It Should Have Been Me

by Don't touch my Seaweed Brain

Percy Jackson has a plan. One that will allow CHB to get info from the enemy. But Percy will have to make a sacrifice, one Annabeth can't let him make alone. Percy will need to be kidnapped. The plan works intil Kronos changes the game. Percy is forced to face his worst fear and his fatal flaw, alone. The battle for Manhattan was won. But the war is far from over.

23. Chapter 23

Hello, Ducklings! Well, it's been a long update since I last updated, and here is my excuse: IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY! I AM 12 NOW! YAY ME! Also, I was grounded, so yeah.

Now, for your weekly, umm, UPDATELY news update! I was recently on Tumblr, and I saw a really funny thing, something reassuring, and something I'm scared of. Prepare (or skip ahead to the chapter. You know, whatevs.)

Random Guy on Twitter and I'm not gonna look up his name: Why do I have a feeling the HOH is going to end on a worse cliffhanger?

Troll Rick: Nah, Nothing could be worse than MoA.

Me: Does this mean he's going to try to make a horrible cliffhanger, or that he has a heart after all?

Troll Rick: I think the other fandoms are calling a therapist for us.

Random Tumblr person: GUYS we're on Rick's Radar

Other Random Tumblr Person: I think if Rick ever needed a sign to hurry up with HoH before we all completely lose it, this is it.

Me: AMEN SISTER!

And then this:

Fandom rehab:

Harry Potter: Oh my gosh there's no more books or movies what are we gonna do with our lives?! *sob*

Lord of the Rings: Puh-lease, at least your author is still alive!

The Hunger Games: I can't take having to wait all this time for the next movie. And the character deaths were soooo sad!

Sherlock: Oh, so you think you know about waiting? And HELLO, the world is in a current state of confusion after our last episode!

Percy Jackson: EVERYONE SHUT THE HECK UP AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE A TROLL FOR AN AUTHOR WHO BREAKS UP YOUR OTP, LEAVES YOU HANGING A YEAR, NEARLY REUNITES YOUR OTP, LEAVES YOU HANGING FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND THEN REUNITES YOUR OTP AND THEN THROWS THEM INTO TARTARUS. AND THEN GUESS WHAT? YUP IT'S ANOTHER YEAR UNTIL WE GET MORE. AND DID WE MENTION THAT GAIA IS RISING AND THE WORLD'S GONNA END AGAIN AND THAT CAMP JUPITER WANTS TO BURN DOWN CAMP HALF-BLOOD? OH YEAH AND THAT MOVIE? IT SUCKS. IT IS A DISGRACE TO THE NAME OF PERCY JACKSON. SO ALL OF YOU SHUT UP AND GET OVER YOUR MINOR ISSUES. *sobs uncontrollably whilst rocking back and forth*

Everyone else: ...yeah um wow.

Rick Riordan: *evil laugh* I REGRET NOTHING.

I feel Sane!

Anyway, to my ducklings!

DoubledHelix: That's exactly what I thought! I try to make it Angst with Hurt/Comfort, but mostly hurt. But my comforting parts are sweet. Thanks for your review and enjoy the chapter!

alyaJackson: Jack Frost is my favorite hot dreamworks fictional guy. I love him. Thank you for reviewing and have a nice day!

Sam99: Thank you! I try!

Ultra Happy Peep: Trust me when I say you were the main reason I was over that so quickly!

Rise of the Guardians:
Jack Frost is hot. I love him, and that movie, and he's just amazing! Thank the Gods you like it too. Otherwise I would have to go through so much work to convince you to see it.
Back to the story:

Don't cry, I promise it's gets better, before it gets worse again, but let me worry about that!

Thank you for your support, it means a lot, to know that I have such great friends who I don't even know!

And my cookies were stolen from North. So… I think I'm on the naughty list. :D

X: I randomly put Jack Frost in there because he's amazing. Happy Late Easter! And thank you for reviewing!

Demigod28: Thank you! I actually I am working on my own novel right now, and I will notify my readers when it its published. I promise it's not over, and your review was so sweet thank you!

So, that's it for my LONG an. Again, I'm so sorry for taking so long, but enjoy.

Song: Suggestions by Orelia has Orchestra.

Annabeth:

I sit, broken, sobbing, on the floor, slowly dying. I can't even see, or even feel anything. The only thing I know is that I'm in Percy's arms, he's holding me, everything is going to be alright. But I won't be. Unless Percy is. The thing I love about us, us we don't have to work to be there for one another. If I'm in pain, he is too. And now, his pain combined with mine is so great, it hurts. Hurts more than it should.

I pull him closer, feeling his cold arms wrap around my neck. We are both broken, and we both need a savior. Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Luke is there, and he's yelling at Kronos.

"What did you do to her? Why is she crying?" I hear him screaming, and the sounds of fighting all around me. Percy tightens his grasp around my neck, and I tighten mine around his waist. Together, we stand up, me supporting him, him supporting me, and limp from the room as we should always be. Together.

Neither Luke nor Kronos comes after us, and we make a steady pace towards the entrance I came through. I hear a low whistle behind us, and see a Cyclops, with a huge brown eye. Percy winces, and mine is an echo. But we manage, even without our weapons. But then I remember.

"Poseidon said to give you this." I say, and pull the sacred pen out of my pocket. His eyes light up, and, with shaking hands, he reaches out and takes the pen.

With his very touch, it expands, growing into the light of celestial bronze. He grins, the same grin he used to give me years ago.

We sneak into what I hope is the armory, and put on the marks of Kronos's army, hoping it will act as a disguise.

Once I've managed to get him in the breastplate, and helmet, I turn to my own. And then we're both ready, and I find a new knife, a better one and an alarm sounds.

"Annabeth and Perseus have escaped, if you want to stay alive, you will find them and bring them to his Lordship, Kronos."

Panicked grey eyes meet green. We're gonna need more than each other to get out of here alive.

Okay, so I kinda ditched my plot plan, and I have an idea for this, so bear with me here. Whatever happens, and it's going to be crazy, KNOW, that I will never ship anything harder than Percabeth. Also, I'm confiscate your pitchforks. And torches.

Thalia

I know you probably expect me to be all "I'm the powerful, fearless Thalia Grace! I'm going to save the world" And normally, that's me.

But did I bawl like a freaking baby when Annabeth IM'd me again? Hell yeah.

"We need help. Like right now. Titan Base, Go with the plan we discussed." Then it ends, and I'm left wondering how I'm going to pull this off.

Annabeth

Dread fills me. I'm going to have to do this. I turn to Percy, and grin, hiding the fact that I'll have to leave him soon, need to pretend that I'm dead to protect him. But didn't he do the same? That makes me feel a little bit better.

He returns the grin, the same crooked one I've been seeing for years, and, before I can open the door, he pulls me to him. Our lips clash in the first kiss we've shared in weeks. I feel my moth mold around his, and feel sparks, warmth, heating my entire body. We pull away at the same time, and the arrogant grin returns.

"See you on the other side?" He asks, still grinning. I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to smile back at him, the casual, "We're about to die, but I'm going to fight with you" Smile. I think I do an okay job.

"Who else will be there to save your podex?"

Hey, ducklings? I've think I've lost my plot. I had this wonderful twist planned out, but I can't make the characters do it! Gah! Maybe that's my fried brain. I put so much effort into making my muse a fangirl of PJO! And I succeeded! *five second dance party* K, and also I had my solo concert today. There are my excuses. Right now, I'm just as lost as you are. It's all improv from here.

Nico

Thalia found clues. We're going, right now, we're going to save them, I'm going to thank Percy. Even though both me and Thalia are terrified of air travel, we both agree it's the quickest way to get there, without killing anyone. I hold onto BlackJack and she holds onto me, I can see the base. I can see the prison.

Is that Percy? It is! It is him. I jump off my horse, allowing the shadows to catch me.

I run over to him, and I throw my arms around his stumbling form. I hear his laugh, "Nico?" He asks, and I'm so happy, ecstatic even, and then, and then people come out, all dressed in armor, and Percy looks so, so scared. And then I hear Thalia shriek Annabeth's name, and the reunion should be longer, should be bigger, but there's an army in front of us, and we're all back to back, facing outward, and I only have time to whisper, "Thank You" to Percy before all hell breaks loose."

Annabeth

Thalia runs to me first. "Are you ready?" She asks, and I nod, too terrified to speak. But I swallow my fear, and soon the four of us-Hi Nico- are all back to back, and Thalia's whispering the plan to me. I'm going to fall in battle. She has a potion that will muffle the sound of me heart beating, so Percy, and everyone else will think I'm dead, then they'll release him. They promised. I have to tell him though. So he doesn't think I'm a traitor, so he doesn't hate me.

"Do you trust me?" Those simple words meant the difference between our life and death. He nods without hesitation. And Thalia and Nico know the plan. So, I step away from my family, away from Percy, and towards the enemy. The next words I say are the most sickening I've ever said. "I'm on your side."

Suddenly, I'm fighting Thalia, and I'm turning, and she's twisting, in an elaborate, fatal dance. "Step back!" I yell. I look into Thalia's eyes, and see that she still his full faith in me. I give an almost imperceptible wink. "She's mine."

I don't have time to see the spear, coming towards my body.

But I do have time to hear the loud, male scream of the person who intercepted it.

And this, my ducklings is where I leave you. Again, I'm so so, sorry for not updating, but I promise to update this weekend, Kay?

Love you all!

-Abby