Chapter 30
Forever Be Yours
I held him tight. The warmth from his body seeped into mine. I needed it. I wanted to treasure it as much as possible. If anything, I wanted to stay hugging for eternity just so he wouldn't abandon me even a fraction of a second.
The wind swooshed wildly against my face. Chilly air wrapped around me. I shivered, my arms promptly snuck further around his waist…
"…" Percy didn't say anything but cupped my hands around him.
I didn't say anything either. After all, how could I when-
…N-Neighhh- Blackjack gently huffed.
A split second later, my heart skipped a beat.
For the first time since he took me to the skies, a mix of weird hieroglyphs flooded my head and came out as words I could understand. I had no trouble comprehending what Blackjack was saying…
Mesmerizing and a little shocked, a small heat crept over my cheeks when I realized what the Pegasus just said. Shades of pink hues spread as nonchalantly as possible.
"Wise girl...?" My seaweed brain finally spoke, his face decorated with deep concern as he reined in Blackjack to hover partway, "Are you sure you are okay? I feel like something is…"
"Everything is okay, Percy." I pressed my lips to his back while that heat grew, "Let's go. I am not going to let that monster keep Rachel hostage for even a second longer."
"But…"
With a flap of his huge wings, Blackjack abruptly zoomed and jolted a surprise 'Whoa' from Percy as he tried to keep our balance. Silently, I had to thank him and it seemed he actually heard me. He tilted his long head back and huffed through his snout with an amused look.
So I really am…
My chest tightened. It felt like something precious was being ripped apart recklessly. Oxygen pulled out of my lungs so that any attempt to ignore it just put more painful pressure. That familiar warmth in my arms was all that I had to keep my composure. At once, I circled my arms all the way around him.
"Annabeth…" Percy turned his head.
I didn't return his gaze. I didn't say anything. I couldn't.
That's because… I wasn't sure if I could handle the truth from the only person I genuinely loved and trusted since we met.
"Let's go, Percy." I said firmly and gave him a small smile, "No time to waste!"
That's right. There was no time to be selfish anyway. Rescuing Rachel was our only priority, and since my mother was now freed and had to deal with Amphitrite, we couldn't afford to dither or spend time coming up with a good strategy. Heading blind into danger was our only option.
"Alright," Percy relented with a sigh, "But you are sticking close by me… I don't know what's wrong, but I am not going to let you out of my arms reach if I could help it."
"Speak for yourself! I know you'll just get into trouble if I am not by your side." I forced myself to giggle like normal.
He fell silent almost immediately and averted his eyes.
"I knew it," A small laugh left me as I hugged him close, "Come on, seaweed brain. Let's get serious. We won't have backup this time."
Percy sighed again, "Guess we have no choice then… What's the plan, wise girl?"
I squeezed my lips, then reached up and flick his forehead.
"Ow! W-Why?"
"Because you are a dummy, that's why." Amused, I smiled and point at the burning observatory, "Get us up there, Percy. We'll fight him together, as one."
He fell silent and mumbled. Whether it was because I called him a dummy or because of my plan, I wasn't surprised. He hates being called that, and the strategy was more of a wish fulfillment than anything else.
Still, Percy knew better than to argue. We've fought through so many close calls since being introduced to our destinies, we both knew our strengths and weaknesses and how to complement each other.
We'll be fine. I know it. I'll protect him and he'll protect me. Everything is going to be okay.
"Hey, you know I love you, right?"
Tracing his gentle emerald eyes looking all bashful suddenly, I smiled, then leaned in and shared a passionate kiss as we ascend the skies toward our destinies.
My heart ached all over the place as I whispered quietly…
"I love you too."
…
"Ah~ Welcome back to the land of the living, Beth. And- Hmm, nice to see you too, Perseus."
As we crested over the observatory, Percy reined in Blackjack and had him lift us way above the viewing platform. Black plumes of heavy smoke rose opposite us, the explosion had effectively blown out every window and left its steel and support beams charred and burning.
Percy narrowed his eyes at the lone devil smiling at the edge of the platform. Everywhere was surrounded by broken glass shards and sharp metal fragments, yet Luke appeared not hurt.
"Heh, wouldn't it be great if he suddenly trips and falls off?"
"If only it be that easy, seaweed brain…"
"Figures…" He smirked when I rolled my eyes, "Now hold onto me tight, wise girl…"
Percy made me hold him close, then he kneaded his hands together and went into deep mental focus. I already knew what he was doing…
But I also grew weary at the same time. Seeing how Luke didn't try to attack despite our clear vulnerability had me worried. He held his gaze on us as if nothing we do would matter. It really made me want to prove him wrong.
"Alright. Let's do this!"
Gathering liquid molecules in the air as well as the sea surrounding the island, Percy willed a torrent sphere the size of a water basin! Dozens of slithering navy trails streamed from the ground toward the skies, a mesmerizing spectacle only possible for a child of Poseidon as it morphed into a concurrent mass above us. It was as if all the resources in the world were converging to create a powerful spirit bomb.
My eyes couldn't look away. Beautiful night stars shone through its liquid transparency and danced like a vivid image of a dream, and the way he held my hand while holding his other palm high…
"Looks like that should be enough,"
Despite all the mental workouts, Percy didn't break a sweat and eased the last bit into his powerful elemental sphere. As quickly as it happened, a blast burst forth at the observation deck like an erupting geyser. It doused the entire surface area and effectively put the fire out in an instant. It was more than any emergency sprinkler system could have done.
Burning hot steel and metal beams hissed upon impact, the entire deck was sending white plumes of smoke in the aftermath. Everything was drenched and it even flooded a bit. Slowly, the skies came to clear again.
But none of it matter because I suddenly felt the urge to hug him close. The spectacle might just be another piece of cake for Percy, yet I was enamored by how he made everything calmer and gentler.
Neighhhh! Blackjack huffed and flapped his wings. The Pegasus seemed amused, and I found myself smiling at what he just said. Luckily, Percy didn't notice my reaction and chuckled, "Yep! I can't wait to really splash that asshole soon enough!"
Blackjack brayed happily in response as he descend to a hovering position just leveled with the deck. It was time for us to go…
Beating his powerful wings near our landing, a wind funnel blew inside the deck, sharp ripples and cutting shards blasted straight at Luke, and yet… I couldn't be certain what just happened, but he just stood there, unharmed and unfazed.
There was no time for me to figure it out though. Percy abruptly hopped off first and reached out for me. I quickly grabbed his hand and let him pull me into his arms. Even with the danger we were about to face, I couldn't stop staring into his mesmerizing eyes. They held so much comforting warmth… I didn't want to be apart from them even for a second!
"Stay sharp now… We can't afford to lose focus in this fight, wise girl."
His soft voice rang in my heart and cautioned me enough to jolt the perfect dream running wild in my head. This wasn't the time to ruminate… At the same time, Blackjack neighed too and signal his departure with a quick lift-off. We were truly left alone now.
"You are right," I said briefly and lay my real eyes on something that's an incarnation of hell itself. His flippant attitude made me hate his guts even more than I already did. My fists clenched.
But all of sudden Percy sneaked his hand over mine and squeezed tightly. My eyes landed on his deep sparkling green eyes and was brought back to his loving warmth.
"Don't be reckless, wise girl." He read my mind and smiled, "I'll play the forward this time, and you can back me up, okay?"
There was only one way that I could feel satisfied now. I released my new rapier with a flick of my wrist and held it leveled near my left hip, the pristine blade's edge gleamed bright silver as I ready myself. But just as quickly, Percy smiled and held me behind him! Even now, he was still putting my protection above all else!
I opened my mouth to complain, but Percy cut me off.
"We both know this is going to happen sooner or later, Luke. Surrender now, or I'll make you surrender if it's the last thing I'd do."
Standing face to face and about ten feet apart, Luke, or rather the new vessel of Kronos, stood unaffected but soaking wet nonetheless. He swiped his wet bangs from his face and narrowed at Percy with an unpleasant grin, "Well, that's not a very nice reunion in more than one way."
"Don't get your hopes up, Luke. I am going to make sure this is the last time we'd ever have to see your ugly face again."
"Tsk-tsk… You surely are eager for a repeat. Did you forget what happened during our duel last time?"
I bit my lips at the dreadful reminder, but Percy didn't show any defeat on his face and circled in front of me, "Sorry, but I am not the same as I was before."
Luke wore a sly grin, "Clearly, you've gotten powerful just as the prophecy foretold. In hindsight, I will most certainly be defeated by you in the near future."
"So why don't you give up now? There is still time before we had to resort to violence."
"Eh, no… plus, when it comes to violence, I prefer the straightforward approach." Luke craned his neck with an audible crack and took the first step.
Percy smirked back and flexed his wrists. I could only stare at a loss and felt nothing short of admiration as he kept me behind him while confidently exchanging threats.
Is he not scared? If Luke is as powerful as my mother warned, why isn't he…
"Hey wise girl?"
I squeezed his upper arm, "Don't worry. I'll protect you, so go and get Rachel back." Percy gave an indirect look at the raised shielded platform where Rachel and her father were located. It seemed like a huge commotion had taken place between the father-daughter duo. I could only hope Rachel's father won't try anything derange to his own daughter…
Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak-
Out of nowhere, Percy suddenly sealed them shut with a deep kiss! Stunned, I had no control when my soft lips pursed gently after we parted, "Trust me, Annabeth. I'll keep Luke occupied while you go deal with Rachel's father. I know you'll do great."
But I don't want to be separated from you!
Yet I couldn't find those words.
Instead, I traced over his lips and stared into his gentle and loving eyes holding me dearly.
"P…Percy-yy…"
In the end, I knew Percy was right. I had to save Rachel before anything happened to her, and given the very extreme methods her father was willing to take to achieve his still mysterious goal, the sooner I take her back, the better.
"Don't go and die on me, seaweed brain," I stared back longingly, "I want you to promise me…"
A sense of relief alleviated my heart when he replied with quick confidence, and yet, parts of me still worried because I couldn't figure out if that was real or just his tough façade.
"Don't worry, wise girl. I am going full strength to finish this fight."
I shook my head and looked at him again, "Promise me, Percy. I want you to promise you'll come back to me..."
Finally, he kissed my forehead and pulled back. Left helpless, I felt a new dread when his reassuring smile suddenly faded from his lips, "I promise, Annabeth." Then he released his long sword and abruptly pushed me to the side, "Now go!"
I barely had time to react! A split second later, I found myself forced away from a rigged battle between two powerful demigods. Absolutely fearless, Percy dashed forward with a roar and ready an overhead slash… Luke stood in its path without any defense but still smirked… Oxygen had all but stopped reaching my lungs. He was going head to head with a revived God-like being older than time itself and about to fight to the death, and what's worse was that I couldn't protest no matter how much I wanted to.
My eyes flew wide. Trepidation held my heart as blades flew left and right. I watched as Luke's wicked inhuman eyes narrowed and reflexively dodge Percy's strikes, his mirage-like movements looked effortless as he sidestepped each attack with mocking chuckles. I felt so numb it was hard to force myself away.
Percy didn't give up! He kept up the pressure and forced Luke to retreat further away from me.
I'll come back and help! I promise Percy! Don't die on me!
Giving myself a bit of renewed determination, I swallowed all the perturbed feelings in my heart and quickly made my way up the energy shield. I was going to find a way to get past it and save Rachel from her deranged father, no matter what!
Just as I hopped onto the half-destroyed walkway—
"Annabeth!"
Rachel called out to me! I heard her fearful sobs distorted behind the energy barrier. I cast my eyes forward and immediately met the auburn hair girl. Looking a little bit worse for wear, at least she was still safe and alive, but her green eyes were brimming with tears. She was in a dire position, to say the least. What's worse, I was in disbelief to see her father… pointing a gun at her head!
"I am sorry, but I won't let you take my daughter away from us anymore. I am going to make sure we are all together again."
...
"Why don't you give up, Percy? You and I both know the world is beyond saving."
I switched my grip and made an upper slash from point-blank range, and yet, Luke managed to avoid the blade as if it was traveling at a snail's pace. Surely, he'd gotten more powerful since he become the vessel for the Titan king. I couldn't help but lament. No matter how I sliced it, time was clearly on his side more than mine.
"Sorry, but I am not known for giving up."
"Shame… but hey, this is a perfect chance for me to show you just how powerful I've gotten since our match last time. And maybe a good refresh for your memory at how futile your attempts really are."
I stood back and tighten my grip with both hands. After all that, Luke was just as unharmed as before. I wasn't able to even get a good scratch on him, and worse, he wasn't even taking this fight seriously.
There was no other choice. I would have to face everything he throw at me head-on and find some kind of opening to attack.
"Remember, seaweed brain. There is always a weakness in any discernible pattern, and finding it is how you can turn the tables on your opponent."
"I can't wait," I quipped back, "And I'll show you that you are no God-like being, Luke. From the beginning, you are nothing but a lost Half-Blood who is obsessive with his ego."
Luke sneered back as if he found something funny said.
"Tonight, I'll make sure you are reminded of your vulnerabilities just like everyone else."
As expected, derisive laughter echoed out loud while he clutched half his face as if in agony. His laughs were obnoxious and leering with contempt. From where he stood, it's obvious how threatening he saw me as, and he was most likely right…
On a deck more than two thousand feet above sea level, Luke was acting as if he was the one and only God of this world and this was his rightful throne. I could barely stomach his vileness, yet it was hard not to be cautious of a monster. There was no backup this time, relying on my heightened senses and the tools at my disposal was the only way I could survive this battle.
Ultimately, the watchtower had become his hunting ground, and I entered the lion's den willingly with a lofty goal to slay every kind of evil waiting for me.
I squeezed the hilt of my sword and widen my stance.
His delirium eventually ebbed as he straighten back up. He set his glinting eyes on me and reached behind his empty back.
"I am sorry, but that was so funny it's hard not to laugh at your face." Luke gleamed with mocking cheers, "Now…"
I couldn't get a good look, but soon he dug his fingernails through his shoulder blades and was pulling out a hilt from within his body! The grotesque sight of his darken blood spilling out was repulsive, yet Luke didn't look so much as trouble by ripping his own flesh and bones apart.
Trickles of slick redness glided down an obsidian blade's tip and joined the blood puddle soaking at his feet, his ripped flesh grossly sewn itself back together in patches.
I somehow managed to look into his eye filled with perverse joy despite seemingly in pain, "You really are a monster…"
Smirking, Luke finished pulling out a long sword from deep inside his back. Made from an identical mineral as Amphitrite's cursed katana, it was almost like the blade was forged haphazardly from within his body oozing with the essence of the underworld. His vessel must be close to being taken over by the mad Titan king. Intuition alone told me his physical form wasn't even human anymore.
"Yes, I like that look on your face, so let me show you what a monster like me can really do."
As I stood ready for his attacks, just south of my position was Annabeth as she worked to get Rachel back, and without a doubt, this was the parallel with which I was planning to keep Luke occupied. I couldn't let him get past me and risk him going after her. I just couldn't.
Holding an emotionless look, Luke didn't attack me and just stood there with a dumb carefree smug narrowed at me. I had enough of this, then launched forward with my right foot.
"Hahh!"
Not even a second later, I almost couldn't regret my impulsiveness. A shadow flashed behind me so quickly as if it had always been there.
"I am right behind you, Perseus."
Alarmed, I twisted my waist as quickly as I could. The abrupt leap had cost me dearly in all possible movements, and I narrowly blocked his normal swipe at my torso. I got flung backward and barely managed to stick my landing.
Our position swapped. I immediately worry he might try to go for Annabeth, but Luke stood still and kept all his attention on me. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't disappoint me now, Percy. I thought you were going to remind me how human I still am?" He smirked.
"Oh don't worry. I am, and I am not planning to go down easy." I stood back up and watched as he cockily swung his sword around as if bored, "Trust me, you won't see this coming."
His smile grew, "I wonder if you'll be able to keep me entertained for even five minutes…"
Pushing his taunt out of my head, I narrowed my eyes at Luke and willed a few dozen wind elements at my feet. The moment they burst, my body shot forward like a bullet.
Ppppwwhhh!
A deep vibration shook underneath us. I gritted my teeth and hard-pressed at his normal block, then grew surprised when his arms soon gave out with a hint of being overwhelmed. He was slowly yielding as my blade near his throat, and yet his face lit up with sadistic joy. Sparing a fair bit of my strength into our lock-in struggle, I started to realize something was amiss.
"Entertained now?"
"Oh, very much so…" He smirked and finally give in. My arms instinctively pushed forward and when I was going to slice his head clean off, something weird happened.
A vibrant clank echoed, then silver sparks flew…
Somehow, Riptide bounced off his neck violently and snapped back against my hands as if I just struck a hard metallic surface! I could barely ignore the pain in both wrists screaming red.
Far from normal, there wasn't even a scratch nor a drop of blood where I struck!
I froze solid at his smug grin. His new trick now laid bare. Truly, Kronos's power certainly made him the most indestructible living thing on earth right now. Literally, it seemed no metallic weapons would be able to hurt him.
"Perhaps you are feeling rather surprised?" Luke parried my strike from below and sidestepped. My momentum threw me out of balance and I quickly toppled over empty air.
Luke smirked, then ready a heedless horizontal swipe at my stupid mistake. However, that was all pretense on my part to fool him into giving me his sword.
"Hurrah!"
I kicked off a hidden wind element bursting at my left foot and boost safely outside his strike, then with a twist of my body, I readied another kick at the flat edge of his blade and sent his sword flying straight in the air. Fifteen feet above us, a satisfying c-crack-kk reverberated, the charred ceiling was now decorated with his new toy stuck upright.
There was no way he could retrieve it anymore, yet his abrupt surprise still lingered in my mind. I needed to be sure…
"So are you like invulnerable right now?"
Luke let out a chuckle as I landed back between him and the girl I was trying to protect. He looked absolutely delighted and amused. My question went unanswered…
"Yep! I know you'll do just fine entertaining me, Percy, so show me what you can do and let's continue our duel to the death!" Luke stared enthusiastically. His renewed blood-lust aimed solely at me and nothing else.
I was thankful.
Then he rushed me with reckless abandon. Faster than I could track, he flew over our gap in the blink of an eye. The only saving grace was my neuro gear showing me a spot-on prediction. I narrowly avoid his fist flying toward my face and stabbed my sword at his thigh.
Again, the same thing happened. A violent c-c-clank-kk and reverberation knock at my right wrist. It pained me more than I was able to hurt him. He wasn't even slightly wounded.
"It's no use, Percy… You can't hurt me now."
Propelled by the momentum of my stab, I jumped and kicked off his knees to somersault backward. Too close to avoid, I planted my right foot straight into his face and leap away. He recoiled backward but easily found his balance.
"That's not going to stop me, Luke." I readied my aim at him, "I'll defeat you, right here… right now."
"Wonderful… absolutely wonderful…" He sneered. I wasn't even sure if he was still sane as I looked at his face twisted with arduous horror. He quickly dug into his back once more and retrieved two fresh obsidian blades. He dual-wielded both long swords at the same time.
"I want you to keep your hopes and dreams, Percy… After all, it's going to be so satisfying to rip them all away from you once we're done."
I immediately released a new sword to my left hand and aimed forward, "Not going to happen."
His body healed in no time and he smirked, "Delicious…"
I widen my stance and kept full attention on his figure. This time, I caught his leap forward as he came at me with wild abandon! I readily parried one sword and sidestep his next attack. My heightened senses and the neuro gear helped me stay alive as I kept his murderous swipes at bay.
"I-Isn't this fun, Percy?!" Luke looked overwhelmed with joy as we danced around yellow sparks. His seemingly eerie demeanor earlier was replaced by this sadistic savageness, "I haven't gotten this excited since I forced myself on Annabeth that night."
I immediately twitched.
"And you know what the best part was?" I parried both his blades away and knocked him back. Despite being wide open for a brief moment, I couldn't hit back. I forced myself still, until…
"Seeing her pointless struggle against me and eventually giving up... it still fills me with a sense of unbelievable ecstasy!"
Finally, he caught his footing and ready a double circular thrust at my head. His lightning-fast speed should have already caught me, but my grips tighten and I launched forward at the swords, just barely deflecting them inches from slicing my cheeks.
Fear left me altogether, I dove head first and heard myself scream.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Rage filled me. I struck at his face again and again, and even though he deflected most of my sharp edges by the teeth of his skin, he wasn't as skilled as I was with close combat. I actually managed to slice his cheeks more than a few times, but it chipped off silver sparks instead. His smug smirk grew larger, that pleasing look… It drove my impulses to the edge and I couldn't stop.
The dull pain in my wrists only fueled me even more.
"Did I just hit a nerve?"
I ignored his smirk and struck true again. This time, I saw a speck of glittering dust being scraped off his left temple from Riptide, then I quickly prepared another stab with Aquinas at the same area.
Luke immediately perverted that.
With just one overhead counter, I was forced to retreat. Sweat beaded down my forehead as we separated, but his excursion didn't have the same effects. Glowing skins gleamed with sprinkles of glittering silver, this was most likely the source of his new invulnerability.
"You are not going to touch Annabeth again. I won't let you." My breath turned uneven.
He laughed at my face, almost as if he knew without a doubt that I was wrong somehow. Dread filled my soul, something told me that Luke still have another trick up his sleeves that I hadn't accounted for.
Yet, I noticed something interesting through our deadly skirmish. For some reason, his cocky confidence was shaken just a tiny bit. Specifically, the moment I went for the same spot on his temple, his eyes narrowed.
I couldn't stop recounting that change in attitude. My head spun on overdrive as I readied myself.
"You are good, Percy…" Luke admitted as he raised his sicken face, "But there is no way you can beat me at this stage. I am invulnerable, and as a treat, I won't kill you outright. Instead, I am going to make you suffer as you watch helplessly while I defile the girl you love so much."
I quickly stood in his path and block his line of sight behind me.
Luke held a smirk as if he just rolled a perfect ten, "And another thing before your inevitable defeat..."
As the words left his tongue, the ground beneath shook me backward. Suddenly, I was forced to push back against his blades crossing sharp edges with my own. Our swords creaked just as heatedly as the fire burning behind our eyes.
But his next words shook that ember down to my very core…
"Tell me, Percy? How did she react knowing the truth about her real father?" Luke hard pressed at our lock-in struggle. I instantly felt my hands falter and barely managed to readjust my grip, "Oh? -she didn't mention it, did she? That you hid the truth about her birth father…"
I immediately landed a heavy kick at his torso and send him flying a good few yards away, but he didn't let up and came at me again with that same indicative smirk.
Driven purely by instinct, all my blocks and parries were reactive instead of relying on reasons, but as far as we both knew, my head was now elsewhere from his revelation.
"H-How…"
While I stammered in shock and retreat with each step, Luke took advantage.
Attacking like an unhinged madman, there wasn't a hint of pattern in his assault. He swung his dual-wielding swords without any coordination nor plan of attack, it was all random and delirious outbursts as if he was hoping one would strike me down.
Even as my mind lingered on what he said, there was no other way but to keep on defending. I couldn't counter-attack because any offensive measure wouldn't work. He had shown that his body was completely invulnerable now.
I… won't be able to hurt him—
But something else might just give me a chance to keep my distance and come up with a working solution!
"Eheheh… I'll tell you how she reacted, Percy." Luke went crazy with his swings and even struck himself multiple times, "She was in denial. She couldn't even imagine she was a child of Poseidon too. I don't blame her… Having been lied to her whole life must be gut-wrenching, everything she holds dear just suddenly collapses under the truth of her real family."
I gritted wearily, "You don't know her one bit, Luke. She's strong, and she can handle the truth."
"Then why didn't you tell her…"
I squeezed my lips tight. The loud scrapes and creaks echoed increasingly in Luke's favor.
Smirking as if he was looking for that exact reaction from me, his lips twirled, "Let me guess, you want to take her place in the prophecy, don't you?"
Anxiety overwhelmed me. My thoughts were occupied by a newfound fear impossible to placid deep in my heart. Just how did he realize so much? When did he figure it out?
"Well, sorry to break it to you, Percy." Luke readied a leaping attack from above, but I skillfully block both strikes and threw his momentum off balance. I forced him to stagger back, yet it wasn't enough to keep his mouth shut, "I already saw the future, and you won't be able to save her no matter how hard you try— not from me…"
Fear boiling to rages, my brows furrowed in contempt. I had enough of his taunts and pushed back to keep us on even footing, "Say what you will, Luke… It won't change the fact that I will be the one to defeat you in the end!"
As expected, he was unscathed from his own blades and mine. His darken eyes widen with sick and perverse joy. Trading heavy blows, I twisted quickly to dodge his diagonal strikes and crouch low with the momentum, then I swiped at his legs and sent him flying off the ground.
A relieved sigh left me as he tumbled over, yet I heard him sneer mockingly.
Just when I thought I could catch my breath, he adeptly placed his right hand on the floor and cartwheel him back into an upright position. It happened so spontaneously that it left no time for me to engage with my original plan.
"Nice try!" He rushed a jab at an inhuman speed, the dark foaming edge came so fast I couldn't properly react. Exhaustion surely played a part, and the next thing I knew, I was holding Riptide with an awkward, reverse grip just so I could narrowly sideswipe his blade a centimeter away from my abdomen.
"Argh!" I took a shallow cut at my left waist and immediately leap back for safety.
Though Luke wasn't a fool, he saw his opening and took it!
I had no other choice now…
One sleight of hand later, Aquinas disappeared from my left hand and was replaced with an inorganic metallic grip I wasn't familiar with yet. I barely had the time to aim either, choosing to quick draw at the approximate location where the shot was mostly like to hit.
Through intuition alone, I pulled the trigger and the gun went off, flaming sparks blasted from point-blank range. Luke was still in the midst of his rush so there shouldn't have been any way he could dodge or deflect it with his sword.
To no surprise, he did exactly as I expected.
"Tsk tsk… that's cheating, Perseus." Bending time to his will, Luke slowed the bullet to a halt and shot me a disapproving smile. His body effortlessly ground to a stop just before the spinning metal pellet. He looked absolutely delighted and full of himself as our skirmish paused briefly.
"…. Huff-huff-huff—" I couldn't argue.
I struck Riptide into the floor instead, my body instinctively leaned forward as I rested my fatigue. Both physical and mental exertion were draining far beyond what I was expecting. No other times during our assault on the island did I experience this kind of tiredness, it simply couldn't be because I was fighting Luke who was pretty much a God-like being at this point. There was no doubt something deep in the enemy's territory was causing such effects. I would need to find out why if I want to keep standing on equal ground with the monster in front of me.
"One piece of advice…" I met his gloating eyes, "If I were you, I wouldn't stay there."
At once, his eyebrows raised in suspicion. I barely had time to enjoy his confusion. A nano-second later, a white flash followed by orange flames exploded outward!
I instinctively willed a water shield and mitigated the fragmenting shards. Still, I wasn't able to escape the kinetic force of the explosion and was knocked back on my butt too.
If I was able to create some distance earlier, but oh well… this works too! Though, I am exhausted. Using my powers only seemed to accelerate my tiredness.
Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud-ddd! –B-Boom!
Debris sent knocking over as Luke flew backward into stacks of central servers, eventually crashing into a beam closest to the rim of the deck. The propelling force was enough to make the rustic, charred steel curve under pressure.
I clicked my tongue… Just a little bit more and he would have fallen off, damn it!
A cloud of dust blocked my line of sight of where Luke ended up, but his silhouette was still visible and his figure couched over in slight defeat, seemingly reeling from the shockwaves. I smiled to myself and got back on my feet.
Then I heard waves of laughter basked with pure joy. His sickening and sadistic laughs sent chills all over me.
"Oh that was a shocker, I'll admit…" Luke's self-satisfying voice cut clean through the smoke, then a swipe of his sword sliced it apart. His gleaming figure was revealed along with flutters of falling silver dust. Just as I theorized, his invulnerability had some limitations, and testing it gave me just enough information to formulate a working plan.
And it looked like I was finally able to deal some damage to him too!
"You might be a God-like being able to control time," I explained while preparing a healing spell, warm light filled the wound on my waist and regenerate slowly, "But that doesn't mean you can ignore physics, Luke."
"Hahaha… impressive, Percy. You saw right through my weakness." Luke praised, then he threw his swords away without a second thought, "I guess it can't be helped. No matter what, this human form is still vulnerable."
I swallowed a gulp. Speaking as if he wasn't already a monster servant of Kronos, it was all the more reason why I needed to defeat him here and now. I couldn't allow him to get even more powerful to the point of omnipotent. I needed to save us from the world's destruction, and most importantly, to save Annabeth…
"As much as I wanted to have some more fun with you, it seems I've really underestimated your abilities, Perseus. It's time for me to get serious."
Immediately, I withdraw the healing elements from my waist and ready my sword and gun. It was time for me to get serious too.
With a single thought, hundreds of water pellets formed a defensive wall before me and aimed solely at Luke. Each round harder than diamonds, they rained and blotted out his vision with nothing but impending demise.
With a thunderous blast, a crater formed right where he stood. Our battle resumed.
…
"We?"
For a moment, those hateful eyes were filled with an inscrutable sadness that I was put on a huge pause. This was someone who had no issue experimenting on kids, torturing Half-Bloods to harass their celestial powers, and commanding vile mercenaries who didn't have any trigger hesitation to take them down with literal firepower.
So why am I suddenly hesitating?
Rachel spoke up, "Annabeth! Just leave me… Go and help Percy! I'm—"
But I didn't move.
"You are persistence, I'll give you that daughter of Athena." He said and withdraw the gun, "Do you honestly believe I would do those things by the act of my free will?"
I kept my eyes on his. There wasn't an ounce of regret, only indomitable conviction.
"You couldn't possibly understand my reasons. I did this for the sake of my family."
Rachel bit her lips as if wanting to plead, but I spoke before she could, "Family? You can't tell me that when you were just pointing a gun at your own daughter."
"To stop you… nothing more."
I felt my heart sank. Rachel's father was clearly beyond reasoning right now. He was a desperate man on a mission who believed exclusively in his own righteousness, and it was as dangerous as a man with nothing to lose… or maybe that's exactly what he was.
After all, everything he had done brought him to this point, and it looked like his goal was finally within arm's reach. The missing puzzle piece began to surface, what exactly he was trying to achieve… the dots began to connect itself and there was no room left for doubts anymore.
My eyes widen. I figured out his motivation at last!
"And he said you are perceptive too…" Walter rued and went to a corner where a lone server tower stood and input some code into a program, "I guess there is no hiding it anymore."
"Dad…" Rachel pleaded, "You have to stop this now! T-This won't bring her back…"
But her pleas were ignored. No matter how hard she tried to seek reason, I could tell it was too late for a man who was beyond broken with nothing else left to lose… all except one. That's why he worked so hard to take Rachel back. There couldn't be any other outcome for him.
Walter was solely focused on working on something, "Computer, initiate project Olympus."
The interface responded…
"Instruction confirmed. Passcode?"
Walter paused a small sigh, "Rachel Elizabeth Dare…"
"Voice input confirmed. Initiating protocol 64-2A5… T-minus nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds."
"Dad!" Rachel screamed, "Stop it! I am begging you!"
Instead of acknowledging his daughter, Rachel's father walked toward another keyboard and continued his work.
"Dad, can't you see everything you are doing is crazy?! What you've done to the Half-Bloods… my friends… None of it is going to bring Mom back!"
Finally, Walter showed signs of some consciousness. His reply overflowing with an emotionless fatherly warmth that it was hard to argue whether it was out of love or something darker, "Rachel, you are not thinking clearly. This will bring her back, and we'll get to live as a family again."
"Dad…" Rachel sobbed, her cheeks rolling down tears of despair, "Mom is dead. She died because of a drunk driver. This isn't your fau-"
Slap!
Rachel recoiled and yelped in surprise. The red palm print burning on her right cheek was vibrant and stung like a million cuts, yet it was probably nothing compared to her heart crumbling into broken pieces.
"…." Rachel stared at a loss at her own father. I was sure this wasn't the first time it happened. What's worse, she was still trapped with a madman holding her hostage.
I needed to do something fast... There was no telling what that ominous countdown was for either, but without any chance to get through, I could only keep up a dialogue and force his attention on me.
"To be honest, I had an inkling what your end goal might have been, Walter." I spoke calmly.
In the meantime, I scanned the energy barrier. Though it wasn't on the same level as Owlfred's limitless capabilities, the neuro gear was able to track the source of the energy trails. It seemed to be powered by an iridescent white prism embedded in the floor, just right underneath Rachel's foot!
They were standing on some type of console capable of creating an impenetrable shield. There was no way to get in or out… not unless the power source was removed, which meant…
Think Annabeth… How do I get inside?
"You couldn't possibility understand my goal, daughter of Athena." Heedless to me threatening his safety, his reply was casual while typing away, "I hold no ill will against your kind, but if you are going to insist on being an obstacle in my way, then I have no choice but to eliminate you from the picture."
"I can say the same thing about you too…"
The typing abruptly stopped, "Is that a threat?"
"I don't know… I mean, it doesn't have to be, right?" Just then, I caught Rachel's gaze and gestured for her to look at my hand. Her eyes widen in realization. I sighed a short breath of tension and relief at the same time.
It would be risky, but there was no other way. In the background, I began to work secretly while keeping Walter's focus on me, not his daughter.
"It won't work," Walter sighed and resumed, "No matter what you say or what kind of reverse psychology you try on me, my mind is made up. I've gotten too close to give up now."
"I can tell," I tapped my phantom bracelet and my rapier disappeared, "At first, I thought you drugged Rachel because of the experiments, but now I realized the truth. You were never trying to hide her discovery about being the oracle, what you were really trying to do is to manipulate her and steal all her memories until your goal of resurrecting your wife comes to fruition. Isn't that right?"
Walter stayed silent.
"I had that same suspicion when we found out about your wife dying in the accident, but back then, I didn't think you were crazy enough to try something so deranged."
His composed demeanor began to crumble. I was getting to him...
"You are toeing on some thin ice here, daughter of Athena." Walter's voice echoed as far away as his glossy gaze, "First and final warning…"
"You can't hurt me. Your own shield is in the way. So tell me Walter, what did Luke promise you so much that you are willing to sacrifice everything to work for a devil?"
"As I've said, I didn't do it willingly…" His voice trembled.
"Oh? So he coerces you to do this?"
"…" He paused, "You are wrong…"
I smirked, "Then which one is it? Or have you lost your mind to the point where you can't even figure it out anymore?"
Frozen in place, I could tell he was shaken, and a little bit more would prompt exactly what I need.
"I… did it to save the person I love… You will never understand what I am feeling. I'll go to any length necessary, even selling my soul to the devil, to make things right again."
"Even if your own daughter is against it?"
He paused, "Rachel isn't able to grasp the reality of what I am doing. She will…"
"… By forcing her to accept, you mean?" I could see his face distorted, "Without her own free will, you have no choice but to keep her drugged. After all, you can't bear the thought of losing another person you loved."
His voice turned icy cold, "K-Keep your mouth shut…"
"But we got in your way… We ruined your plan to bring your family back together."
"I am warning you, daughter of Athena…"
"I know you think you have nothing to lose, but even you know that's not really true, isn't it?" I added lace in every syllable of my words, "And you never consider anything else, did you? How can you be certain Luke wouldn't betray you in the end?"
He gave no answer. His silence spoke more volume than any words would. I quickly picked up on another crucial detail. It seemed this barrier wasn't a deterrent for me only... which meant—
An angelic smile moved over me, "And can you be certain… that she would be happy? To see what kind of father you've become for Rachel?"
Bang! An impulsive shot rang out immediately.
Behind the blast of his regular pistol, a pair of murder gaze narrowed at my eyes. No words were ever spoken, but his intention leaked loud and clear.
Echoey reverberation rippled behind the energy shield. The bullet which should have hit me straight on seemingly melted into molted liquid. I kept my smile at his shaken expression.
"Just as I thought… that perfect dream of yours is built on nothing but a lie." I said, "And that's why you are going to lose…"
The bloodlust in his eyes melted back. Walter inhaled and exhaled deeply, then he turned and walked right up to the barrier directly in front of me. We were barely a foot apart. His calm yet dark eyes snapped dangerous sparks. His contemptible aura seeped through an impenetrable shield, almost like some unstoppable virus trying to infect its host.
"You are as impressive as you are dangerous, daughter of Athena, I'll give you that." Walter spoke clearly, "But you have no right to be judging me from the top of your ivory tower. You'll soon understand these feelings I have, and when that day comes, I'll be—."
"Sorry, Walter." I cut him off, "But that day won't ever come. I will make sure of it."
He fixed his eyes on me, "And who might be the presumptuous one now?"
Taking a step back, an alert for the mysterious countdown suddenly cut into his speech.
"T-minus five minutes and fifty-nine seconds… Preparing final package for delivery."
"You can't get past this barrier no matter what you do. Your chances of defeating me were zero from the beginning. I've won."
Not backing down, I stared right back at him, "Perhaps… but you should know something about me," I fixed a smile behind him and finally drew his attention away, "I have always been stubborn to a fault."
Just as his eyes whirled around, I shouted, "Now!"
Faster than his reaction time, Rachel suddenly broke free from her restraints and lobbed the entire chair at her father with all her strength. He reacted too slowly, a stub struck his right shoulder and he fell backward into the energy shield.
"Ahh!"
Effectively burning a small part of his lab coat and his upper left arm, Walter recoiled and collapsed on the floor. He immediately aimed his gun with unsteady hands, but I've already made sure his target was out of his reach.
"Argh! W-Where are you?! Rachel!"
I kept his attention on me, "She's gone, Walter. I've made sure of it."
"You… You will pay for this!"
Crying out in desperate delirium while her daughter was hidden by my invisibility ring, I watched tepidly as Rachel carefully snuck to the center of the chamber to extract the white prism powering the energy shield and his console. She worked flawlessly despite the pressure of her father's random outburst, her concentration eventually helped her pull the plug on this farce.
The barrier quickly fizzled out of existence.
"Ugh! I won't let you take her from me again!" Walter gave up his search and drew his gun at my forehead at point-blank range.
However, I was way quicker than he was. His sidearm effortlessly flew across the platform to the observation deck below. Disarmed, he halted halfway through and was forced backward.
"Enough, Walter." I pointed my rapier at his throat centimeters from drawing blood, "You've lost."
"H-How…"
A small part of me wanted to savor his shocking looks. He had no idea what had happened. I gave him a triumphant smile, "You were too preoccupied with your goal. You ignored everything and never paid attention to anything else, including your own daughter in the real world."
"…"
When his expression dropped, I tapped my ring and Rachel became visible again. Stepping away in a hurry, she stood by me with the strange-looking prism clutched in both hands. Her body shook fearfully as she stared at her father. She wore the conflict within her heart on her sleeves.
"Dad…" Her whispers were small and weak, it felt like she had no strength left to see anything anymore.
With Rachel safely tuck behind me, I wasn't going to waste time. Walter needed to be kept in check, and in the best-case scenario, I didn't want to keep my rapier at his throat while Rachel was watching the whole thing. I could only guess how gut-wrenching she must be feeling.
"….."
Without uttering a single word, I restrained him to a server tower with regular handcuffs. He didn't put up any resistance, not even once. Even though he was defeated both physically and mentally, something about his reaction strike me odd with unease.
"A…Are you okay?"
Once I finished locking him, I turned around and smiled back with assurance, "That should be my line. I am sorry for taking so long to come to get you. You are not hurt, are you?"
That was a rhetorical question. I could tell Rachel wasn't hurt in any place except for some light bruises on her cheeks, and it didn't take a detective to figure out what hurt her more.
"Mm- I'll be fine-ee…" She sounded calm, but it's obviously a tough façade otherwise, "Thanks for coming to save me, and for…"
She trailed off uneasily and peeked behind my back. I reached for her shoulders and smooth her upper arms, "Let's get through this first. We still have to get you out of here."
The sudden commotion blasting off in the lower deck suddenly filled the platform. Just from the shockwaves and rumbling alone, I could tell it was an apocalyptic battle between Gods. All my desire to rush down and help was only stopped by his promise to me, and like him, I also needed to fulfill my part of the role I was entrusted.
Rachel redirected her gaze at me and nodded, "R-right… I'll help you out, just tell me whatever you need, Annabeth."
My lips moved to form a grin, "First, we need to secure this place and find out what that countdown is for. Stay close… we couldn't let you get captured again."
"Oh, o-okay…" As if expecting something else, Rachel responded rather dejectedly and handed me back a knife, "H-Here..."
The same knife that she used to cut loose the zip tie bounding her to the chair, I had streamed it to her through our connected phantom inventory. That's how she was able to escape and sprung the surprise on her father, and how risky that plan would have been if Walter accidentally shot her amid his confusion.
Luckily, it worked out in the end.
"Keep it," I clasped her hand on the hilt and watched as her sea-green eyes widen, "You are going to need it from now on. Now, let's find out what that countdown is for. You with me, Rachel?"
She looked between the knife and back at me a few times. I was glad when the colors return on her cheeks slightly and she gave a small hint of her usual smile.
"I- I am with you, Annabeth."
We turned to face the scientist responsible for all the atrocity we'd faced while plotting with the evil Titan king to destroy the world. At the end of the day, all our sufferings over the recent months had been enabled by one man's obsession. He drove the world to the brink of chaos, sacrificing all to satisfy his own desire.
I held no sympathy for Walter. He deserved to rot for the rest of his life, but at the same time, I couldn't help but acknowledge his pain; the very human nature that he had been haunted by since the accident that cost him everything.
"Now tell us, Walter. What is that countdown for?" I asked calmly. There wasn't any use to threaten someone who had lost his only purpose.
"T-minus three minutes. Arming package and disengaging first safety measure." The console beeped a warning for the first time since it began the protocol.
Counting down each second that passed, bad feelings settle me. Just what is this project Olympus? Why did Walter wait until now to activate it?
"Dad… please tell her what you've done." Rachel pleaded, "You are hurt, so don't make this even worse on yourself. I don't want to see anyone get hurt anymore."
Suddenly, Walter lifted his face and looked at his daughter with empty eyes void of purpose, "I… I was so close, Rachel. If only you'd trust me and believe in me. I could have fixed everything, bring us back together."
"Dad…"
"You said you don't want to hurt anyone, but you hurt me… "
"— But I… I couldn't just let you…" Rachel was back on the verge of tears, and her father's next words broke her down completely.
"You are not my daughter… I don't even know who you are anymore."
Rachel immediately froze solid. As if it wasn't already worse enough, her knees almost gave out. I had to steady her waist with my arms just to keep her balance.
"You don't get to say that, Walter!" I hugged Rachel close, "Not when you weren't her father from the beginning. She should be the one saying that to you!"
"No…" His eyes downcast, he rose to his feet despite the cuffs restraining him at an angle that should have caused massive discomfort, maybe even dislocating his wrist, "I can't lose now. I did everything as he promised, and he'll make sure I am rewarded. That's why you are too late, daughter of Athena. The collapse can't be stopped anymore."
"The collapse? What actually have you done?" I questioned him just as the last-minute alert echoed. All safety measures had been disengaged.
"The skies will burn, daughter of Athena… The world as we know it is already doomed, but at last, I'll be reunited with my dear love."
His cryptic explanation left a really bad feeling in me… and then—
"…!"
An overwhelming intrusive instinct told me to jump as far away as possible. I could barely shove Rachel aside when a new voice zoomed between us.
"Yess… You'll join your wife now."
Horror settled on my face as I skidded back to my feet. Rachel and I were safe, but as quickly as she stumbled on the floor, her bloodcurdling screams reverberated. Those green eyes were glued to splatters of warm blood spraying everywhere. Her clothes and right cheek caught streams of fresh blood and left her stained crimson red.
Within a split second later, Rachel was staring into her father's wide eyes looking solely at the devil before him. Shocked and indignation plastered on her father's face as endless coughs soaked the floor below with fresh pools. The destructive impact had left him sputtering over his own blood.
"… W-Why-yy?"
The devil didn't reply. He snickered, then twisted forward his sword even deeper into his guts. With such a powerful momentum, his attack successfully slammed Walter's impaled body into the server tower like a cross. Walter grunted, electrical sparks discharged from the destroyed computer right into his mortal wound. No amount of recovery could help heal that now.
"I… I did as you asked…!"
Luke Castellan smirked, "Yes, you did. And what a beautiful job you've done."
"T-Then why…?"
"Don't be mistaken, Walter. This has always been your goal from the beginning, is it not? I am simply granting you that long wish. After all, you'll get to see your wife soon enough now."
My heart sank. The possibility that Walter once ignore came true in the end. His realization dawned like the climax of a stage play, "Noo… that's not what you promised me…"
"I promised you'd get to see your wife again, nothing more and nothing less." Luke gleamed, then he swiftly pulled out his blade and cut loose the cuffs, "And it seemed now I've fulfilled my end of the deal as well. Our partnership is now concluded."
At once, Walter's body sank like a heavy rock and collapsed forward on the bloody floor.
"No! Dad-dd!"
I rushed right away to grab Rachel back and kept her from recklessly diving right into the fray, "No Rachel… Stop! Don't…"
"Dad! Dad! Get up! Get back up…!" Her sobs were loud and clear, and her struggles even more so. I barely had enough to hold her back.
At once, Luke turned his joyous looks from Walter's motionless figure beneath his feet and cast his gaze on us. Blood dripping from his blade was wiped clean off while he sickly enjoyed drinking every last drop through his lips.
"Hello Annabeth," His bloody smile frightened me to the core, "Surprise to see me?"
Unable to help Walter, I held Rachel protectively as she began to sob in my arms and finally stop resisting, "Did you kill Percy?"
"Of course not," He laughed it off, "Take a look for yourself."
Following his gaze, I spotted Percy alive and well just like he said. However, he didn't look well from the fight at all, and more importantly, Percy was still facing off… with Luke standing in his path to me!
There was no mistaking it… There were suddenly two of them! Two Luke Castellan at the same time! I was completely at a loss and frightened by the chance of what this could mean. Soon enough, Luke gestured similarly at Percy and he caught his eyes with me above.
He immediately froze in shock.
"I bet you have a lot of questions about how I can be in two places at once, don't you?" As he spoke to me, his voice bounced off like static, seemingly resonating from two ends of a receiver.
I backed off slightly with Rachel, "Couldn't care less, Luke…"
But in my head, I was already trying to figure out just which one of them is the real one, or if neither versions were real at all. However, the worst-case scenario would be if both of them were genuine, then that would mean deep trouble for us.
"You've always been so cold, Beth." Luke shrugged and licked his sword slicked with blood, "Here I was hoping you'll be interested in asking how I managed this new trick. You are a daughter of Athena after all."
"Not one bit, Luke. I don't care if your body was split right down in the middle. You can go to hell or to the deepest trenches of some unknown darkest for all I care."
"Ouch…" He pretended to clutch his heart in pain.
Backing off another step, I tilted a quiet whisper to Rachel's ears while she clutched me tightly, "You've got to stick behind me. I don't know what's going to happen with him here, so stay sharp."
Though I wasn't too hopeful. Rachel just suffered the gruesome sight of watching her father being gutted by a sword. His lifeless body lying on a bloody pool right before her eyes couldn't have made it worse. Still, she nodded bravely and gripped the knife tightly with her right hand, the prism on the other.
Even though I couldn't fight to my full strength, I should still be able to protect her at the same time. I was truly stuck here with no other option anyway.
"But I'll admit. I love that stubborn and defiant attitude of yours." Luke aimlessly discard his sword and it clanked across the floor, "It makes your submission so much better to savor."
"You… You were waiting for me to open the gates, weren't you?" I said knowingly, "You had me think that Percy was stalling you to buy me time, but it's actually the other way around, wasn't it?"
He laughed.
"I expect no less from you." Luke clapped impressively, "Yes, you are completely correct. I used you to get rid of this barrier, and it worked flawlessly. Now, what do you think is about to happen?"
I immediately released my rapier and aimed forward at our main threat. My other hand went behind me to keep Rachel close but also to keep her at arm's length away from being taken.
"An explanation of your grand plan?"
Luke chuckled on purpose, "Sure, Beth. I'll tell you for old-time sake. I could guess you already knew about Project Olympus from Walter here."
Just as I hoped, he began to monologue, though it was nothing short of a feint to buy me some time. I carefully scanned the area. There was one item that caught my attention on my right, something that could be used to turn the tide in my favor so I could regroup with Percy.
"Well, it's simple really. Kronos wanted the destruction of the world, and his biggest threat is the Pantheon Gods on Olympus, so naturally, the goal would be to destroy Olympus."
"I doubt you can take on the combine powers of the Gods, Luke."
"Not in this form, no…" He shook his head, "But it's the modern world, there are plenty of things that could render destruction on a scale unimaginable. Can you guess what?"
My looks dropped at his insulation.
"Exactly." He read my expression, "After all, you've done the exact same thing to Brooklyn just a few days ago, didn't you?"
"You can't be serious…"
"Oh I am quite serious. And it was easy pulling the proper strings once I've gained his trust. Procuring it was only a matter of time and patience, both of which I have an abundance of."
Once I understood the dire situation facing the Gods, I couldn't help but imagine a new world where his plan was carried out to fruition.
"You are going to nuke Mount Olympus?"
"Great plan, is it not?"
Absolutely out of his mind, I couldn't waste any more time entertaining him. First, I needed to get as far away with Rachel as possible. Hopefully, we could regroup with Percy so to better our chances of survival, but even then, we still needed a plan to win.
"It's not going to work, Luke." I spoke with uncertainty and twisted my body, "The Gods wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for your trap."
"On the contrary, my cute little owlet," Luke passed a shit-eating gleam, "Their fate is already sealed the moment Walter initiated the protocol."
I readied my feet.
"Just like yours is fated to die right here, right now."
With all my heighten Half-Blood instinct guiding me, I immediately tilted my rapier to my right and jabbed with all my strength. A stack of canisters hissing fridge cold air while connected to a dozen tubes abruptly exploded.
"Jump!" I cradled Rachel and leaped out of the platform with the help of wind elements.
Narrowly escaping an arctic blast of white mist blowing up like a blizzard storm, the entire platform was now covered in a frost-icy hellscape. In the middle, a humanoid icicle stuck frozen in place, and on the sideline, there was another body encased on the floor as well, but there was no use being remorseful now.
I lifted Rachel's chin, "Are you okay?"
Barely able to look me in the eyes, she nodded timidly, "Y-Yeah-hh…"
"Let's go! That's not going to hold him for long."
Rachel glanced back one last time, then I helped her get up and immediately made our way down the half-leaning catwalk. She tried her best to keep up pace with me, then just when I was about to reach the stairs…
"Annabeth!"
Percy shouted my name. I switched my gaze over and saw him yelling frantically while fighting Luke standing in his way. I waved back and signal him that we were coming down, but instead of his reassurance, he looked absolutely desperate, almost as if he wanted to jump in between me and something creeping up from behind.
"NO! RUN AWAY NOW!"
Suddenly, I felt it… My palm holding Rachel's left hand twitched in alarm. A cold sweat overwhelmed every part of my body as his whispering voice echoed horrifyingly near my right ear, "Nice try, princess… but that cheap trick isn't going to work on me."
I immediately turned my head, but- couldn't…
It was too late.
My whole world was paralyzed by his fear.