Thanks again for the reviews people! Here's the new chapter. It isn't as long as the one before, because I'm not all that great at writing action scenes. Tell me if it is too sappy and or cheesy please!

Chapter 4: Tragedy Strikes

Luke looked different. He face and skin were shriveled and white, and he looked pale and weak.

"Luke." I hissed. He was about to wreck my day. Again.

Annabeth looked like she wanted to cry. "Luke, don't."

"I'm doing the right thing! I've told you enough times; the world would be better without the gods. And you know it, Annabeth."

She didn't answer. I couldn't draw Riptide because of the small problem that I had Luke's sword, Backbiter, at my throat. I put my concentration into the ocean. The pressure kept building until…

"Aargh!" Luke shouted as the force of the water pushed him back several feet. I drew Riptide, and Annabeth drew her celestial bronze knife.

"You're dead, Luke."

He smiled. "Not a chance."

I swung Riptide at him, only to find it blocked by his longer blade. Annabeth jabbed at him with her knife at every opening, but to no avail. He was a lot stronger and faster than his pasty complexion let on.

I tried every trick I knew, feinting and stabbing in different directions, spraying water as a distraction, everything. He blocked them all. I was getting tired. I needed a new plan.

The water was behind me. I did a back flip and the water caught me, rejuvenated me. I instantly regretted it. Annabeth was defenseless. What good could a short knife do to a three-foot long sword such as Luke's?

I was right. Unfortunately. She blocked a couple of blows, but then Luke stabbed her in the side. Blood spurted out. It was a bad cut.

"No!" I cried. I sprinted to meet Luke. I moved even faster than I had before. Somehow, I had found the energy that I had fought the Minotaur, after he almost killed my mother. Both times, I was furious.

That's it! I thought as I fought Luke. He was blocking my attacks, but he was slowing down. Poseidon got angry and threw "temper tantrums" sometimes. This must be some warped version of Poseidon's rage!

I moved faster and faster, while Luke slowed down. Finally I knocked his sword out of his hands. He fell to his knees. "Please, spare me! Please!"

I looked between him and Annabeth, who was lying senseless on the sand, blood still streaming from her side.

"Sorry, Luke. You didn't spare her, I won't spare you."

"Please, please! I'll do anything!" he begged.

"Sorry, too late." I smiled grotesquely as I lopped off his head. I felt a lot worse after I did that. No wonder. I had pretty much condemned him to eternal torture in the Fields of Punishment.

I ran to Annabeth's side. The cut was worse than I thought. Blood still streamed out steadily. I picked her up and began to run toward the Big House with her in my arms. She gasped for breath. I ran faster. The Big House was meters away.

She touched my cheek. She spoke, still having trouble breathing. " Percy, I …" She seemed unable to finish her sentence. I made it into the Big House, but there was no one there. I yelled for Chiron, but no one came. It was the dead of night.

She tried again, "Percy, … Percy," She could not finish.

My knees buckled. There wasn't enough time to go and rouse anyone. I had failed. "I'm sorry." I whispered to her. "This is my fault."

She smiled. "No…"

She was in her final throes now, shaking and convulsing. I was weeping with her at my feet. She shuddered, and was still.

She opened her eyes one more time. It seemed to be causing her terrible pain to resist the call of death. She finished her sentence. "I love you."

And then she was gone.

How is it? Sorry if this chapter is short, I'll try to make the next chapter longer.