"So you're here to see the duel as well, huh?" a voice asked.
We around and saw Ares. He was in the form of a seventeen year old boy with black greased filled hair and sunglasses over his eyes. He wore black leather pants and a jacket over a red shirt with a skull and crossbones symbol on it. He wore black combat boots and stood at about six feet tall.
"Dad?" Frank asked.
"Lord Ares, what are you doing here?" Piper asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "I'm here to watch the duel between Athena and Percy in person."
"In person?" Leo asked.
"Didn't anyone tell you that this fight is being broadcasted on Hephaestus TV? Gods, demigods and others will all be watching this battle. People are even placing bets on who will win." Ares explained. "Hades believes that Percy will win, while Khione believes that Percy will die."
"Didn't she get her powers taken away after the Second Giant War?" Leo asked.
"Not exactly. Khione's brothers, Zethes and Calais had their immortality and powers revoked and were forced to serve the Kings of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. I don't know what ever happened to them afterwards. Khione however, did not suffer the same fate." Ares answered. "Khione had to be a servant/teacher to some ice magician in this very city. I don't really know all the details, but she had to serve and teach him for many years. She was under very strict rules and would have been punished more severely if she broke them. About three months ago, after she finished her service, she had to swear on the River Styx to never deliberately hunt down or kill the members of the Argo II crew."
"That would explain a lot." Leo said.
I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I saw a pegasus in the sky. And it wasn't just any pegasus. It was Blackjack. Percy stood at the top of the One World Observatory. Athena had been waiting forever.
"Maia!" we all shouted, activating the wings on our shoes. We flew into the sky and Ares turned into a raven so that he could see from a bird's eye view.
"It's about time you showed up." Athena said.
"I don't know what has gotten into you, and I don't want to fight you, but I see that I have no choice." Percy said. He got out Riptide and turned it from a pen to its sword form. My mother conjured a spear from thin air. "If you think I'm evil, then come and get me."
She charged towards Percy with a deadly rage empowering her. Percy dodged her every move. He had fought against many opponents before, but I was still worried that he was going to be killed. Athena threw her spear at him, which made him back-flip. He got close to edge and nearly fell but he regained his balance and glared at his opponent. He forced the rain to crash down harder on Athena. This blinded her briefly, but she used the rain to create a tripping hazard for Percy. He fell right on his butt and Athena slashed his arm with her spear. She tried to impale him by stabbing his throat, but that failed and cut his arm instead. He kicked the spear into the air and used the water that tripped him to break it. He slowly got up as she gasped. Athena did not expect this to happen.
"Give it up, you incubus!" Athena screamed.
I'm not even sure Percy knew what that meant, but he was pretty offended. He stabbed Athena right in the chest with his blade. She screamed loudly in agony. I looked away. This was just too much to bear.
"If you claim that you're not evil, why do you continue to fight me?!" Athena asked.
"You threatened to destroy Camp Half-Blood!" Percy answered angrily. I opened my eyes. "For several years, that was my home away from home! That was Annabeth's only home for nearly a decade! I don't know what anger has consumed your heart, what insanity has poisoned your mind, or even who told you of that terribly false crime, but hear my words." She threw arrows at Percy, who dodged them all. "I'm not evil. I never molested Annabeth. I never hurt her." Athena disarmed him with only a wave of her hand. Then she summoned another spear. "I love her." She dropped Riptide.
"What is he doing?" Frank asked.
"When Annabeth was kidnapped by the Manticore, I risked everything to save her. When I lost my memory, Annabeth was the only thing I clearly remembered. When Annabeth was defenseless in Tartarus, I defended her. I gave up immortality to be with Annabeth because I love her. And yet you call me the bad guy." Percy stated. "I know you've never approved of our relationship, especially because I'm the son of Poseidon, who is your rival, but this is taking it all too far! So whatever vendetta you have against me, just let it go!"
My mother stopped dead in her tracks. She widened her eyes and dropped her second spear.
"I..." she began to say. Then her eyes turned back into an intense glare. "Don't believe you, Perseus Jackson."
"What?!" Leo yelled.
Athena turned in our direction. "So it seems we have some spectators." she said.
She disarmed almost all of us. But for someone reason, my knife wasn't taken by her. Using Jason's gladius, Piper's sword Katoptris, Hazel's Spatha, the 20 or so arrows Frank was carrying, and Ares' Sword, she fired all of those weapons at Percy. He ducked and avoided most of them, but some of the arrows hit both of Percy's legs. He screamed in pain. He tried to stand up, but he fell back down. Lightning continued to crack across the sky. Athena held up her spear to the sky and it suddenly was charged with the power of a lightning bolt. Without even thinking about it, I started flying down to the rooftop.
"Annabeth, what are you doing?!" Frank asked. "Annabeth!"
"Say goodnight, Perseus Jackson!" Athena exclaimed, projecting the lighting in the spear towards him.
Lighting was racing towards him and if nothing was done, Percy was bound to be killed. Then I did something extremely dangerous and stupid. I threw my sword forth, which countered the lightning and sent it flying in every which direction. The lighting nearly hit us, but it didn't.
"Stop!" I exclaimed. Percy looked up at me as I glared at my mother. "This has gone on long enough!"
"Annabeth, why are you here?!" Athena asked.
"I can't let you do this! I won't let you hurt him!" I exclaimed. "Your vendetta against him must end now!"
Athena didn't listen. She tried to impale Percy with a spear, but I kicked it out of her hands. Me and my mother dueled with our swords.
"Don't force me to hurt you!" I exclaimed.
"You insolent fool!" she screamed. She threw a knife at me and then I saw a flash of gold in her stormy eyes. I gasped.
"Annabeth, what's wrong?" Jason asked.
"Annabeth?" Piper repeated.
Then I heard a crack. Somebody broke the camera broadcasting Athena and Percy's fight. Ares gave each weapon back to their respective owners. Then he subdued Athena.
"My mother...has lost her sanity." I answered.
And I fear that I'm losing mine.