Chapter 6

We had been traveling the subway tunnel all night. My legs were starting to get tired. "Percy, I'm tired. Can we stop and rest for awhile?" Travis complained.

It was tempting. "No." I sighed.

Clarisse shoved me. "Look, Jackson, I'm tired. I'm hungry. We need to rest for awhile."

"Not until we find Annabeth and Nico." I growled.

"What is with you? I'll never understand why you love her so much! Or why you're even friends with Nico!" Clarisse spat.

"Yeah, how would you know? Nothing matters to you! You're the daughter of the freaking god of war! Why would anything be important to you?" I snapped.

"You're so asking for it!" Clarisse held up her fist.

"Go ahead and hit me! See what happens!" I yelled.

I didn't feel like myself. Something wasn't right. Clarisse rasied her fist. She swung at me but Thalia grabbed her wrist and twisted it. "OW!" Clarisse yelped.

"Both of you need to cool it!" Thalia scoulded us.

"Whatever." Clarisse pulled her wrist from Thalia and walked over to Chris.

Thalia grabbed my shoulder, "Percy, what's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." I snapped and shrugged off her hand.

I slid down the wall of the subway. "Oh, so we are taking a rest?" Clarisse asked.

"Yeah," I said.

What were we going to do? All we knew was that the Demigod Hunters were underground. There was no way we could search all the subways. I stayed awake and watched everyone else fall asleep. People passed us, probably wondering if we were poor kids in matching T-shirts. I heard footsteps coming from the long tunnel. Ares stepped into the light. "Hey, kid." Ares smiled.

"Hey, Ares. How's it goin?" I sighed. Meeting gods was no big deal to me anymore.

"It's goin." he said and sat next to me-which was strange.

"You don't talk to me, unless you want me to do something for you. What'd you do now? Lose your shield in a love tunnel again?" I asked.

"No, actually," Ares laughed.

He looked over at his sleeping daughter, Clarisse. She had her head on Chris's shoulder. "How did my kid ends up with a son of Hermes, I'll never know." Ares smiled.

We sat there for a few minutes then Ares laughed solty. "What?" I frowned.

"I've wondered for a long time why you didn't take the offer to become immortal. Any demigod would of gladly taken the offer. So why didn't you?" Ares asked.

I was stunned at his question. "I didn't become a god because I couldn't leave Annabeth. She consittered becoming a huntress and the thought of her doing that tore be apart. So I knew how she felt when Zeus asked me to become a god." I shrugged.

"Heh. You gave up becoming a god for a girl?" Ares sneered.

"Yeah, your point?" I growled.

"Nothing, nothing. Just if I were you I don't think I could of givin up godlyness." he told me.

"Well, your not me, so whatever." I muttered.

I leaned my head against the wall. "What's wrong?" Ares almost sounded conserned.

"It's just...I don't know how we're going to find Annabeth and Nico. There's too many places we need to look. It'll take too long. For all we know Annabeth and Nico could be..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

"Hey, I know war-" Ares began.

"No duh." I broke in.

"Yeah, so...that guy, Tom? You could always go back and get the answer. If he has business with them, I bet he knows where they really are. For all you know, he could be warning them right now." Ares said.

Ares was going to be helpful? "You're going to actually be nice to me for once?" I asked a little stunned.

Ares shrugged and stood up. "All I did was give you simple information. It's up to you how you use it." Ares said.

Ares turned and started walking back down the long tunnel. "Thanks." I called after him.

"No problem." he waved.

I looked around, everyone was still asleep so I could sneak out. Making my way up the subway steps, I noticed it night. I could see Tom's Weapon Shop through the darkness, even though it wasn't lit up or anything. The lights were off, but I could see movement. I drew Backbiter and went in Tom's shop. He was looking for something. "Tom?" I called.

"P-Percy? I didn't expect to see you back so uh, soon!" Tom said nervously.

I grabbed his shirt, "Tom, you weren't telling us EVERYTHING you know about the Demigod Hunters."

"And why would you say that?" Tom grunted.

I raised Backbiter, but something caught my eye. Something familair was hanging on the wall. I pushed Tom back and walked over to the wall. A bronze knife hung on the wall. I took it off and looked at closely in my hand. "This is Annabeth's-" I didn't finish.

Tom cut me with a sword from my right eye to my jaw. "How did you-!" I stammered.

"Same metal as the spears, it doesn't matter if you have the Achilles spot or not; you can't excape this sword." Tom laughed.

My eye hurt. Blood dripped on the ground. I held my hand to the cut and tried to stop the bleeding. No luck. Tom swung at me again. I blocked it with Backbiter. The block wasn't that strong consittering I was only using one hand. Tom punched my face-which made it hurt even more. I fell on the ground I pain. Backbiter clattered next to me. My whole hand was red with blood. "I guess, this is the end of Percy Jackson." Tom laughed.

Has Tom's sword came down an arrow entered his shoulder. "Percy!" Thalia cried. "Oh my gods!"

Clarisse and the others filed in after Thalia. My eye burned. Thalia knelt next to me and tried to pull my hand away. "Percy, let me see!" she demanded.

I took my hand from my face. "Oh gods. You need a hospital." Thalia told me.

"No-Hospital." I panted.

"Yes, hospital!" Thalia shot back.

I stood up and pushed Thalia back. "No. Hospital." I said firmly. My eye didn't hurt anymore. Thalia looked at me baffled. "What?" I asked.

"Your eye...it's...not bleeding anymore. In fact, it looks like you've had it for years." Thalia said.

Travis and Connor held Tom tight by the shoulders. I knelt down and picked up Annabeth's knife. Tom looked confused. "Percy, is that-" Thalia started.

"Yes." I said and walked over to Tom.

I pressed the knife to his throat. "Please! Don't kill me!" Tom pleaded.

"Why not? You cut my eye, stole my girlfriend's knife, and you also tried to kill me." I growled.

"I was only doing my job! Plus, I know where the Demigod Hunters are! I can show you!" Tom cried.

"I almost don't care and would rather kill you now. After all, you are a traiter to all half-bloods." I told him.

"You stupid son of Poseidon!" he snarled.

I killed him swiftly in the ribs. There was a crack and Tom screamed in pain. "Percy! Stop! What's wrong with you?!" Thalia yelled.

What did she mean? What was wrong with me? "Nothing!" I protested.

"Oh, sure! Percy, there has been something seriously wrong with you ever since this quest started! You're meaner! You show no mercy at all!" Thalia shot back.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"You just broke Tom's ribs!" Thalia pointed to Tom.

I was about to protest but I knew it was true. So instead of fighting with Thalia, I knelt next to Tom, who was now laying on the floor holding his ribs. "Where. Are. They?" I asked.

Tom whimpered. "I'll take you to them...but you'll have to carry me."

I nodded at Travis and Connor. They nodded back and picked Tom up off the ground. We filed out of the store and Tom started giving us directions. Thalia had been right. There was something wrong with me. I had a feeling what ever it was, it was good. And I couldn't help but wonder if me getting a scar on my eye had anything to do with it.