had a large set up at the back of the camp, with a smaller battle field infirmary near the front.
It was plain to see that tension was high as I walked around the camp. The demigods spoke in hushed voices, mostly about the battle to come, or trained – though they were careful not to get tired in case we were attacked suddenly.
It was on the third day that the fighting began. At the crack of dawn the lookouts had spotted a few monsters leaving the trees and heading towards us. The alarm was raised and within 10 minutes we were in our battle formation on the field.
It was only then that we saw the true extent of the army.
Thousands of monsters had run from the trees battering our front line. But the demigods held strong.
At first I had been worried that I would see Percy amongst their ranks and that I might have to fight him. But after an hour or so of fighting without seeing the son of Poseidon, I was confident that he wouldn't be fighting.
When I started to get tired I shadow travelled back to the command tent. There I found Annabeth with her siblings and some Romans.
"Annabeth!" I called as I entered the tent. "He's not out there." The daughter of Athena grinned at me.
Before the battle we had decided that when we were attacked, if Percy wasn't fighting, it would be our best opportunity to save him. Most of the monsters would be out of the camp and we would have a much easier time.
"Ok, operation save Seaweed Brain Again is a go." Annabeth announced. One of her brothers quickly brought her the map to her and I hurried over to look.
"Our scouts are saying that their camp is here. " Annabeth said pointing to a red circle on the map. "That means we need to sneak in and grab him quietly as it will be well defended and there may even be archers in the trees."
"Whoa... I know you and Percy are friends now but I think this is a solo mission." I told her carefully.
"No Nico. I need to do this, I left him once I'm not doing it again. And besides you could use someone to watch your back and help out if things go wrong." She told me sternly. I considered it for a moment, she was right that I needed her help. But at the same time, she would slow me down because I couldn'tcould shadow travel as often.
"Nico, I'm not asking your permission." She told me, glaring at me with her piercing grey eyes. "If you leave me behind I will follow anyway and that will just be more dangerous for all three of us."
"Fine." I conceded, knowing that the daughter of Athena would get her way eventually anyway. "But that means I can't shadow travel us in or I might not have enough energy for a quick escape." She nodded at me; determination clear on her face.
"Ok, so we will skirt around the edge of the battle and go from there. We can't exactly make a plan without seeing the camp first." I agreed with her, so with that she gave a few last orders to the demigods in the tent and handed over command before we left to grab our things.
Within 5 minutes we had met again on the far left of the camp with all the gear we could need and were ready to leave. Silently, we crept away from the camp to the foot of the hills and made our way around the battleground.
The soft sound of clashing metal rang through the air like waves on a beach, but occasionally they would be pierced by a scream or howl that would make us flinch. I was trying to push back my Hades ability to feel death as the amount would surely overwhelm me – but I could still sense its presence on the field.
It took us much longer than I would've liked to reach the tree line as we had to hide every time a monster came nearby. And, unfortunately, that got more common the closer we got to the trees.
Once we were under the canopy, we hid to discuss our next move. From behind the tree where we were crouched I could hear the rustle of the foliage where monsters and enemy demigods were patrolling.
"How do you plan on getting past them?" I asked in a hushed voice.
The daughter of Athena paused for a moment before replying, "Is it dark enough for you to easily hide us in the shadows?" I looked around me. It was true that the forest was significantly darker than the open air, but I wasn't sure that it could keep us hidden from everything in here.
"I can do it." I told her, "But I can't guarantee that some types of monsters won't be able to see us." She nodded and simply told me that we would have to risk it and try to stay out of the open areas.
Without another word I pulled the darkness towards us and led her towards where the titan camp was supposed to be.
It was difficult manoeuvring around the forest, hiding and keeping the darkness around us. But we managed it while only having to kill a few monsters, ten at most, and eventually we reached the edge of their camp.
It was instantly clear to me that this camp was made to be less permeant than the last. It had less sophisticated walls and I could easily see that they had tents instead of buildings.
Slowly Annabeth and I crept along the wooden wall, trying to find a big enough gad for us to squeeze through. It was hard making myself tiptoe around when I was this close to Percy, I just wanted to run to him as quick as possible – but I knew that would get me killed.
So, I stuck to tiptoeing and repeating that I would find him in my head.
Luckily, it only took us a few minutes before we discovered a gap that we could fit through. I went first, staying in my shadows, before I signalled that it was safe to come through. Annabeth hurried to shimmy sideways through the gap and join me.
"Ok, the king definitely knows we will be coming this time." Annabeth told me when we had found a safe (ish) place to hide behind a large tent. "He doesn't know when and the battle will be distracting him, that is our only advantage. After last time he knows that we want to save Percy so the king will have him guarded."
I nodded as she carried on. "I think it is still his plan to use Percy in this fight though, so if we are lucky, he will be able to run and fight when we get to him." Neither of us mentioned that we were very rarely lucky, but I knew that she was thinking it too.
Worry clouded her eyes and she was absently retying her hair, just to do something with her hands.
"It's ok. We'll get him back." I told Annabeth, putting my and on her shoulder reassuringly. "Percy needs us, so we have to."
"Whatever it takes." She replied setting her face in determination. Then she pulled out her white drakon bone sword and said, "He'll be in the middle." Before setting off, leaving me scrambling to catch up.
Getting to the middle turned out to not be as easy as the daughter of wisdom made it sound. Once again, we found ourselves flitting between the shadows of tents and hiding from the monsters patrolling the camp.
There was more than one occasion where one or both of us had been seen and had to quickly dispatch of the monsters before they could raise an alarm. By the time we were anywhere near what we thought was the centre of the camp Annabeth was running out of arrows for her miniature crossbow and I was very glad my throwing knives returned to me.
There had been several times when we had saved each other's lives from a sneak attack. I couldn't help but think that I wouldn't have made it this far without her, I was truly glad for her stubborn attitude.
It must've been midday by the time we finally reached the centre of the camp where the tents were more titan sized and we were understandably tired, so we stopped for a break in the safest spot we could find.
"Where to next then?" I asked, moving my hair out of my eyes.
"I'm not sure." Annabeth answered in between gulps of water. "You came to get him last time, what did you do then?"
"Honestly, there were more of us so we systematically and secretly checked each building that looked like it could have him inside." I told her, reaching for my own bottle. "I doubt that will work here though, the tents all look the same and there is only two of us. It would take too long."
She nodded in agreement and we settled into silence, both of us trying to come up with a viable plan. We each threw a couple of ideas out, but none would work. They mostly weren't even worth trying unless we had a death wish.
"Wait, shush." Annabeth suddenly said, cutting me off while I told her my latest idea. It confused me but, nevertheless, I did as she asked. That's when I heard it.
A scream. Faint, distant. But there.
"That way." Annabeth announced, pointing in said direction. I quickly grabbed my things and followed her as we hurried as silently as we could to where the scream originated. I knew it was a long shot, this was a titan camp during a war after all. But we had to try.
After a few minutes I heard it again. I grabbed Annabeth's wrist and pulled her behind me, slightly changing our direction. Once we were on course again; I let go. Our footfalls were the only noise for a while until eventually I slowed to a walk, thinking we had lost the trail.
'Come on Percy.' I thought. 'We've nearly found you.'
Then, as if he could hear me, I hear a distinct voice yell "Please stop!" It was close, just a few tents away, and definitely Percy.
Annabeth motioned with her hand and crept back the way we had come, staying in the shadow of the tents. She soon held up her fist and stopped. Cautiously I looked around her, the tent in front of us had four dracenea milling by the door. This was the one.
To confirm my theory a nine-foot tall man with tanned skin, ocean blue eyes and a blue chiton marched out of the tent. "Go get Lord Kronos." Oceanus commanded two of the monsters. "The boy is nearly ready for him." The dracenea bowed as the titan of the sea vanished back into the tent, then two of them left to find Kronos.
"This is our chance." I whispered in Annabeth's ear. "We need to get in and grab Percy before the King arrives." She nodded and said, "The only issue is Oceanus, we'll have to get rid of him quickly."
I agreed it would be difficult, but we had to try. It was probably the best shot we were going to get.
"Wait here," I told her "I'll get rid of the guards." With that I melted into the shadows and reappeared behind the dracenea. Before they even noticed I was there I had taken the head off one of them and plunged my sword into the other's back. They both dissolved into dust without a sound.
As soon as I was done Annabeth ran to the door and peered inside. "Clear." Was her only word before she disappeared inside and I was left to follow.
The inside of the tent was filled with the strong metallic smell of blood and the walls were lined with a variety of weapons – several stained with the same substance. "Come on." I whispered, trying to draw her attention away from the horror around us.
Careful not to make a sound I tip toed through the room towards a trapdoor in the far corner. "Nico, we need a plan." Annabeth whispered, pulling me to a halt.
"I have a plan." I hissed back, annoyed that she had stopped me. "We go down there, kill a titan, then get the hell out of there."
"Nico, I know you want him as soon as you can but dying isn't going to help him." She told me sternly. I paused.
She had a point.
Realising that I was listening she started explaining her plan to me. "You can go first in the shadows and see if it is clear. When Oceanus isn't looking go down and ill follow, we can attack him from behind as a team. When he is down we grab Percy and you can shadow travel us out."
I just nodded and opened the trapdoor, I didn't to waste another second that could be spent saving my boyfriend.
Thankfully, the door was silent as it opened. An ominous creek would've definitely given the game away. I pulled the shadows towards me and began down the titan-sized ladder.
As soon as my head was in the room I turned to look. I almost wished I hadn't.
The room was dark but I could see that there was a large tank filled with greenish water in the center of the room, but that wasn't the awful part. Oceanus was stood over it with a look of glee upon his face, pushing a smaller beings head into tank.
Bubbles rose from his mouth in a silent scream. I instantly knew he was drowning in the foul liquid and it wasn't until the kicking of his legs began to slow that the titan pulled his head from the tank. Leaving the son of Poseidon to wretch on the floor.
Oceanus laughed as he watched Percy desperately try to clear his lungs. "Pathetic." He spat. "And to think people call you a hero."
I couldn't wait any longer I beckoned to Annabeth, as the titan was clearly distracted, and hurried my way to the bottom. Silently, we crept around the edge of the room in the shadows. The titan of the ocean paid us no attention and instead continued to torment Percy.
Eventually, Annabeth and I were in position but Oceanus had once again grabbed Percy by the scruff of the neck. He held him up so the son of poseidon was looking him in the eye, "He's coming." the titan told him loudly. Annabeth and I looked at each other, I hoped I was thinking of the wrong person. "Lord Kronos is coming."
A whimper was all Percy got out before his head was thrust back under the water. I silently looked over at Annabeth, my blood boiling, she held up three fingers... then 2. Then 1. And then we struck.
I drove at the titan's arm, cutting a gash along it and drawing his attention to me.
He let go of Percy and whirled towards me, drawing his axe as he turned.
"I should've known you'd come boy." He scowled. I simply set myself in a defensive stand and said, "Then you'll know I'm not leaving alone."
I could see Annabeth pulling Percy out of the water, I just had to keep the big oaf distracted for a little while longer and then we could take get him away.
Suddenly, Oceanus charged towards me. I ducked beneath his axe and cut a gash along his side before spinning away. He followed me aiming for my legs, I jumped back and nocked the axe away.
I saw a flash of blonde behind him and he suddenly howled in pain. I rolled under the titan's arm as he tried to hit me, putting myself between Oceanus and Percy as he turned to look to the three of us.
"Of course," He laughed to himself. "You would come too." Annabeth glared at the titan and lifted her sword again. "But you are too late, you will never make it out of here before Lord Kronos arrives. And then you will die."
I was about to grab the two of them and shadow travel out when the titan of the seas separated us, swinging his axe in a wide arc that forced all three of us to move. I dove left, springing up on again as soon as I could.
I quickly cut a gash in the titan's leg while Annabeth slipped inside his guard and cut a line along his fighting arm. A tactical move as it slowed his pace considerably. But he knew that and punched Annabeth in the stomach with his other hand. She was sent flying across the room, where Percy quickly set to work trying to heal her wounds.
Then the titan turned to me but his movements were sluggish, the blood loss and the pain finally getting to him. I could see that this was the best chance I would get and I knew that Kronos's arrival was not an empty threat, we had to leave soon.
I stayed back and waited for his next attack. He swung high and I ducked, stepping inside his swing. Oceanus had put too much power into his swing, hoping to end me, and it was impossible to change the direction.
I lifted my sword high and swung, cutting the handle of his axe in two before changing the direction and plunged it into his chest. I jumped back and watched as Oceanus stumbled back, two steps and them he fell against his own tank – sinking to the floor.
A sigh passed his lips and a drop of blood ran from the corner. Seeing him dying I hurried over to where Percy was helping Annabeth to her feet. "Come on, we need to..." I began and then an explosion rippled through the room.
When I picked myself up, my head was spinning. Painfully, I rested my hand against my head I could instantly tell I was bleeding. Not much, but enough to be disorientating. Slowly, I stood using the wall to help me.
Oceanus was still laying in the middle of the room, the blast hadn't touched him. With a surge of anger I realised he had used his last moments to cause it.
Stumbling across the room I found Percy and Annabeth against the far wall. Annabeth was beginning to stir and seemed ok, but the son of the sea was still out cold.
"Percy." I breathed, kneeling down next to him. "Percy come on wake up." I told him. I quickly took off my rucksack and found my ambrosia. Panicked I broke off a chunk and forced it down his throat, then I took a small piece myself. I needed to save the rest for the others, I would be fine in a few minutes.
I shook Percy again. Panic rising in me. "Come on." I told him. "Come on. Please Percy, I'm not coming all this way to lose you. Wake up." I looked down to grab the last piece of ambrosia.
"Don't worry." A quiet voice mumbled. "I'm ok." My head shot up, and I saw his eyes struggling open.
"Thank the gods." I said, wrapping my arms around him. As soon as I let go, I gave him the final piece of godly food. He needed it to heal some of the wounds he had previously gotten from the titans.
"We need to go." I told him with a smile, pulling the son of Poseidon to his feet.
"Nico..." Annabeth's panicked voice said from behind me. "Can you get us out of here?" When I turned I saw that the daughter of Athena was as pale as a ghost and her sword was unsheathed.
That's when I heard it.
I had been so worried about Percy that I hadn't heard it at first. Footsteps in the room above us.
I shook my head at her. "If I try now, we'll get stuck." My head was still pounding, and I could barely concentrate on anything, if I tried leading the three of us through the shadows now – we were sure to get lost. "Do you have any ambrosia left?" I asked her, knowing it could save our lives.
"No." She answered simply. I drew my sword. "Ok, I just need a few minutes and then I can take us. If we can hold out for that long, we'll be fine."
"If." Percy said in a serious tone, drawing some of the water towards him and forming it into an ice sword. That was when the door opened. And down came our worst nightmare.
Instantly the three of us fanned out into a semicircle, preparing as well as we could for the monster's inevitable attack.
Silently, he dropped off the ladder and turned to face us. He looked at his brother sadly for a moment, before he sighed a looked up at us. "At least he did his job." Kronos said, drawing his golden blade casually. "He left you here for me."
The titan king waved his hand and the body of his elder brother disappeared in a flash of light along with the tank.
"We're leaving." Annabeth told the king.
"You clearly aren't," he replied pointing his sword at me "or he would've already taken you. A good knock on the head stops someone from shadow travelling almost as well as killing them." He smirked.
"You will die today. In this hole in the ground, and Perseus shall watch." Kronos told us matter of factly.
"Go shove it." Percy growled from beside me. I grinned, knowing that he was truly ok.
"Two minutes with your friends and you get all fired up again." The titan said mockingly. "Not two hours ago you were cowering at my feet. And you will be again once I've killed them."
With that he launched himself at Annabeth, forcing her to move or be killed. She parried away his sword, but the titan didn't have time to pursue her before a shard of ice had lodged itself in his shoulder.
He spun and knocked the next shard out of the way with his sword, before changing it into a scythe and cutting at me. I had to duck to avoid being decapitated but quickly managed to get back to the fight.
And then time turned to jelly. Not literally but you know what I mean. The lord of time slowed us all, in the blink of an eye his fist connected to my face and I went sprawling on the floor. Percy's legs were swept from under him and Annabeth was left running to help in slow motion.
"You are all children." The king laughed, walking normally around the room. "You have no hope of ever winning this war, you might as well surrender now."
"We will never surrender to you." I growled.
"Then you will die." He told me.
That's when I felt it, my mental connection to the domains of my father snapped back into place. I knew that when I got the chance, I could get us out of this mess. I just couldn't let Kronos know that I could get us away, or he would kill me before I could move. Literally.
After what felt like forever Annabeth reached Kronos but he simply pushed her back from him. Then he let us go, just proving that he was toying with us. I stood up and nodded at Annabeth while Kronos's back was turned, I could tell that the daughter of Athena knew I was ready to leave.
Together the three of us charged at the titan, Annabeth went for a slash to his chest while Percy dove for his shoulder and I tried to cut the back of his leg. Kronos caught Annabeth's blade with his own and shoved her back, then he span and kicked me away. Percy was left alone, but he didn't get much chance to strike as Kronos flicked his fingers and he hit the wall behind him.
Before any of us could move Kronos ran towards Percy and stabbed his sword through his leg. The son of Poseidon's screams filled the room around us, instantly Annabeth charged at Kronos and I ran towards my boyfriend desperately hoping that I could save him.
"Hey, I'm here." I said kneeling down next to him. I quickly tore a piece of material from my shirt and tied it around the wound, hoping to slow the blood loss. "You'll be ok." I told him, praying to every god that I was right.
I looked over at Annabeth hoping that she was in a position to get to us.
But no such luck.
The daughter of Athena was pinned to the wall, stuck in a battle of swords with the titan. She was doing all she could not to be killed and he was only playing with her. "I'll be right back." I told Percy, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.
I hurried towards Annabeth, hefting my sword ready to cut into the titan. But with a wave of his hand I was pushed back to Percy and the daughter of Athena was forced further back. When I looked the son of Poseidon was unconscious.
"You need to get him help!" Annabeth yelled, while furiously holding off Kronos.
"I'm not leaving you!" I called back to her, at this point Kronos knew I could leave and turned towards me, but he was quickly stabbed in the leg by the defiant daughter of Athena.
"Make it worth something." She told me as the titan glowered at her, angered that she had hit him. A tear ran down Annabeth's face. "Go! Now!"
With that the titan swung at her, she tried to block it but the strike was so powerful that it knocked the sword from her hands. In an instant Kronos's blade was in her stomach.
Annabeth's eyes widened in shock and pain. I called out to her, but she simply looked up at me. Another tear ran down her face, and blood oozed from her wound. The king removed his blade from her abdomen and turned to face us.
The last thing I saw was Annabeth fall to the floor before the darkness consumed us.
I'm sorry! Please don't kill me.
I know a lot of you will ship Percabeth and in cannon so do I, but for my story Nico just seemed to be the better pairing and I hope you can forgive me for the rollercoaster of the Annabeth/Percy relationship.
As always please leave me a review and I will see you next week.