The scream echoed through out the entire camp. Jason wasn't sure if it was a scram of terror and vengeance, or one of absolute rage. Either way, the sound came from only one person. Annabeth. The blonde didn't waste any time, after Percy fell. She had her knife dug into the skin of Xerxes's neck where his collar bone was. The beast of a man let out a scream of pain, but it didn't seem to kill him.

She didn't have enough time, to cut his throat before he threw her off him. She landed on her feet and was ready for another attack. Her knife however was stuck in the skin of Xerxes.

"How dare you interrupt a duel." He spat, pulling the knife out. "This battle could have gone down in history, instead you ruined it."

"Shut up, you already surrendered, the duel is off." Annabeth said, holding her fists up. Jason had to give her credit, even unarmed she looked more dangerous then her opponent.

"That does not matt.." Xerxes was cut off, by a hand grabbing his ankle. Percy, he was awake. Covered in sweat and blood, but awake. "Well what do we have, the son of the sea awake once again to continue it seems." The king said, shaking his foot to get rid of Percy's week grip.

"Leave Annabeth alo.. Ahh!" Was all he could say before a huge foot kicked him in the chest and, another stomped on his wound.

"I think I have had enough of you." Xerxes said, kicking Percy so hard slammed into a tree ten feet away. "Now, daughter of Athena, I believe you and I now must have a duel."

Jason could see the wanting to destroy the man in Annabeth's face, but the need to help Percy seemed to overpower that. There was no way, that Xerxes was going to let her get anywhere near him.

"I will be your opponent." Jason said, getting everyone's attention. "You verses me, lets see if you can handle the son of the Jupiter." He said, knowing all to well it would anger the man.

"Jason, no you can't." Piper said next to him, grabbing his arm.

"Listen to me, Piper, Annabeth. Take Percy away, heal him. I will take care of this guy. Get Percy away from here."

Jason didn't have to look at Piper to see the concern on her face. Everyone of them was over tired, stressed and this wasn't making things any easier.

"Very well I accept." He said, picking up one of the blades from his whip.

Piper let go of Jason's arm, and ran over to Percy. Annabeth, looked at Jason for a little bit, then nodded her head as a silent thank you.

"Are you sure about this dude?" Leo said, from behind Jason. "I mean, this guy just got stabbed in the neck, and by Annabeth of all people. How could he even be able to stand from that."

Gods I wish I knew. Was all Jason thought, but he couldn't let it show, not in front of everyone. "Listen Leo, I need you and Frank to take the other campers and get away. Just in case this guy decides to invade anyways, We will need to be set up in positions."

"Yah sure man no problem. Frank you ready?" The sound of fear in his voice was far to notice able.

"What do you need me to do?" Hazel said, looking at Jason.

"Make a barrier of diamond around the two of us if you could. This is going to get ugly." Said, and Hazel didn't even say anything before the ground started to shake around him and a diamond wall rose around the two fighters.

"Are you done with your little plans demi-god?" Xerxes asked, Jason wasn't sure if it was a trick or not, but being alone in a dome of a shiny rock with this dude made him look almost a foot taller.

"Ready when you are." He said, pulling out his sword, just as Xerxes reached him, and slashed at his throat.

"Lay him down on the couch." Annabeth said, as she went into the kitchen to grab a cold wash cloth for his head. When she got back, he already looked worse, and she was only gone for a few minuets.

"Piper do you think you could use your Charm Speak on him, like talk to him in staying awake?" Annabeth asked, she wasn't even sure this would entirely work.

"I can try." She said, as she started to stay soothing things into Percy's ear, Annabeth began to cut around his shirt to see where he was hit. However he managed to live through any of this was beyond her. She was surprised he was even able to stay awake after that kind of hit.

"Annabeth he isn't responding." Piper said, the sound of worry heavy in her voice.

"Just give me a few more seconds. I have to close his, wound." She said, doing what was probably the worst stitching job in the history of medicine. "There it's closed. Did you grab any nectar?" She asked not looking away from Percy.

Piper grabbed the bottle and opened Percy's mouth and poured some down his throat. He still didn't look any better, the way his face was, she knew he was going threw some kind of dream or nightmare. What she was more afraid of, is if Percy woke up and still didn't believe he was in the real world.

"Annabeth do you know why he stopped?" Piper asked, causing Annabeth to jump out of her thoughts. "Have you ever seen him, stop like that in the middle of combat?" She asked, and now that she thought about it. Percy has never stopped like that.

"No I haven't. You think it has something to do with Tartarus?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"I don't know, Annabeth, I really don't know." She said, and it caused Annabeth to think. She hasn't felt this horrible since the battle of Manhattan. All she knew was before this quest was over, every body would be pushed to their limits. Maybe even the gods themselves.

Sorry for the long wait, hope you guys like this one.