"And then there were two," Percy muttered as he shouldered his back-pack and continued on the trail he and Annabeth were walking on.
He and Annabeth left his home two hours ago, and barely traveled two miles without talking. Of course, he broke the silence. "Percy! Can you go two minutes without humming or talking or singing or anything? Just stay quiet."
"Gee, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Just, never mind. Forget I said anything." Percy shrugged. "Alright. It ain't no life like you're on the run!" Annabeth closed her hand into a fist and controlled her breathing. "If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently! Don't pretend, that you don't want me. Our love ain't water under the bridge!" Percy sang aloud. Annabeth almost laughed sadistically. Funny, she thought, I can relate. "Say that our love ain't water under the bridge," Annabeth felt like hugging him and telling him that very line. Our love ain't water under the bridge, she felt like saying. Her love wasn't under the bridge. His was. Well, his love for her, that is. Gotta hand it to Adele to tug at Annabeth's heart.
"Alright, singing lesson is over. Now, where are we going?" Percy stopped in his tracks, "I thought you knew? Anyways, in Tartarus I found this 'hole'. It's a one way thing, you get in and find another way out. That's where we're going. It's fine if—"
"No, no. I'm fine. But um, how do you plan on getting out?" She hated not knowing but Percy was really their only "Tartarus expert."
"I plan on getting out by—"
"I?"
"Annabeth, there's no way I can let you—"
"No, you listen to me, buddy," she stopped and jabbed a finger to his chest firmly. "I am going there with you and that's that. I don't want to hear any buts, or no's or anything. Got it?" Percy stiffly nodded.
"Now, how much farther?"
"Oh. Um, hehe," he rubbed the back of his neck. "We're already here." He whistled three times, loud and clear, and stood there. He pulled out Riptide, and prepared to fight.
Four dracanae, and a cyclops marched forward, as if they had been waiting all day. Annabeth, he spoke to her in her mind. In two minutes, they're going to engage. I want you to run as fast as you can towards New York. Do not, turn, back. Run. Run as fast you can. Once you reach Olympus, I want you to go straight into my room and look under my bed. There should be a loose floorboard. Pull it apart, and there should be a tracker. The tracker will lead you back to me. Just mix in a little of your and Artemis's blood and it should activate. Do. Not. Engage. Do not look for me until midnight of tomorrow, by then I shall be in Kronos's palace in Tartarus. I want you to prepare everyone for war. Annabeth stood wide eyed at his last statement.
He stepped forward and skillfully played with his sword.
"So, I'm guessing Kronos sent you? Grandpa never did like it when I ran away." A dracanae stepped forward. "You must come with us, son of Tartarus. She shall be spared if you surrender," she tried to negotiate. Annabeth seemed like she was ready to fight. Percy shook his head.
"Run." And she sprinted, back toward Olympus. Percy turned around and swung his sword in a wide arc, splitting the dracanae (please leave a review if you know the correct spelling) in half. The other three dracanae lunged at him as he summoned his shield and knelt down. Percy raised his shield above his head and grunted as they crashed onto him. Why do they have to be so heavy? Di immortales, why am I doing this again? Oh yeah, that's right, because if not the world will end.
I didn't sign up for this.
With a battle cry, Percy pushed his shield up, causing the monsters that piled onto him to lose their balance for just a split second. That's all he needed.
Percy's POV:
I cut one in half and turned around just in time to block a spear. Using a disarming technique, I made the spear fly out of her hands and knock into a tree. I cut her legs from under her. The third one tried to stab at me, but automatically my left hand came up and grabbed her wrist, the other pushed the spear out of her hand. Pulling on her wrist, I pulled her into me, her back to my chest, my arm around her neck. I twisted her neck with a sickening snap, and decapitated her.
The cyclops was able to hit me in the head, probably causing a head concussion. I did not give up. I went to cut him in half by the waist, but instead he whistled and blocked. I tried to slash at his knee, but a claw came out of nowhere and clawed at my chest. I was being overpowered by a cyclops and gods know how many hellhounds. I turned and cut it's paw off, making it whine. I almost stopped to check if it was Ms. O'Leary.
The cyclops, seeing my hesitation, swiped at my knee, making me kneel in front of the hellhound. One by one the monsters piled onto my shoulders, I almost expected to see a new streak of gray when I get out from under this. I was hit in the temple, and went limp.
Third Person:
Annabeth ran as fast as she can, and when she heard a war cry, she ran faster. She prayed for her mother to help her reach Olympus in time, and to her astonishment, Athena appeared right next to her. Athena was a little surprised to see her daughter running, so it took her some time to catch up with her daughter, who continued to run.
"What is it?"
"Mom! I would hug you, but we need to get to Olympus, and STAT."
"Oh right," setting a hand on her shoulder, Athena flashed them selves onto Olympus, in her temple. "What do you need?" She asked. Annabeth jumped on the balls of her feet.
"Where does he live?"
"Who?"
"Percy! Where does Percy live?" Athena seemed a little suspicious but directed her nonetheless. As if a gun was fired, Annabeth sprang forward and barged into Percy's room, making Artemis yelp and jump five feet off the bed while managing to remain in fetus position. Artemis stood up and summoned her bow.
"What do you think you're doing here?"
"Percy's in trouble. Need to get something," Annabeth very briefly explained.
With Annabeth under her bed, Artemis quickly put on her hunters garb and clothing, along with her boots. "Where is he?" She asked Annabeth. "Don't know. That's why…aha!" Artemis heard the sound of her floor being torn open, and then thrown back to where it was probably ripped from. Annabeth rolled out from under the bed before realizing she was in Percy's house.
"Forgive me, milady. But it is an emergency and I momentarily forgot my manners," she bowed. Artemis grunted, but said nothing more.
"Percy is in trouble. He has been taken—"
"By who?"
"—by monsters that ambushed us. He told me that that was part of his plan, and to not use this device to track him until midnight. He says…"
"What? What does he say?"
"He says it is time to prepare for war," she let go of a breath she did not know she was holding.
"What does this have to do with you barging into our room and going under our bed. And taking something that probably belongs to us?"
"He instructed me to get this," she held a small remote looking thing in front of her. "He told me to drop in some of your and my blood and it will lead us back to him."
When Annabeth finished, they both looked at each other and sprang into action. Artemis called for all Olympians to meet in the throne room immediately, and they both ran towards the assigned room, forgetting they can teleport.
"What is it, daughter?"
"Father, it is Persues—"
"We are all searching for him. But with you asking for frequent meetings—"
"He sends a message," she cut him off just like he did to her. "He asks for us, and our children, to prepare for war." This started an uproar.
We have just healed from one!
What?!
She must be lying!
With who?!
"SILENCE!"