Chapter 15

Percy POV

I question myself every day, why does this sort of thing always happen to me? Is it because I don't floss every single day? Or because I cheated on a question for a test? Why am I burdened with this curse that attracts danger everywhere I go?

Breathe in, breathe out, I told myself mentally in my head. C'mon Percy, you can handle this!

"We need a plan." I decided.

"I know," Scott panted.

"I hate your boss," Stiles told us out of nowhere.

"What?" Scott and I asked simultaneously confused.

"Deaton, the alpha? Your boss," Stiles ranted.

"No," Scott defended him.

"Yes! Murdering psycho werewolf!"

"Deaton is not the alpha," I sided with Scott. "He isn't even a werewolf."

"Oh, come on," Stiles looked at us in disbelief. "He disappears and that thing shows up ten seconds later to toss Derek 20 feet through the air? That's not convenient timing?"

"A very, horrible coincidence," I told him. "I know what an Alpha smells like, Deaton isn't an Alpha. As I already said, Deaton isn't even a werewolf."

"He killed Derek," Stiles tried to reason with us.

"Derek is not dead," I stated firmly. I'm getting tired of Stiles thinking so negative over this situation.

"No, Derek's not dead. He can't be dead," Scott looked slightly distraught as if he was faking it.

"Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay?!" Stiles slammed his hand down. "That doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury! He's dead and we're next!"

"Stiles, if you don't shut up right now then I'M going to rip out your throat with MY TEETH." I shouted at him fed up with his ramblings. "And we are not going to die. We are going to live."

"Okay, just... What do we do?" Scott asked Stiles and I.

"We get to Stiles's Jeep, and figure it out from there." I said.

When we all agree on this 10 second plan that we just made up, we left the desk and walked towards the windows. Scott and I were about to open them but Stiles stopped us. "No, they don't open. The school's climate-controlled."

"Then we break it," Scott told us.

"And create a lot of noise for the alpha to hear us? I don't think so," I shook my head.

"Then," Scott sighed. "Then we run really fast."

We looked at where Stiles Jeep was at. I stopped messing with my silver switchblade, squinting my eyes through the windows towards Stiles's Jeep. "Stiles, what happened to your car?" I asked him slowly.

"What?" Stiles squished his face to the window to get a better look at his precious car.

"Stiles, what's wrong with the hood of your Jeep?" Scott asked when he also saw Stiles car.

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."

"It's bent," I heard Scott tell Stiles.

"Like, dented?"

"No, I mean bent."

"Duck!" I shouted as I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. Next thing I knew, something crashed through the glass windows, glass going everywhere. Some of the shards pricked my skin. I tried to raise my arms up to protect my face but something hit me straight in the chest. The force literally knocked the wind out of me as I was pushed backward. My legs hit a desk and I rolled backward, knocking down a couple of desks with me.

How ironic that I warn the others to dodge, but yet I get hit by whatever this is.

"Where?!" I heard Scott ask, as I guess he thought I literally meant a duck. I groaned out in pain as the side of my head slammed on the tile floor. Blinking my eyes a bit as everything started to spin, I slowly pushed myself on my elbows. I wheezed out a cough, trying to get air back in my lungs. Dusting the shards of glass off of my jacket, I looked down at the thing that knocked me down on the ground. I was expecting a demonic werewolf baby or something even scarier.

It was even worse, a car battery.

"Di Immortals," I groaned under my breath as I picked up the battery in my hands. "I can't catch a break."

I turned over the car battery in my hands, noticing the wire sticking out of it. My fingers traced the jagged claw marks that were left on the car battery. I placed a hand over my eyes as Stiles flashed his light towards me.

"I think I've found the problem to your Jeep, Stiles," I whispered towards them.

Stiles held a shocked look on his face. "That's my battery," He stammered in shock.

"Move now?" Scott asked.

"Move now," I agreed. The three of us slowly got back on our feet, our shoes crunching on the broken glass on the floor as we left the classroom.

An idea quickly flashed through my brain. "I've got an idea," I muttered to Scott and Stiles.

"Oh, no," Stiles muttered to me. "I hate your ideas."

"Stiles, your sarcasm isn't really necessary at the moment," I told him.

He opened his mouth wide at me, looking hurt. "Excuse me, but I've never said anything about your sarcasm."

"Just run when I scream."

"Whoa, wait a minute-" I stopped Scott before he could talk me out of the plan.

"YO FLEABAG!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Dude," Stiles and Scott hissed angrily at me. I ignored them and gave them a push away from me. "Go," I growled before stepping in front of the door.

"YOU WANT US?! C'MON! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!"

I ignored Scott and Stiles protests for me to run with them.

"C'MON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT, BETA!" My throat was starting to run dry and I could feel the veins on my neck straining out from how loud I was screaming. My breaths came out in pants, as I was glaring around for any sign of Lycaon.

Speaking of the devil, he came around the corner of the hallway bolting straight towards me. Everything started to slow down. I kept my eyes trained on the alpha, bending my knees slightly as I wait for the perfect time to take action on my plan. I was already regretting my plan as the alpha painfully slowly got closer and closer. My brain reeled back to when I faced the Minotaur and I almost gave out a chuckle.

When it was just in arms reach, I quickly pushed my legs up, my arms stretched out above me. My fingers curled around a rusted pipe. Not even thinking beforehand if the pipe could bear my weight, I lift myself up. I felt a gush of wind rush underneath me as the alpha tried to skid to a stop but he was too fast to stop. Swinging myself forward, I launched my entire body as the alpha tripped inside the empty room. I landed right in front of the door to the classroom, the alpha tripped into.

Quickly I slammed the door shut with my shoulder, putting all my weight on it. This time, I didn't hold back the chuckle that threatened to escape my mouth. I glanced at my two best friends and saw them holding onto each other, gaping right at me.

"I love you," I heard Stiles say to me. "Can I kiss you?" I just chuckled even more and shook my head no. The door on my back gave out a rough shake as the alpha tried to escape. I quickly placed my palms against the door handle melting the metal to fuse it shut.

The three of us looked at each other, not believing it. "He can't...," Scott didn't need to finish his sentence. Stiles grabbed my head and placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek. I gave him a weird look before the three of us smiled goofily at each other.

"Still hate my ideas?" I asked them.

"Yes," Scott and Stiles said at the same time.

We just barely left the boiling room and running up a set of stairs when my ears perked up as I heard a distant ringtone somewhere in the school. Which means someone was inside the building. Scott, also hearing the ringtone, stopped Stiles and I. A panicked look stretched across our faces. "Wait. Do you hear that?" Scott panted.

"It sounds like a phone ringing." I said nodding.

"I know that ring," Scott said, realization was written all over his face. "That's Allison's phone."

I felt the color drain out of my face as more of my friend's lives are being risked. "Allison? What is she doing here?" I asked Scott.

"Like I have a clue," Scott freaked out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Stiles tried to calm down Stiles. "We don't even know that's even Allison. A lot of people have the same ringtone."

"Well first off, who else would be here at this time besides the janitors? Maybe the alpha is trying to trick us and setting up a trap for you," I told him.

"What if it isn't?! What if she's in trouble?!" Scott went to a full blown panic attack.

"Look," I told Scott, taking out my phone. "I'll call her."

Scott seemed to calm down a bit from my idea, quickly nodding his head. I'm surprised I haven't cracked my phone from all this shit that has been happening! Right as I was about to dial Allison's number, a named popped on my phone and the Harry Potter theme song started to play.

"Nico?" A horrible feeling settle in my gut.

I glanced at Scott and Stiles before quickly answering. "Nico? Are you okay?" I quickly asked her as I saw Stiles call Allison at the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I heard Nico's voice say through my phone, calming me down a bit. "The shopping spree was long. I'm on my way to the school. What do you need Percy?"

"I didn't send you anything Nico, what are you talking about?"

"You just sent me a text message to meet you at school. Like, right now," he said.

Alpha set a trap for all of us, I realized.

"Nico, it's the Alpha he sent you that message. Scott, Stiles and I are at the school confronting the Alpha. Go home and wait for me there."

"Okay Perce, don't do anything stupid."

Despite everything, he had this power over me that makes me smile in horrible situations.

"You know me. I'm the King of stupid." I retorted.

"Be safe." And with that, Nico ended the call.

The three of us quickly sprinted towards Allison. Apparently, she was also here. While I was talking to Nico, Stiles called Allison and she confirmed it that she was inside the school building. Rushing towards the lobby, I quickly sighed in relief when I saw Allison perfectly fine and healthy.

"Thank the Gods," I muttered under my breath.

"Why did you come? What are you doing here?" Scott ran to Allison.

"Because you asked me to," she told him in confusion.

Stiles and I looked at each other in confusion. Derek broke Scott's phone. Scott couldn't have told Allison.

"I asked you to?" Scott repeated in confusion like the rest of us.

"Did you get a message to come here?" I asked her, walking towards her.

She nodded her head, taking out her phone and showing it to us. Scott, Stiles, and I looked at each other.

"Nico received the same message," I said.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't send this message?" Allison asked Scott.

"Because I didn't, I don't even have my phone with me" Scott told her.

"Did you drive here?" Stiles quickly asked her, trying to form a plan to escape.

"Jackson did," Allison told us. "And Lydia. What's going on?! Who sent this text?!" Alison fired off questions.

My head snapped to the side when I heard doors opening. I rubbed my face stressing out as Jackson and Lydia walked towards us.

"Finally," Lydia sighed. "Can we go now?"

We all stopped moving/talking when we heard loud noise coming from the ceiling. We all glanced at each other fearfully as the noise continues. I saw Allison grasping Scott's hand in fear as Stiles inched closer towards me. I stiffened when I felt a petite hand slipping through my hand, the other gripping on my jacket. I looked down and saw it was Lydia Martin and her Queen Bee look was gone. Scott, Stiles, and I looked at each other. It was the alpha above us in the ceiling.

"Run!" I shouted at everybody.

Pushing Stiles ahead, I gripped my hand tighter around Lydia's as I dragged her up the stairs. I didn't dare to look back as I heard something come crashing down from the ceiling. We sprinted down the hallway as the alpha started to chase behind us.

Lydia clutched onto Jackson as I pushed them in front of me. Right after I pushed them ahead of me, a sharp pain hit me right in the ankles. All of a sudden, I was in the air before I face planted on the tile floor. My vision went black for a second until I started to blink my eyes rapidly.

Finally being able to see, I looked up to see everybody looking at me in horror. That was the last thing I saw of them before I was roughly tugged away from my friends. I dug my fingers on the floor, most likely scraping a layer or two of my skin. I heard my friends shouting my name over the sound of the alpha's growls.

Giving out a frustrated yell, I pulled out one of my throwing knives and swiped the Alpha across his face. Giving me a deadly glare, he tightened his grip on my ankle before he launched my entire body to the trophy case. I quickly covered my head with my arms as my body made an impact on the glass, shattering it into millions of shards from the force. My back hit the shelves as metal trophies banged all over my body. Gravity pushed me down to the pool of broken glass, some of it embedded on the palm of my hands, forearm, and my back.

I coughed as I wheezed air back to my lungs. Scrambling on my movements, I pushed myself on my palms, ignoring the blood. I curled my fist and faster than a heartbeat, I plunged a shard of glass deep in the alpha's neck. It gave out a painful yelp, quickly backing away from me. It tried to slash me with its claws but I slid out of his reach. Quickly doing a front roll, I jumped back on my feet and sprinted down a hallway. Leading the alpha away from my friends.

I pulled out Riptide and cut the metal of the fountain like it was warm butter. I could already feel my energy increasing just seeing the water. The water soaked my clothes but I could already feel myself drying. I could feel the water crawling on my body, healing the cuts made from the glass.

I mocked "You're in my territory now, Lycaon."

Before he could lunge, I thrust my hands up, the pulling feeling in my gut appearing. The water rushed forwards under my command, hitting the alpha square in the chest. I sprang on my feet, sprinting towards the alpha. I kept on launching gallons of water towards the alpha, pushing him back. Throwing the water in its eyes, I run up the wall beside me and pushed myself off of it, towards the alpha. I smacked the alpha in the face with the flat of Riptide.

It crumbled to the ground, giving out a painful howl. I quickly raised my palm and willed the water to surround the alpha. Furrowing my eyebrows in concentration, I clenched my fist and the water instantly turned into a solid. The alpha struggled under the ice I just made, covering his entire body except its ugly, furry head.

"Stay, boy," I taunted him. He growled at me, baring his teeth at me. Making sure he was trapped, I turned my back to him and started to find my friends. Barely walking a yard away from the alpha, I heard a loud crash behind me. I sighed in frustration at myself for underestimated his strength. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the alpha gone, crumbles of ice everywhere.

Cursing myself, I sprinted down the hallway to find my friends.

Placing my back flat against the wall and making sure to be hiding in the shadows. Clenching my jaw, I saw the alpha slowly stalk towards the classroom that my friends were hiding in. I slowly and quietly pulled out my silver bow and nocked an arrow.

Right before I let it go, the moonlight caught it giving off a reflection to Lycaon. I saw the alpha snap its head towards my hiding spot. Faster than the speed of light, I launched my arrow towards the alpha. I watched as it soared true through the air before stabbing Lycaon right on the ball joint in its left shoulder. It stumbled back, shooting me a nasty growl. I just glared back it.

Thank you Lady Artemis for your archery blessing. I will be sure to give you a big food sacrifice for this.

It was smart enough to not attack me as I pulled out another arrow and ran away. I quickly sprinted towards the classroom door. Turning the knob, I found it locked. I quickly knocked on the door, jiggling the door knob.

"Scott! Stiles! It's me, Percy!" I quickly said through the door. "Guys! Please open the door!"

The door swung open and some grabbed me by my jacket, pulling me inside the classroom. Someone wrapped their arms around my torso, their curly, long, brown hair hitting my face. Allison.

"Thank God you are okay," Alison whispered against my chest.

"Have faith in me, Katniss," I told her playfully as I looked around the classroom.

You have no idea how happy I am to see your ugly faces," I said to Scott and Stiles, releasing the hug from Allison to give them a bro hug.

"How did you escape from Derek?" Jackson narrowed his eyes at me.

"What?" I said in confusion, looking at Scott and Stiles.

"The psycho that is behind all of the murders," Jackson said through clenched teeth.

Scott and Stiles shot me a pleading at me to go along with it through their eyes.

I shook my head, not willing Derek to take credit for something that wasn't his fault, "First off, that wasn't Derek that killed those people, it was Adam Guilin. A man I ran into on my way here, he is wanted for 4 killings in the next town over." I lied to them. "And second off, I am more than pretty looks."

Glancing at Alison, I stared at her hands that were shaking. "You okay?" I asked her softly.

She quickly glanced up at me before working back on my hand. "You got thrown into a trophy case, almost got killed by a murderer and you are asking me if I am okay?"

"Are you okay?" I asked her again.

She gave out a shaky breath. "Honestly, I am far from being okay," she stared into my eyes. "What are Scott and Stiles not telling us?"

Of course, Alison would figure out something.

"Trust me, it is better if you don't know. I don't want you involved, family comes first," I told Alison who nodded reluctantly, placing my bandaged hand on my chest before walking towards Lydia.

It was amazing how Lydia was mixing up all these chemicals like she was doing this since she was a baby. She's like a child of Athena.

Jackson, however, looked completely lost at everything. He looked at each bottle and it's like they were alien to him. He gave me a look of 'I-have-no-clue-what-I'm-doing'. Huh, that's like me. I nodded to him and shrugged my shoulders agreeing with him.

Once she was done mixing it all up, she placed a cork on top of the fire bomb and gave it to Scott.

"No. No, this is insane, you can't do this," Allison cried out to Scott. "You cannot go out there."

"We can't just sit here waiting for Stiles to have to check his messages," Scott told her.

"You could die. Don't you get that? He's killed four people." Alison reasoned with us as I lowered my head down.

"Somebody has to do something." Scott walked towards the door but Allison stopped him. Allison glanced at all of us before her eyes settled on me.

"Percy," she pleaded at me. "Convince him. Convince him not to go. He'll listen to you."

I tightened my jaw, looking at Scott and Allison. "Scott has to go," I finally say. "But he's not going alone. I'm going too."

"No." Scott instantly refused.

"Yes, and you don't have a choice" I walked up to Scott.

"You're going to get yourself killed, you barely escaped last time." Scott whispered at me in anger.

"I don't care," I told him truthfully. "I am not about to just wait here and let one of my friends risk their lives with a murder out there. You may not trust me still, but I'm going whether you like it or not."

Scott grabbed my arm but I pushed it away. I stared into his eyes, flashing my own red pupils at him not backing down. Scott shook his head. "Fine," he spat out, giving in.

Allison looked like she was fighting back a sob. She pulled Scott away and I backed off to give them some privacy. "Just... Just, please... Please don't go," Allison was crying by this point and it was painful to watch.

"Please don't leave us. Please." Allison begged him, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Scott looked like he didn't wanted to go. He wants to stay with Allison. But he knows he has to go. "Lock the door behind us," Scott told them as I waited for him at the door.

Allison did the last thing to convince him by pulling Scott into a passionate kiss. I looked to the ground as I felt a painful nostalgia. Annabeth and I were just like that. She hated it when I always placed myself in front of others because that was my fatal flaw. During the Titan War at New York, she was furious when she realized I risked my life when I bathed in the River Styx. It still hurts to even think about her despite the fact that she betrayed me.

Scott and I have been walking down hallways for a couple of minutes. It was seriously creepy walking down the hallways, especially with super hearing because you hear everything. I was carrying the fire bomb while Scott sniffed out the body of the janitor.

"What did you come with me?" Scott asked me, breaking the silence.

"Never leave a friend behind," I muttered to him, looking around for any sign of Lycaon.

"As touching as that is, there more to that. You're risking your life, Percy. You're just human." Scott lectured me.

I really wanted to laugh at the irony. I am far from being human.

Scott pushed me on. "Unless you are committing suicide, why did you wanted to come along with me so badly?"

"Scott, just let it go," I urged Scott.

"No, tell me why," he demanded me.

"Scott," I tried to tell him to stop.

"Why are you risking your life?"

"You don't get it!" I finally exploded. "You won't understand."

"Understand what?" Scott asked me cautiously.

I looked around angrily, hating for having to deal with this. I came here, hoping to get a chance of normal life but I can never get that. It's not fair.

"It's who I am," I whispered to him, looking him in the eyes. "I can't help it if I put others before myself. I can't help it if I am too loyal. I can't help it that I would risk my life in a heartbeat, not even thinking twice, for the people I love or even to a complete stranger. It's in my nature. Scott, you have a future. I don't."

"Is this about what coach said to you in class today?" Scott asked me.

"No but he is right," I told him truthfully. "I don't have a future. I don't know what I am going to do. I am 17 years old and I am stuck in junior year. My mother is dead and it's all my fault that I wasn't able to protect her. My father hates my guts. I lost all of my friends. They fucking back-stabbed me after everything we went through. Hell, my ex-girlfriend cheated on me with my own half-brother. Now, I have new friends that I don't want getting involved in this because I am being hunted. Literally, the reason all this is happening is because the Alpha we are dealing with, is hunting Nico and I. There is no hope for my future Scott. There's nothing there for me." I ranted at him.

"But you, Scott, you have a future after high school. You are in the lacrosse team. You have friends that care about you. You still have your mom who is amazing. You are a good kid. You see the good in everything. You have an amazing girlfriend. You guys are in love. I'll be damned to let you lose everything." My chest was rising up and down from my speech. I let everything out. I thought I would feel better but it made everything worse. I feel even emptier as I realized I lost everything.

Scott just stared at me, speechless.

"I don't want to hear your sympathy," I told him. "Let's just get everyone out of here."

Scott slowly nodded his head and took the lead. I quietly followed him to the school's gym.

Scott continued to sniff around the gym until he stopped under the bleachers. We looked skeptical under the bleachers.

Scott looked at me and I gave him a nod back as if signaling, let's do this.

Updated: 12/30/2017