Hey guys! Just edited and reuploaded the chapter. I felt I went a little too far with the Percabeth, so I toned it down a little. It was becoming a romance novel (ugh). Also, Annabeth isn't an Aphrodite girl, so she shouldn't be acting like one. Yea, a couple minor changes, but rereading probably isn't necessary. That was all, see ya!

Annabeth- The fall of Half Blood Hill

My eyes slowly opened, and already I knew I was still dreaming. I was in the apartment I share with Percy, you know, when we aren't fighting in wars. I cringed, waiting for the next onslaught of nightmares to hit me. I had been pulled out of my normal recurring dream of Percy being tortured by Tartarus, and I expected only worse to come. But instead, I felt warm, strong arms wrap around me. Unmistakably my boyfriend.

Well this is a nice change, I thought, before a realisation hit me. I was aware that I was dreaming. I don't know how, or why, but I am never aware of myself whilst I'm asleep. Tartarus tortures my mind as if I was still down there, but it's been worse since Percy left, much worse. Having Percy here, even though he isn't, is the first respite I've had in a long time.

I turned, content to be met with his face, and I was in for a shock. His complexion was pale, like he hadn't seen the sun his whole life. He looked like Nico during the summer time. But his body was a little more muscular, which isn't bad, and his sea green eyes had exactly the same happy gleam they had in them on that night at Hestia's hearth; a time that feels like an eternity ago now.

"Hey, wise girl. Sorry it took me so long, but I'm still figuring this 'god' stuff out and-"

I cut him off with a kiss. I wasn't sure whether or not this was really happening, but at that point it didn't matter. I was with him for the time being, at least in my own mind.

"Percy… is this really, you know, real?"
"Yea, unless I'm dreaming of being in your dream, which I guess is possible."

"But how are you… that means you're officially a god, right?"

"Maybe… probably… almost," he nodded sadly. "Honestly, I have no idea, but I'm definitely more than a demigod now."

What does this mean for us? I wondered.

"Frankly Anna, it's up to you," He answered as if he'd read my mind, which I think he could. This worried me, because there were certain things going through my mind that I didn't want him to know about.

"I chose against this for a mortal life," he continued. "But it came back for me anyway… I can't ask you too-" he choked on his words, and looked me in the eye. "I can't ask you to give up your mortality, I won't… but whatever choice you make, make it for yourself. That's all I want for you, ok? I'll be fine with whatever choice you-"

"What are you talking about? What choice do you expect me to make?"

"Well… you've got what so few demigods have; a more or less normal life ahead of you, and-"
"The only reason I even bothered trying a normal life was so I could be with you, you big idiot!"

Usually in these moments when I go off at him, he smiles and laughs it off, but this time, he frowned, and averted his eyes.

"Annabeth… I can't be…" he started, before pulling himself together a little, and considered his words. "I can't be selfish with you, wise girl… I can't expect you to follow me into this life, and I-"

"You aren't getting away from me, not again. Not after everything we've done, everything we've been through together. And definitely not after the time we've already lost. An eternity with you sounds almost bearable, so I think I could manage it," I said, really slow, so that he caught every word.

"Are you sure? I mean-"

"Just shut up, seaweed brain. Case closed. Done. My mind is made, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and he crawled on top of me. "Well, time won't be a problem for much longer."

Some really long amount of time later- "Seaweed brain."
"Yea?" he asked, then he kissed the tip of my nose, in the way that he thinks is cute, although I don't see the appeal.

"How long have we been… you know, in my dream."

"I thought you'd know."

"It's been awhile," I said, a little unsure of myself."

"I think time goes differently here, like in Tar- that place."

"Where are you now?" I asked, for no reason whatsoever.

"Damasen's place."
"Damasen? What about Bob, how's he?"

"He's… fine."

"Fine?" I asked, but I was interrupted by this odd feeling in my head.

"Oh… dam it," Percy mumbled.

"What is it?"

"Someone's trying to wake you up. I've got to go."

"Wait! I… When can you-"

"I don't know, Annabeth, this may be a one timer."

"Wait, are you saying that-" I started to ask, but then he placed a finger on my lips, and pushed something into my hand.

"Listen to me. I'm close to coming back, I can feel it. If I can do this, then I'm bound to be able to… manifest myself outside of Tartarus soon. Take this, and keep it for me until I come back, ok? It'll grant you strength when you need it most."

The pulsing in my head got louder and louder, and another voice joined in our conversation.

"Annabeth! Annabeth, wake up! Wake up!" It echoed, and the pulsing got stronger. It was Malcolm, my half brother.

"I love you, wise girl. I'll see you again soon, I promise."

"Seaweed brain…" is all I could manage before he faded from my dream, and I awoke.

I was greeted by Malcolm shaking me to death, and the sound of panicked screams from outside the door.

"Annabeth!"

"Wha- What's going on?!" I asked, wiping sand from my eyes.

"Ares is attacking, and it's bad… really bad."

1 minute, and 24 seconds later- I stood in the attic of the big house, looking through the smashed window that the Apollo kids were going to use to fire arrows from. Malcolm was right. It was really, really bad. Ares was the dominant figure in the group, and he was scary. He literally glowed with power, but I was surprised that he didn't have the lightning bolt in his hands. It took me about ten seconds to predict what he'd done, and how much trouble we were in.

Ares didn't have the lightning bolt because he contained it. He must have absorbed it, or at least it's power, because he was literally glowing with energy. What was just as scary was his army. It made Gaea's army look almost… incompetent. He had the souls of the restless dead at his back… all of them.

The army expanded over the horizon, like a big black cloud. Skeletons in every possible shape and size. Some wore greek armour, some wore roman. Some wore army uniforms and carried rifles, some wore togas and wielded knives, some stood in skeleton-horse drawn chariots with spears and some were commanding the other skeletons. This was an invasion force big enough to capture a country… and god's know how far it expands over the horizon line.

"Di immortales," I said, barely a whisper. "We have to retreat. They'll break through the barrier… eventually they will do it. We can't be here when that happens."

"And do what? Inside the barrier is the safest place on earth from that," Malcolm said, pointing out to the impossible odds we faced. "Right now, we need a miracle. Even the gods alone can't face off against this," he gestured towards Ares.

"I can feel it too," I said. "The power radiating off him, I can feel it. This is why the gods have done nothing, even they fear him now. This is more than the bolt, I know it. He's done something else too, he must have."

"I don't think so," Malcolm shook his head. "How do you think Zeus stayed in power over the gods? It definitely wasn't for his charm and strong leadership skills."

Ares parted from his mass army, and strode right up to the barrier. He dug his fingers into the dirt of half blood hill itself, and his feet burrowed into the ground as he strained. I could hear his triumphant roar as he lifted his hands above his head, and bought the entire hill up with them! The air around the camp rippled, and we knew the barrier was down.

I touched the ball point pen in my pocket, ready for the massacre that no doubt awaited us.

"Retreat looks pretty good right now," I said, and Malcolm nodded, beads of sweat on his brow.
"Yep," he squeaked. We watched as Ares dropped half blood hill, and led his army over it. The Apollo's fired, the Ares kids roared out and charged, Jason and Piper and everyone else just stood there, recognising defeat when they saw it. I pulled one of the Apollo kids aside.

"Full retreat, spread the word. Camp half blood is lost. Everyone to the woods, were going to try and lose them in… in the labyrinth." He stood there, dumbstruck. "You hear me?!" He hastily nodded, and ran off.

"Come on," Malcolm said.

"Go on ahead and keep everyone together. I'll make sure we get everyone there. Go!" He nodded.

I pulled riptide from my pocket, and uncapped it.

"If I've ever needed strength, it's now," a tear fell from my face as I watched the onslaught. I was not content on dying like this, not at all. I pocketed the cap, and gripped the hilt with determination.

"It's not over. Not by a longshot."