Even before the day started, Percy knew it was going to be hard. He had a few reasons.
One: they were reading about his experiences from his point of view. Duh.
Two: he will be dead tired the whole day, seeing as he'd waited for everyone to fell asleep the day before to sneak to Annabeth, then spend a few hours there (and, boy, was he awake then), go back, catch some sleep and then wake up before everyone else to wake up Nico (and thanks to the clocks freezing, he just half-slept on constant alert, checking the time on the hour glass he arranged with Reyna all the damn time) and after that he couldn't very well go back to sleep because he would have to get up soon anyway to return to Annabeth, Piper and Leo to wake them up and he was already bloody tired.
Three: Octavian. Just – Octavian, no more words were needed.
Surprisingly though, he managed to do it all without getting in troubles for sneaking around and all. He was exhausted indeed, but satisfied, too. As he linked hands with Annabeth while going from the apartment to the forum, he decided it was all totally worth the trouble.
There was breakfast, usual – loud – Greek vs. Roman interaction and bickering, whilst Percy checked on Nico again and threatened to drag him to the forum after the worst chapters are out of the way. His friends were getting suspicious, especially Reyna, and Nico had to come out of the woods at some point, because Percy sure as hell wouldn't keep getting him food for the whole story. Gods know how long that'll take.
Eventually the breakfast was over and everyone sat just as the day before, ready for reading.
"Who wants to read now?" said Reyna.
"I can," said Jason and she passed him the book. He took out the paper, looked it over, raised his eyebrows and stared at Annabeth incredulously. Like before, she shrugged and motioned at Percy, who grinned sheepishly. Jason shook his head.
"I TAKE THE WORST BATH EVER" he read.
My sword reappeared in my pocket. Yeah, great timing.
"Wait, what was going on cause I forgot" interrupted Leo.
"Really?" sighed Jason. He had a feeling this would happen a lot.
His friend just shrugged.
"Di Angelo betrayed Percy and Hades locked him up," said Reyna.
"Locked up Nico?"
Piper smacked his head with impassive face.
"Don't mind him, continue."
Now I could attack the walls all I wanted.
A few snorts.
My cell had no bars, no windows, not even a door.
"Huh?"
The skeletal guards shoved me straight through a wall, and it became solid behind me.
"Ooh!"
I wasn't sure if the room was airtight. Probably.
"Oh shit" muttered Leo. He jumped when Hazel gasped loudly and she blushed, looking down.
Hades's dungeon was meant for dead people, and they don't breathe. So forget fifty or sixty years. I'd be dead in fifty or sixty minutes.
"How could he?" said angrily Annabeth.
Some Romans looked scandalized, other were grim.
"Well, that's what you get for throwing rocks at a god" commented quietly a guy from the First Cohort.
Meanwhile, if Hades wasn't lying, some big trap was going to be sprung in New York by the end of the day, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
"You're about to suffocate" said Ramona. "I think you have bigger problems at that moment."
I sat on the cold stone floor, feeling miserable. I don't remember dozing off. Then again, it must've been about seven in the morning, mortal time, and I'd been through a lot. I dreamed I was on the porch of Rachel's beach house in St. Thomas.
Someone wolf-whistled.
Percy sneaked a glance at Annabeth, who raised an eyebrow at him at the same time. He sent a weak smile her way and she rolled her eyes, so he risked putting his arm around her.
He silently thanked the gods when she didn't judo-flip him for that.
The sun was rising over the Caribbean. Dozens of wooded islands dotted the sea, and white sails cut across the water. The smell of salt air made me wonder if I would ever see the ocean again.
"Who knew you're such a pessimist" said Frank bemusedly.
"Realist" corrected him Percy.
"With these thoughts…" Hazel trailed off.
"It's rather sad" finished her boyfriend.
Rachel's parents sat at the patio table while a personal chef fixed them omelets. Mr. Dare was dressed in a white linen suit. He was reading The Wall Street Journal. The lady across the table was probably Mrs. Dare, though all I could see of her were hot pink fingernails and the cover of Condé Nast Traveler. Why she'd be reading about vacations while she was on vacation, I wasn't sure.
"Mortals" stage-whispered Leo, spreading his arms and earning himself a few chuckles.
Rachel stood at the porch railing and sighed. She wore Bermuda shorts and her van Gogh T-shirt.
"And you actually recognized it?" said Annabeth skeptically.
"Well…"
Yeah, Rachel was trying to teach me about art, but don't get too impressed. I only remembered the dude's name because he cut his ear off.
Annabeth's "And the world makes sense again" was lost in the laughter.
I wondered if she was thinking about me, and how much it sucked that I wasn't with them on vacation.
Percy's girlfriend narrowed her eyes at him. He was liking this chapter less and less… had he just found reason number four why this sucked?
I know that's what I was thinking.
"Really now?"
Percy chose to leave Annabeth's question unanswered, glaring at the demigods around him stifling their laughter and giggles. Even Ramona.
Then the scene changed. I was in St. Louis, standing downtown under the Arch. I'd been there before. In fact, I'd almost fallen to my death there before.
"Is there a place in the world that wouldn't remind you or wasn't a place where you almost died?" said Gwen.
"If there is, I haven't been there yet."
Over the city, a thunderstorm boiled-a wall of absolute black with lightning streaking across the sky. A few blocks away, swarms of emergency vehicles gathered with their lights flashing. A column of dust rose from a mound of rubble, which I realized was a collapsed skyscraper.
Whispers rose, but no one interrupted, even to question Percy or Annabeth (they were learning, it seemed).
A nearby reporter was yelling into her microphone: "Officials are describing this as a structural failure, Dan, though no one seem to know if it is related to the storm conditions."
Wind whipped her hair. The temperature was dropping rapidly, like ten degrees just since I'd been standing there.
"Ugh, demigod dreams are awful," moaned Diana.
"You feel everything," agreed one of her sisters.
"Thankfully, the building had been abandoned for demolition," she said. "But police have evacuated all nearby buildings for fear the collapse might trigger-"
She faltered as a mighty groan cut through the sky. A blast of lightning hit the center of the darkness. The entire city shook. The air glowed, and every hair on my body stood up. The blast was so powerful I knew it could only be one thing: Zeus's master bolt.
Gasps were heard all around.
It should have vaporized its target, but the dark cloud only staggered backward. A smoky fist appeared out of the clouds. It smashed another tower, and the whole thing collapsed like children's blocks.
"That's him!"
Many people realized at that moment what was happening and what the gods had been dealing with.
The reporter screamed. People ran through the streets. Emergency lights flashed. I saw a streak of silver in the sky-a chariot pulled by reindeer, but it wasn't Santa Claus driving.
Leo roared with laughter and many along with him. Annabeth face-palmed, then hid her head in her hands and Percy had to rub her back, assuring her he was just joking.
It was Artemis,
"My namesake" Diana smiled brilliantly.
riding the storm, shooting shafts of moonlight into the darkness. A fiery golden comet crossed her path . . . maybe her brother Apollo.
"Most probably" nodded Reyna.
One thing was clear: Typhon had made it to the Mississippi River. He was halfway across the U.S., leaving destruction in his wake, and the gods were barely slowing him down.
"Oh Styx."
"Not good, not good at all…"
"Shit, shit, shit, shit."
Curses flowed around the crowd. Hazel looked about to faint, all red in face, and Percy felt sorry for her.
But that didn't mean he'd point out to everyone it all already happened and the gods won.
The mountain of darkness loomed above me. A foot the size of Yankee Stadium was about to smash me when a voice hissed,
"Percy!"
"Someone's rescuing you!" said Ramona relieved.
I lunged out blindly.
"Real smart" said sarcastically the mean guy.
Percy glanced at Ramona questioningly, pointing with a chin at the guy.
'Jeremy' she mouthed.
Before I was fully awake, I had Nico pinned to the floor of the cell with the edge of my sword at his throat.
Pregnant pause. Romans looked at each other, then at Percy, and if he hadn't had their respect already, he would earn it now. However, he did earn Jason's, Piper's and Leo's, too now.
Percy turned to Jeremy.
"So, you were saying?" he asked conversationally.
"Nothing."
He didn't answer to that, but a smug smirk appeared on his face.
"Okay, but can we appreciate it was damn awesome?" butted in Leo.
"Smooth, Leo" laughed Piper.
"Do I have competition?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.
At this, even Jason couldn't stop a snort from escaping him.
"Want . . . to . . . rescue," he choked.
"Right" scoffed some Roman.
"He did," said Percy, without looking at the Roman.
Anger woke me up fast. "Oh, yeah? And why should I trust you?"
Reyna again raised an eyebrow at him, as though asking why. He gave her mischievous smile, the one that annoyed people to no end while someone knew something the others didn't. Yeah, that one.
"Yeah, why should he!" cried someone from the back.
Percy considered answering, but decided it would take too much time and they'll find out anyways.
"No . . . choice?" he gagged.
"He has a point" frowned a Roman girl.
I wished he hadn't said something logical like that. I let him go.
"Percy does the smart thing!" gasped Annabeth. She was shoved for that.
Nico curled into a ball and made retching sounds while his throat recovered.
"Ouch?" said Leo.
"Ouch" nodded solemnly Piper.
"That's… bizarre" whispered a girl on the other side of forum to her friend.
"I seriously can't imagine him in that state," agreed said friend.
"Like, he's always so dark and yeah, not really dangerous, but still – him being so normal and all."
They both shook their head in disbelieve.
Finally he got to his feet, eyeing my sword warily.
"I would, too" muttered Ramona.
His own blade was sheathed. I suppose if he'd wanted to kill me, he could've done it while I slept. Still, I didn't trust him.
A lot of demigods and legacies looked like they wanted to give some mean advices, but kept it to themselves just because of Percy.
"We have to get out of here," he said.
"No duh."
"Why?" I said. "Does your dad want to talk to me again?"
"You were sarcastic then, right?"
Percy gave the guy a look that spoke for itself.
He winced. "Percy, I swear on the River Styx, I didn't know what he was planning."
"So he really didn't know," said in surprise some girl.
"You know what your dad is like!"
"He tricked me. He promised-" Nico held up his hands. "Look . . . right now, we need to leave. I put the guards to sleep, but it won't last."
"Don't trust him" whispered someone in the crowd. Unfortunately, Percy's glare wasn't able to reach them.
I wanted to strangle him again.
"Do it!"
Annabeth squeezed his arm to calm her boyfriend down.
Unfortunately, he was right. We didn't have time to argue, and I couldn't escape on my own. He pointed at the wall. A whole section vanished, revealing a corridor.
"Come on." Nico led the way.
"No" moaned someone again.
"Could you just shut up about Nico?" said Percy loudly.
Unsurprisingly, no one answered.
I wished I had Annabeth's invisibility hat,
"You have it still?" Piper peered at her with curiosity. She couldn't recall ever seeing that hat.
"Kind of. It doesn't work anymore," said Annabeth, causing Percy to snap his head in her direction.
"No? But – "
She pinched his side, raising an eyebrow. He got the message and turned back to Jason.
but as it turned out, I didn't need it. Every time we came to a skeleton guard, Nico just pointed at it, and its glowing eyes dimmed.
"That's scary."
Unfortunately, the more Nico did it, the more tired he seemed. We walked through a maze of corridors filled with guards. By the time we reached a kitchen staffed by skeletal cooks and servants,
"Seriously?"
I was practically carrying Nico. He managed to put all the dead to sleep but nearly passed out himself.
"That doesn't speak for a bad person," said Andrea in a clear voice. It was the first time she had spoken during the reading and Percy threw her a grin.
I dragged him out of the servants' entrance and into the Fields of Asphodel.
"How did you know what was it?"
"Well, Hazel, I've been around there more than I wished and it's kinda unforgettable place."
I almost felt relieved until I heard the sound of bronze gongs high in the castle.
"Shit, shit, shit."
"Alarms," Nico murmured sleepily.
"Shit, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT."
"What do we do?"
He yawned then frowned like he was trying to remember. "How about . . . run?"
"He can't be serious," whispered flatly Reyna.
Running with a drowsy child of Hades was more like doing a three-legged race with a life-size rag doll.
Few people with a dry sense of humor – like Leo – chuckled.
I lugged him along, holding my sword in front of me. The spirits of the dead made way like the Celestial bronze was a blazing fire.
The sound of gongs rolled across the fields. Ahead loomed the walls of Erebos, but the longer we walked, the farther away they seemed. I was about to collapse from exhaustion when I heard a familiar "WOOOOOF!"
"Thank the gods."
Mrs. O'Leary bounded out of nowhere and ran circles around us, ready to play.
"Good girl.'" I said. "Can you give us a ride to the Styx?"
The word Styx got her excited. She probably thought I meant sticks.
Everyone was getting more and more fond of the Hellhound.
She jumped a few times, chased her tail just to teach it who was boss,
This time nearly everyone laughed.
and then calmed down enough for me to push Nico onto her back. I climb aboard,
"Aboard" snorted Leo. "Like on a ship?"
His friends slowly turned to him. Reyna arched an eyebrow.
"Never mind."
and she raced toward the gates. She leaped straight over the EZ-DEATH line, sending guards sprawling and causing more alarms to blare.
"That's what I call dramatic exit!"
Cerberus barked, but he sounded more excited than angry, like: Can I play too?
And more laughs.
Fortunately, he didn't follow us, and Mrs. O'Leary kept running.
She didn't stop until we were far upriver and the fires of Erebos had disappeared in the murk. Nico slid off Mrs. O'Leary's back and crumpled in a heap on the black sand.
I took out a square of ambrosia-part of the emergency god-food I always kept with me. It was a little bashed up, but Nico chewed it.
"Ew."
"Uh," he mumbled. "Better."
"Your powers drain you too much," I noted.
He nodded sleepily. "With great power . . . comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."
Some roared with laughter, some were wide-eyed that Nico of all people would say something this funny and some cried in disbelieve and frustration.
"Really?"
"Now?!"
"Whoa, zombie dude."
Leo snorted and muttered to himself: "Zombie dude."
I caught him before he could pass out again. "We're at the river. You need to tell me what to do."
"I still think you're bonkers."
"Thanks."
I fed him the last of my ambrosia, which was a little dangerous. The stuff can heal demigods, but it can also burn us to ashes if we eat too much. Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick. Nico shook his head a few times and struggled to his feet.
"So, you risked burning him to ashes to save yourself?" said Annabeth.
"Um… us both. And I was still kind of angry at him, okay?" he looked sheepish.
"My father will be coming soon," he said. "We should hurry."
"No shit."
The River Styx's current swirled with strange objects-broken toys, ripped-up college diplomas, wilted homecoming corsages-all the dreams people had thrown away as they'd passed from life into death. Looking at the black water, I could think of about three million places I'd rather swim.
"Starting with Lethe?" said Leo sarcastically, referencing to Percy's story how he took an unplanned swim in river Lethe.
"So . . . I just jump in?"
"I don't think it's that easy."
"You have to prepare yourself first," Nico said, "or the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul."
"Sounds fun," I muttered.
"This is no joke," Nico warned. "There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to . . ."
He glanced behind me and his eyes widened.
"Have to what?" called someone desperately.
I turned and found myself face-to-face with a Greek warrior. For a second I thought he was Ares, because this guy looked exactly like the god of war-tall and buff, with a cruel scarred face and closely shaved black hair.
"So like half of the Roman folk," mumbled Percy in his girlfriend's ear.
He wore a white tunic and bronze armor. He held a plumed war helm under his arm. But his eyes were human-pale green like a shallow sea-and a bloody arrow stuck out of his left calf, just above the ankle.
"No way."
"Yes way," laughed Percy as everyone gaped.
"You're so lucky," said Jason, seemingly without thinking.
"Am I? Think again, please."
"Sorry" he quickly went back to the book.
I stunk at Greek names, but even I knew the greatest warrior of all time, who had died from a wounded heel.
"Achilles," I said.
"Still – whoa."
The ghost nodded. "I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you."
"Luke? You spoke with Luke?"
"Do not do this," he said. "It will make you powerful. But it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal's, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well."
"Really?" frowned Reyna.
"Yep. Honestly I'm glad I don't have that curse anymore."
Many threw him skeptic looks, but didn't comment.
"You mean I'll have a bad heel?" I said. "Couldn't I just, like, wear something besides sandals? No offense."
"I can't believe you said it. To Achilles. Oh my gods, Percy…" Annabeth shook her head.
Again, everyone was laughing.
He stared down at his bloody foot. "The heel is only my physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance.
"I don't think that's a threat to Percy" said Hazel. "He's anything but arrogant."
He smiled at her warmly.
"Yeah" added Annabeth. "Maybe rude, but – " she cut herself off with a chuckle, when Percy turned to her with a glare.
Beware! Turn back!"
He meant it. I could hear the regret and bitterness in his voice. He was honestly trying to save me from a terrible fate.
"That's so sad."
Then again, Luke had been here, and he hadn't turned back. That's why Luke had been able to host the spirit of Kronos without his body disintegrating. This is how he'd prepared himself, and why he seemed impossible to kill. He had bathed in the River Styx and taken on the powers of the greatest mortal hero, Achilles. He was invincible.
"You're so screwed."
"Unless… unless Percy follows his path."
He felt the people's eyes on him, but he didn't turn to them.
"I have to," I said. "Otherwise I don't stand a chance."
Achilles lowered his head. "Let the gods witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal, and the River Styx will burn you to ashes. You will cease to exist."
"It seems easy at first, to be honest," said a son of Ceres. "But when you really think about it…"
"Ouch again?" said Leo.
"Ouch again," chorused Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Reyna.
"I don't suppose you could tell me Luke's mortal point?"
He scowled. "Prepare yourself, foolish boy. Whether you survive this or not, you have sealed your doom!"
With that happy thought, he vanished.
"What a nice guy."
"Percy," Nico said, "maybe he's right."
"Wait, wasn't it he who thought about it?"
"This was your idea."
"Exactly my point."
"I know, but now that we're here-"
" – have seen doom, death and almost died, we can go back!" finished cheerfully Leo.
"Just wait on the shore. If anything happens to me . . . Well, maybe Hades will get his wish, and you'll be the child of the prophecy after all."
"Aren't you a little ray of sunshine?"
He didn't look pleased about that, but I didn't care.
Before I could change my mind, I concentrated on the small of my back-a tiny point just opposite my navel. It was well defended when I wore my armor. It would be hard to hit by accident, and few enemies would aim for it on purpose. No place was perfect, but this seemed right to me, and a lot more dignified than, like, my armpit or something.
"That's… actually pretty smart" admitted Reyna.
"Gods, good thing I don't have this curse anymore, I'd be practically dead" said Percy, eyeing all the people that would know his weak spot.
"Are you suggesting – "
"Read on, Jason," put in Annabeth.
I pictured a string, a bungee cord connecting me to the world from the small of my back. And I stepped into the river.
Everyone held their breath.
Imagine jumping into a pit of boiling acid.
Gasps and hissing were heard.
Now multiply that pain times fifty.
Annabeth paled.
"It didn't hurt that much…" she trailed off at the look on her boyfriend's face.
You still won't be close to understanding what it felt like to swim in the Styx.
More than one person covered their mouth with hands, some were green on face. Hazel even had teary eyes as she looked at Percy in fear.
He put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm here and I'm fine," he reminded everyone awkwardly.
I planned to walk in slow and courageous like a real hero. As soon as the water touched my legs, my muscles turned to jelly and I fell face-first into the current.
I submerged completely. For the first time in my life, I couldn't breathe underwater. I finally understood the panic of drowning. Every nerve in my body burned. I was dissolving in the water. I saw faces-Rachel, Grover, Tyson, my mother-but they faded as soon as they appeared.
"Annabeth, you're cutting off the blood from my arm."
"Oh my gods."
"Shit."
"Percy… I can't believe…"
"Holy mother of Zeus!"
"Styx, how did you…"
"Annabeth, I'm serious. You're killing my arm."
"Percy," my mom said. "I give you my blessing."
"Be safe, brother!" Tyson pleaded.
"Enchiladas!" Grover said.
The comment was so unexpected everyone laughed, slightly hysterically.
I wasn't sure where that came from, but it didn't seem to help much.
"Noo, really?"
I was losing the fight. The pain was too much. My hands and feet were melting into the water, my soul was being ripped from my body. I couldn't remember who I was. The pain of Kronos's scythe had been nothing compared to this.
"Annabeth… please… my arm… I'd like to use it sometime…"
The cord, a familiar voice said. Remember your lifeline, dummy!
Suddenly there was a tug in my lower back. The current pulled at me, but it wasn't carrying me away anymore. I imagined the string in my back keeping me tied to the shore.
"I don't get it," said Reyna, frowning.
"Hold on, Seaweed Brain." It was Annabeth's voice, much clearer now.
"Oooch!"
"Okay, I get it know."
"EEEEK!"
I won't even mention the squeals from the Venus' children. And, amidst it all, Annabeth found Percy's gaze. They locked eyes, linking their hands together and Percy breathed a sigh of relieve, discreetly rubbing his numb arm.
"You're not getting away from me that easily."
Annabeth laughed, nodding, but her eyes got a little bleary.
The cord strengthened.
I could see Annabeth now-standing barefoot above me on the canoe lake pier. I'd fallen out of my canoe. That was it. She was reaching out her hand to haul me up, and she was trying not to laugh.
"I can totally see that happen," said Frank.
"It happened," said the couple in synch.
She wore her orange camp T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was tucked up in her Yankees cap, which was strange because that should have made her invisible.
"You are such an idiot sometimes." She smiled. "Come on. Take my hand."
"This is so cute I just can't!"
"I knooow. EEEEK!"
"Aww," Piper smiled at them.
Memories came flooding back to me-sharper and more colorful. I stopped dissolving. My name was Percy Jackson. I reached up and took Annabeth's hand.
"You saved him!" gasped a girl.
Percy and Annabeth shared amused glances.
Suddenly I burst out of the river. I collapsed on the sand, and Nico scrambled back in surprise.
"I wish I could've seen that," muttered someone.
"Are you okay?" he stammered. "Your skin. Oh, gods. You're hurt!"
"Like he'd care!" hissed quietly a daughter of Trivia, so Percy didn't hear her.
My arms were bright red. I felt like every inch of my body had been broiled over a slow flame.
People gasped, hissed or winced in sympathy. Percy's friends looked at him with mixture of sadness and dread, Hazel still covering her mouth with a hand.
He tried to give them a calming smile.
I looked around for Annabeth, though I knew she wasn't here. It had seemed so real.
"I'm fine . . . I think." The color of my skin turned back to normal.
Everyone breathed out in relief.
The pain subsided. Mrs. O'Leary came up and sniffed me with concern. Apparently I smelled really interesting.
Ramona snorted.
"That's what you think about" Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Do you feel stronger?" Nico asked.
Before I could decide what I felt, a voice boomed, "THERE!"
"Great. Just great" groaned Piper.
"He's invincible, now," Reyna pointed out coolly. "It shouldn't be a problem."
"Yeah" said Jason without taking his eyes off the page. "I mean, you're still totally screwed, but we know you're gonna live anyway."
The corner of Reyna's mouth twitched.
An army of the dead marched toward us. A hundred skeletal Roman legionnaires led the way with shields and spears. Behind them came an equal number of British redcoats with bayonets fixed. In the middle of the host, Hades himself rode a black-and-gold chariot pulled by nightmare horses, their eyes and manes smoldering with fire.
"Holy… shit…"
Worried murmur arose, getting louder with each sentence. At the mention of Hades, though, it was cut short by gasps and quiet moans.
"Dude," said Leo. "Duuudeee… dude!"
"Yeah, I get it. I'm a dude."
"How. Are. You. Alive."
"Dumb luck."
"You will not escape me this time, Percy Jackson!" Hades bellowed. "Destroy him!"
Percy was sure if Annabeth had a pencil in her hands, it would by snapped in half by now.
"Father, no!" Nico shouted, but it was too late.
"At least he tried," said Hazel quietly.
Frank rubbed her arm awkwardly, hoping to lift her spirits a bit.
The front line of Roman zombies lowered their spears and advanced. Mrs. O'Leary growled and got ready to pounce. Maybe that's what set me off. I didn't want them hurting my dog.
"Honestly, Percy, what's wrong with you?" laughed Piper, as many shook their heads.
"A lot," he grinned back.
Plus, I was tired of Hades being a big bully. If I was going to die, I might as well go down fighting.
"That's the spirit," nodded Reyna with respect.
A few Romans gave war cries of agreement.
I yelled, and the River Styx exploded.
"What!"
"You shouldn't be able to control it!"
"I'm soo glad he's on our side."
A black tidal wave smashed into the legionnaires. Spears and shields flew everywhere. Roman zombies began to dissolve, smoke coming off their bronze helmets.
"That was surprisingly easy," said Jason, startled.
"It's not all," reminded him Piper.
The redcoats lowered their bayonets, but I didn't wait for them. I charged.
Everyone just sighed at this point, not bothering to comment.
It was the stupidest thing I've ever done.
"Agreed."
A hundred muskets fired at me, point blank. All of them missed. I crashed into their line and started hacking with Riptide. Bayonets jabbed. Swords slashed. Guns reloaded and fired. Nothing touched me.
I whirled through the ranks, slashing redcoats to dust, one after the other. My mind went on autopilot: stab, dodge, cut, deflect, roll. Riptide was no longer a sword. It was an arc of pure destruction.
I broke through the enemy line and leaped into the black chariot. Hades raised his staff. A bolt of dark energy shot toward me, but I deflected it off my blade and slammed into him. The god and I both tumbled out of the chariot.
The next thing I knew, my knee was planted on Hades's chest. I was holding the collar of his royal robes in one fist, and the tip of my sword was poised right over his face.
Jason finally paused, taken aback by the lack of any reaction, especially at that moment. He glanced up and understood instantly.
Every single person but one had a dropped jaw. They just gawked, unmoving, at Percy who was eyeing his sneakers, as if wondering how they found their way to his feet, and chewing on his bottom lip.
"No way," said Reyna in a very unlike her, shocked way.
Leo suddenly dropped to his knees and dramatically reached to Percy.
"You, sir, are my hero."
It seemed to break the tension, as some laughed ('the hero' included, who then kicked Leo lightly and proceeded to help the younger boy get up). People started to talk, one louder from the other. They commented, shouted or squealed, all still looking at Percy, either sneaking subtle glances or gaping shamelessly.
"That's just impossible!"
" – and one of the Big Three, too!"
"I want to marry him."
Percy did a double take as he heard that one. Annabeth did, too, so he had to keep her from slaying the girl who dared to say it.
Alas, his friends were no better. They began to question him, slight awe in their eyes (some were better at hiding it – Reyna and Jason, some not so much – Leo and Frank). He looked for help to Annabeth, but she was too busy glaring daggers at girls ogling him and giggling.
He was damn uncomfortable.
He looked around for any water around, but he found none. He suspected it would be so, as Reyna foresaw everything and knew his potential well enough. It was morbidly funny, though, how the people could base an opinion of someone just on how strong and powerful they seemed, as if other traits were worthless. Like kindness, loyalty or selflessness weren't as important, because you couldn't spectacularly fight enemies with it.
Subconsciously, his gaze wandered to Frank and Hazel, probably two the most underappreciated demigods ever. Why didn't they get this much glory?
"I'd like a cheese cake" he blurted out, desperate to avert the attention from him.
Awe slipped from faces and was replaced with confusion. Annabeth patted his arm.
"Sadly, I see even Roman training can't give you some brains."
"Cheese pizza would be fine, too. I'd just like something with cheese, really."
His friends laughed, rolling eyes, shaking heads or rubbing their foreheads, but he only grinned. Jason didn't wait for everyone to quiet down; he picked up the book, cleared his throat and immediately all the attention was on him.
Silence. The army did nothing to defend their master. I glanced back and realized why. There was nothing left of them but weapons in the sand and piles of smoking, empty uniforms. I had destroyed them all.
Leo clapped his hands slowly and pompously.
Hades swallowed. "Now, Jackson, listen here. . . ."
He was immortal. There was no way I could kill him, but gods can be wounded. I knew that firsthand, and I figured a sword in the face wouldn't feel too good.
"Don't you say" grinned Ramona.
"Just because I'm a nice person," I snarled, "I'll let you go. But first, tell me about that trap!"
Hades melted into nothing, leaving me holding empty black robes.
"That's heroic" scoffed a voice behind Percy. He hastily looked back to see Gwen getting comfortable on a chair that wasn't there a minute ago. Upon noticing his gaze, she smiled brightly. "Someone was annoying me, so I thought about a change of sitting."
He nodded slowly before turning around to Jason.
I cursed and got to my feet, breathing heavily. Now that the danger was over, I realized how tired I was. Every muscle in my body ached. I looked down at my clothes. They were slashed to pieces and full of bullet holes, but I was fine. Not a mark on me.
"I want it, too" moaned one voice.
"You sure? Remember something about boiling acid…?" answered another voice.
"Never mind."
The demigods in the center of attention shared amused glances. Then Percy heard some shuffling behind himself again and then a groan.
"Why'd you go?" slurred the ever-familiar voice of Dakota.
"Oh, it was too crowdy there, why did you think?" said sarcastically Gwen.
"Oh, good, we thought you didn't want to sit with us," answered Bobby's voice, honestly relieved.
Annabeth and Frank snorted, clearly also having heard the conversation and Gwen sighed.
Nico's mouth hung open. "You just . . . with a sword . . . you just-"
"I think the river thing worked," I said.
Ramona gasped loudly and over-dramatically.
"Oh gee," he said sarcastically. "You think?"
Slightly more people laughed at Nico's joke than the last time.
Mrs. O'Leary barked happily and wagged her tail. She bounded round, sniffing empty uniforms and hunting for bones. I lifted Hades's robe.
"Bad metal image" mumbled Dakota. Once again, Percy and those next to him stifled laughter.
I could still see the tormented faces shimmering in the fabric.
"The poor souls" cooed sadly Diana.
I walked to the edge of the river. "Be free."
I dropped the robe in the water and watched as it swirled away, dissolving in the current.
Hazel smiled at the son of Poseidon.
"Go back to your father," I told Nico. "Tell him he owes me for letting him go. Find out what's going to happen to Mount Olympus and convince him to help."
"Oh, just that? Maybe some tap dance, too?"
Nico stared at me. "I . . . I can't. He'll hate me now. I mean . . . even more."
Frank awkwardly grabbed Hazel's hand when he noticed her frown.
"You have to," I said. "You owe me too."
"Ouch" winced Piper.
His ears turned red. "Percy, I told you I was sorry. Please . . . let me come with you. I want to fight."
At least half of the gathered people made disbelieving faces.
"You'll be more help down here."
"You mean you don't trust me anymore," he said miserably.
"Geez, I wonder why."
I didn't answer. I didn't know what I meant.
"Of course" Annabeth rolled her eyes.
I was too stunned by what I'd just done in battle to think clearly.
"Just go back to your father," I said, trying not to sound too harsh.
Percy sincerely hoped Nico was listening now. He would know, at the very least, Percy had never really hated him.
"Work on him. You're the only person who might be able to get him to listen."
"That's a depressing thought." Nico sighed. "All right. I'll do my best. Besides, he's still hiding something from me about my mom. Maybe I can find out what."
It wasn't an uncommon thing for demigods to not have their mortal parents. It was indeed rarer for Romans than for Greeks; however, there were still a lot of kids and teenagers that never got the chance to meet their mothers or fathers before their deaths. Therefore, something in Nico's situation hit too close to home.
You could notice random people amidst the crowd squirming uncomfortably in their seats. What would they do to find out about their parents? How much their past was worth to them?
Did they have the right to judge a ten-year-old the way they did?
"Good luck. Now Mrs. O'Leary and I have to go."
"Where?" Nico said.
I looked at the cave entrance and thought about the long climb back to the world of the living. "To get this war started. It's time I found Luke."
The book closed with a thump. Jason looked around; he could see curious kids on the edge of their chairs, still a few people staring at Percy dumbly and many demigods lost in thought.
It was quiet and tension was running high, he could tell. It was closer and closer to the climax. Soon, they would hear about the biggest demigod battle in this century. Who wouldn't be eager?
He smiled, excitement already pumping in his blood.
"Who wants to read?"
Okay, the chapter was supposed to be here yesterday, but my day was really hectic (I went to school and back three times and practically spent the day there). And today wasn't much better, generally I just realized it wasn't finished, even though I was sure it was and my dad broke wi-fi at home, which I'd thought was impossible (thanks, dad) and overall, positing it was awful.
But hey, here it is!
As always, guys, FEEDBACK PLEASE. Bad? Good? Pizza? Just write me what you think, please, I need it.
I hope I'll update it in time, but I'm really busy with two contests at school – movie contests. Turns out movie making takes up a lot of time – okay, I knew it does – and with everything I don't have much time to write. But don't worry, I will! It may be a few days late, though.
That's all, I think, thanks for reading. Cheers, folks!
Ronnie