Chapter 11

Chills went through me as Blackjack and I passed over the ocean. Wind blew in my face. Why didn't I bring a coat? Or even a freaking jacket? Because I was stupid, that's why. Hey, how you holding up, boss? Blackjack asked.

"C-Cold," I shivered.

After awhile the wind started to calm down. I put my head on the back Blackjack's neck. My eyes closed and I drifted to sleep. I've said it once and I'll say it again, "Demigod dreams suck". This time, I saw Annabeth sitting in a cold cell. It was so cold ice was forming on the only window in the room. She laid in a corner and was curled in a ball. Annabeth shivered as the cold wind blew in through the window. Her Camp Half-Blood shirt was dirty and her jeans were damp from melted snow. Annabeth's eyes were closed. Tears ran down her cheeks. She sobbed in her dreams. Then my dream shifted.

It wasn't mydream; it was Annabeth's. I was standing back at the Demigod Hunters's lair in the subway tunnel. Annabeth was stumbling through a lab. Fights were broken out all around her. Demigod Hunters and campers were fighting with swords and spears. I saw Clarisse slam her sword hilt on a Demigod Hunter's head. He fell to the ground unconscious. I was watching it through my eyes. That probably doesn't make sense, right? Okay, it was like I was watching it through my eyes but I wasn't in control of my actions or the things I said. But I could feel Backbiter in my hand. "Annabeth," I cried and ran over to her.

I held my hand out to her and she gripped me in a hug so tight I could barely breath. She sobbed into my shirt. "Why did you come?"

"I'm not going to let you die," I told her.

"Annabeth, Percy, we need to go!" Travis and Connor ran up to us.

I nodded and grabbed Annabeth's hand. Guns fired at us from every side. I pulled Annabeth against my chest and ducked behind a lab table. Annabeth held my hand in a death grip. I peered around the table. Katie had tripped and fell to the ground. A Demigod Hunter with a bow and arrow aimed at her. Annabeth saw this and cried, "Katie! Get out of the way!"

She ran toward Katie and the Demigod Hunter let to arrow go. I cursed under my breath. Annabeth got to Katie and shut her eyes. "No!" I shouted and shielded them.

The arrow enter the small of my back, my Achilles spot. The pain was unbareble. I groaned in pain. "Percy!" Annabeth cried.

I started to fall. Annabeth grabbed me and I laid on her shoulder. I felt her finger curl around the arrow in my back. She held my hand as she began to pull the arrow out. I sqeezed her hand. The arrow landed on the ground, my blood dripped on the ground. Annabeth laid my head in her lap. I smiled at her. "Percy, please, please, don't die. I need you," she sobbed.

Grunting with pain, I sat up to face her. "Percy, lay back down! You'll only make it-"

I kissed her. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she kissed me back. Her arms went around my neck. My heart started to slow down. I was going to die in a few seconds. My heart stopped and I fell on the ground. Annabeth sobbed over my body. "NO!" she cried.

I watched as she begged me to come back over and over. The dream shifted again. I was looking at Annabeth in the cell again. "Percy!" she shouted and sat up.

I wanted to tell her I was there, but even if I tried she wouldn't be able to hear me. Annabeth brought her knees to her chest and sobbed.

My head jerked and I woke up. It was dawn. The sun was coming over the horizen. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Mornin', boss. Blackjack said.

"Morning," I yawned.

Annabeth's dream kept coming back to haunt me. That explained why she wanted me to just leave her back in New York. Was I really going to die? Land was coming up ahead. Blackjack and I spotted a town. We landed behind the trees. No use scaring the people in the town. "Stay here, Blackjack," I told him, slipping off his back. "I'll be back in a little bit. Just have to pick up a few things."

Sure thing, boss. Blackjack said.

I walked toward the town and checked my pockets for money. None. Crap. Well, I didn't want to steal but if I was going to make it through the Himalayes I needed to. As I passed people from the town, they glared at me with disgusted looks. They started muttering to each other, pointing at me. A store was up ahead; coats and hats hung in the window. There wasn't a name. Actually there weren't any names on any of the stores. As I opened the door a bell rang. I found a black jacket. It probably wasn't going to be warm enough. But I didn't need to walk in and be wearing a gaint fur coat. I needed to be able to move easily. The man at the front desk looked toward me. "You need help finding anything, punk?" he asked.

I knew that voice. "Ares," I said.

He smiled. "How's it going?"

"Going," I muttered. "What are you doing here, Ares? Are you following me?"

"No." Ares looked through a shelf of coats. "I just thought you'd need my help."

"With what?"

"Are you going to steal that coat? If I 'own' the shop I can give you whatever you need."

"Okay," I shrugged.

I found some climbing stuff, picked out a hat and some gloves. Ares looked out the front window and sighed. He drummed his fingers on a shelf. I noticed her had a knife strapped to his leg and a pistol in his belt. "You better hurry up, Percy," he said. "Those town's people are starting to wonder what you're doing."

I pushed he aside. "What are you talking about?"

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the people starting to gather around the store. "That's not good," I mumbled to myself.

I slipped on my jacket and grabbed a bag. Then I put the climbing stuff in it; I wasn't sure if I was going to need it, but I'd rather have and not need it, then not have it and need it. I put the bag over my shoulder and opened the door. The people starred at me. There was something wrong with their eyes. Their eyes were red, like none of them had slept in a long time. One of them spoke. "I must say, Percy Jackson, I expected you to come sooner," a man said.

There was no doubt it was Cain's voice. I dropped my bag on the ground. Cold wind blew in my face. I uncapped Backbiter from my pocket. One man attacked me. I slashed Backbiter across his back. He shouted in pain and faint on the ground. More people stepped forward. "Who are these people?" I demaned.

"Their Hunters, like me," Cain laughed bitterly.

I expected him to say something like "Kill him" but that would interfear with their plan. The villagers stepped closer to me. Each pulled out a weapon. Each weapon had blue lightning coming from it. Great. The first one was a woman in a blue dress. I didn't want to kill them. They were only doing their job. I smacked her with the hilt of Backbiter. Face the fact, Percy, you might actually have to kill them to get to Annabeth, Luke's voice hissed in my head.

Two men charged at me with knives. I jumped back and one's knife came an inch frommy chest. Then all the people charged. I fought as many as I could. A kid jumped on my back. He was dragging me down. A gun fired and the kid fell off my back. Ares stood in front of the store holding his gun. "I've got your back," Ares said smoke still coming from his gun.

I nodded and slashed at a man. He snarled and stabbed at me with his sword. I drove Backbiter through his chest. He hacked up blood and fell to the ground when I pulled Backbiter out. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ares cut down three villagers in one slash of his knife. Well, what did I expect? He was the god of war. A woman and man in dress clothes came at me. I flipped over them and cut them both across the back of their necks. In the next few minutes, I had killed over fifthteen villagers but they just kept coming! You might need my help on this, Jackson, Luke told me.

No! I can do it myself, I snapped.

Five villagers came at me at the same time. I threw Backbiter and it hit one man's head. I jumped and my feet landed on his chest. Backbiter made a horrible sound as I pulled it from the man's head. I did a full hundred and eighty spin and chopped off the other four's heads. The ground was soaked with blood. Ares had disappeared. "Yeah, 'I 've got your back'," I muttered under my breath.

Before I knew it ten more had replaced the five I had just killed. I got buried under neath their hands, grabbing for me. Two heads are better than one, Percy, Luke hissed.

I didn't really have any other choice. "Fine." I said.

My strength increased has Luke gave me his power. Like he said "Two heads are better than one". I jumped out of the heap of villagers. Suddenly Backbiter changed. It was no louder a sword. Instead it grew into a scythe. Kronos's scythe. I didn't have time to think about if I should use it or not because the villagers came right at me. I swung the scythe. It took out ten villagers in one swung. I brought the scythe up and slammed it on the ground. A large crack appeared. Flams shot out of it, burning and killing many of the villagers. I could get use to this scythe. The man Cain had talked through charged at me. I hit him in the stomach and he flew backwards. He crashed through a store window. There were about thirty villagers left. How could there be so many people in one little town?

Ready? Luke asked,

Ready. I agreed.

I charged at them and slashed ten of them. The remaining ones started to close in. I postioned the scythe toward the villagers coming toward me. Time started to slow down. I cut all of them down in one swung. Time returned to normal. Kronos's scythe turned back into Backbiter. As much as I hate you for trying to take over my body, thanks for the extra help, I told Luke.

No problem, oh, and I'm not going to 'try' I'm going will take over your body, Luke replied.

I put Backbiter in my pocket and picked up my bag. Then I decended into the woods. I strapped the bag to Blackjack's back. He asked me what happened. I ignored him and climbed on his back.