What We Have Left

by Echoxenvy

In the zombie apocalypse, all Percy Jackson wants is something to fight for. When he meets Annabeth Chase, a lone survivor with a dark past, he thinks he may have found just that. Mortal AU.

8. Titanomachy

So I know last chapter left off on quite the cliffhanger, but in this one, all will be answered, and you'll see what happened to Percy.

Just letting you guys know, this chapter is a LOT. This is where the story truly kicks off, so get ready.

---

"Titanomachy"

-x-

Percy felt like he stood in a bad dream.

It was hard to process even the notion, let alone the fact that Mr. Brunner is working with Project Atlas. But the evidence sat right in his hands, his eyes skimming through heaps of proof.

There were so many letter copies documenting his experiments on not only the parasites themselves, but infected. It shocked Percy, because he never even saw Mr. Brunner take infected into camp, or into his room. It made him question his own sanity. How could such a thing go unnoticed? How long had he been doing this? Since the start?

Percy hadn't read even close to everything, but he'd seen enough to lose his trust in Mr. Brunner completely. Project Atlas hadn't done anything to him personally, but he never liked them. They were very mysterious, but he knew they held enough manpower to overthrow what was left of the government and insert themselves into that position. A group with that kind of ability that doesn't try to stop the apocalypse...can't be gracious and benevolent.

Grover stared at Percy, leaning against the shiny counter with a sour look on his face. "Sorry, man."

"What are you sorry for?" Percy asked distastefully, "You didn't do it. He did." With a snap of his arm, he threw the papers back onto the table. "And to think, all this time...I trusted him. I actually trusted him."

"I did too. He...fooled us all, I guess."

Even so, a small part of Percy still tried to argue, and tell him that there was more to this story. Not everything in here should be judged so quickly.

"Maybe there's a reason to all of this," He attempted, "What if he's being threatened by them? Or he's playing double agent to find out what they're up to?"

Grover didn't look convinced, but he shrugged for Percy's sake. "Maybe, man. Who knows for sure?"

Percy didn't know what to do next. He knew there was much more to dig through, and that maybe if he tried a little harder, he could find a sliver of the truth buried here. But at the moment, he felt sick. He just wanted to curl up in his bed and sleep for an entire day.

"We need to get out of here. Mr. Brunner might hear us."

Grover furrowed his eyebrows, "But there's more-"

"I know," Percy interrupted. "We'll come back tomorrow."

His friend didn't like the sound of that, but reluctantly nodded, agreeing to hold off an in-depth search of the lab. Together, as quietly as they entered, they exited the room, making sure everything they did was undone to not draw any suspicion. They turned the light off, shut the door, reset the code, put the paper that held the code options back in the desk drawer, put in the false bottom, and left the room as silent as a mouse. All without waking Mr. Brunner. Percy would be impressed with himself if he didn't hate everything about what he just learned.

For now, he'd have to sleep on it.

---

Percy didn't rest very long.

He got about six hours of sleep and woke up early in the morning to begin his camp duties. Today, it was a pretty easy load, compared to most. He already completed his walk through of camp to make sure everyone was doing what they needed to, from perimeter to the watchtowers to the shops, and report it all back to Mr. Brunner. The conversation was short and professional. Percy didn't bring anything up or even give off the notion that he'd snuck into his room last night, and Mr. Brunner didn't suspect a thing. Everything was as it should be on the surface.

But inwardly, Percy was freaking out.

He desperately tried to rationalize Mr. Brunner working for Project Atlas, but every time he tried, it still didn't make sense. The only thing that made sense was why he didn't want Percy to know about the room in the first place. He'd been keeping his true allegiance a secret for years, and if Percy found out, it was sure to cause a rebellion.

The thought of telling all the other residents crossed his mind at least twice today. He felt ashamed of it, but he wouldn't lie. The idea of banding together and demanding answers from Mr. Brunner sounded good at first thought, but as he pondered it more, it only saddened him.

At the moment, it clearly showed. After reporting back to Mr. Brunner, Percy took to the training area. A small, flat landed field of dirt and fence where campers could come and work on their fighting skills. He enjoyed swinging Riptide around and sparring others to improve his hand-to-hand combat. Over the years, he'd grown from the scrawny punk he once was into a powerful, lean, strong survivor that posed a formidable threat to anyone. Even Clarisse.

Most of the time, when they went at it, they were neck and neck, and produced some of the most legendary bouts Olympus had ever seen. As much as Clarisse mocked and made fun of Percy, there were times that even she had to admit he'd grown tremendously.

But today...it wasn't the case. The Mr. Brunner situation raced around his mind and kept him from being completely focused. Clarisse had been running circles around him for the past ten minutes, easily finding openings in his defense, hitting him in the chest, the face, the stomach, and even sweeping him off his feet one time. Percy just kept getting up and coming for more, his heart never into any of the half-assed attacks.

Finally, after a lame jab with Riptide, Clarisse backed up and lowered her spear, curling her lip at Percy in disgust.

"Alright, what's with you?"

"What?"

Clarisse groaned, "You heard me, runt. I asked what's with you? You've been out of it ever since we started." She let out a snort, "Sad cause' your new girlfriend left so soon?"

That got Percy's attention. His cheeks heated, "Shut up. Just keep going."

But she didn't. Clarisse frowned, and for the first time, her voice didn't have that prodding, rude edge to it. "I ain't fighting someone when their heart isn't in it. So, you might as well get it off your chest and tell me, or leave and give me another sparring partner."

That's exactly the problem, though. Percy can't tell her. He wants to. Oh, he wants to. But if he told Clarisse, then she'd spread the word like wildfire, and pretty soon, Olympus would go from a society to a fallen empire very quick. He didn't want to ruin it for everyone. He had to think about more than just himself here. This place was people's home, their safe haven from the infected. If that gets taken away...where will they go?

"It's just...recently I found out something. Something that changed everything I know about a person I like. I don't want to say anything, cause...well, it could ruin a lot more than just our relationship."

Clarisse thankfully wasn't catching on. She raised an eyebrow, "Is this about Rachel?"

"I'm not saying who it's about. But that's the reason. It's all I can think of."

She considered it for a moment. "Well, I don't know the ins and outs of it, but if it were me, I'd just face whatever it is head on."

"What?"

"Look. Nothing's going to get resolved if you just think about it like a little wimp. You have to take action and confront whatever it is. Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding, or maybe there's more to it than you thought."

Percy nodded slowly, a smile gracing his lips. "Huh. You know, that's actually not bad advice, Clarisse."

She scoffed, "Next time, I'm charging." She got into her stance and twirled her spear, "Now, are you going to man up and give it your all this time?"

He smirked, clutching Riptide with a firmer grip than before. "You bet."

---

After a few more hours, morning stretched into evening, and Percy finally decided to vent with Grover about his concerns.

But on the way to his room, he bumped into Rachel first. He hadn't even known it was her walking his direction in the hallway until he brushed shoulders with her, the scent of her red hair tickling his nostrils, and a sweet voice calling his name.

"Oh..." He stiffened, "Hey, Rach. What's up?"

She reared her head back in astonishment, "What's up? I've been looking all over for you, dude! Where've you been?"

"Uh, you know, just training, giving some reports to Mr. Brunner. Usual stuff."

"Oh, cool. How many more tasks do you have to complete?"

"I'm almost done for the day. Why?"

Rachel nervously grabbed onto her wrist and shrugged suggestively, "Oh, I don't know. I seem to remember a certain someone agreeing to a date tonight. Not sure if he remembers though..."

At first, Percy could only tilt his head at the antic. Huh? Date?

And then he remembered their conversation in the watchtower. He had technically agreed to a date, and forgotten all about it.

Now he felt horrible, because Rachel noticed that he was slowly remembering, and her face was lighting up in excitement. He had a hard choice to make. Shoot her down and work with Grover to find out more about Mr. Brunner's secret, or ignore that entirely and show Rachel a good time.

Percy felt like his mind was going to combust. He knew that it was only right to let go of his suspicions and hold up his agreement to Rachel, but even if he did, what would they do? He'd been so caught up in the secret room stuff, thinking that Grover lied to him, and Annabeth, that he didn't even think about Rachel once. Except of course when Travis asked that question yesterday, which made him question if he even liked Rachel in the first place.

Wait a second. Rewind. Did he just cite Annabeth as one of the reasons he didn't think about Rachel? Not good. So not good.

Seconds passed, and as time went on, Rachel's excitement melted, and she just stared as Percy battled within himself.

Just take her out, idiot!

Out where? Here? In the dorms? Face it, you haven't even begun to plan this date. You don't even know the first thing about dating!

She won't care what you do. It's the thought that counts.

But if you do this, you'll just be thinking about Mr. Brunner's lab the whole time, and how much you could be figuring out instead of being with Rachel...

But she's your sort of girlfriend. You have to.

No, you don't. You aren't even official yet.

Come on, just make a choice. Potential girlfriend, or the potential destruction of the camp.

Rachel. Fate of Olympus. Which is it, buddy?

The opposing thoughts kept going back and forth, playing a metaphorical game of ping pong that wouldn't end. Percy put a stop to it by steeling his heart and just coming out with the side that felt stronger to him. "Rachel...I can't do the date tonight."

Any trace of a smile she still had completely faded then. "W-Why?"

Percy sighed ruefully, "I'm so sorry. I just...got caught up in something unexpected with Grover. It's something we have to take care of."

It was hard to stay strong, because he noticed her green eyes getting watery, which made him immediately regret the decision. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

And that only made it worse. God, he didn't deserve her. Instead of getting mad and fussy, dismissing the concern with Grover, she only asks if it can wait. With that sad voice and puppy dog eyes, too. Percy began to question if he ever should've pursued Rachel in the first place. If he didn't, her feelings would be spared, and she probably would've found a guy that treated her better. Someone that kept their promises, gave her the attention she wanted, and didn't put their relationship second to fighting the apocalypse.

"It can't. Rach, I swear I'll make it up to you." He tried to take her hands in his, but she pulled them back, unable to look him in the eyes.

"You've said that before," She muttered.

"I know. You don't deserve it."

"It's just...I thought we had something special here, Percy. After all, it's been two years. I figured by now, we'd...well..."

"Be a thing?"

She nodded meekly, "Well, yeah."

Percy rubbed the back of his head, angry at himself for making her sad. "I know. It's absolutely nothing on your part, Rach, it's me. I've been an idiot. So focused on trying to fight the infected that I put you in second place." He chuckled, but it only held disdain, "I don't even know what you see in me, to be honest."

Rachel came forward and gently touched his arm, "But that's just it. Fighting back against the infected is a good thing. It's not something I should be upset about. I mean, of course you're going to think about that over a relationship. That's what I liked about you to start with." She removed her hand, "It's stupid of me to try and make you prioritize something so unimportant. There's literally flesh eating monsters roaming the planet for crying out loud."

Percy quickly grabbed her hands, this time, she didn't pull them away. Instead, she seemed a bit surprised by how intensely he reacted to her statement. "No, you're wrong. It's so much more important than you think. If we don't keep things from the old world intact, then we'll forget it entirely. Letting myself get caught up for these past three years, chasing a solution that may not even exist, in someone that...let's face it, doesn't exactly tell his followers everything-" His face darkened a shade at that, "-It's wrong. I've been wrong."

"Percy, it's okay-"

He shook his head, "No, it's not. Just...let me talk to Grover for a bit, and I'll take you on that date." Giving her hands a delicate squeeze, he smiled genuinely at her, "The apocalypse can wait until tomorrow."

Rachel teared up, her lip quivering into a wide grin that made Percy feel a little better about the situation. Nodding eagerly, she threw her arms around Percy, and he quickly returned the embrace. He'd done the right thing.

After a minute, they parted and promised to meet again later that evening. Percy headed towards Grover's room, trying to figure out how he would put it without upsetting his friend. Surely, he'd understand. It's not like they would just forget about it entirely, they were just delaying it until tomorrow.

He stopped in front of the door and knocked on it lightly, half-hoping that he wasn't in there.

But of course, he was. "It's open!"

Percy entered swiftly and closed the door behind him, standing awkwardly in the center of the room. Grover was reading a book on his bed. When he noticed Percy, he placed a bookmark in and sat it down. "Hey, bro. I was wondering when you'd come by. I've got a lot to tell you about...you know."

"Yeah," Percy swayed back and forth, "About that. Is there any way we can postpone that until tomorrow?"

"Postpone?"

"Yeah. I figured that lab will still be there, so we can just go back then. Sounds good, right? Okay, nice." He tried to leave before Grover could get a word in, but he was quick, jumping off the bed and blocking Percy's path.

"Woah, woah, woah. What happened to going back tonight?"

"I never said we'd go back tonight. I said we'd go back later. Big difference."

Grover scrunched his nose, using his hands to argue, "Uh, no. You specifically said we'll go back tomorrow. Like, Ver Batum. What changed?"

Percy didn't want to tell him it was Rachel, because he knew the response he'd get. Grover already got jealous from the time he spent with her anyway, so to hear that he was putting off their mission to go on a date with her would infuriate him.

But he couldn't lie. He was a bad liar, anyway. "It's Rachel."

Grover got fired up, beginning to groan audibly. "Now, before you say anything, I already promised her I'd take her on a date tonight before we discovered anything in that lab. So that agreement triumphs this."

"So you're just going to forget about what we saw back there? About the letter copies?"

"No, I said it can wait until tomorrow. Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, I'm hearing every word. And it sounds like you're seriously losing it, bro."

Percy was getting confused, and a bit annoyed. "Losing it? What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Brunner broke your trust. The man you've respected and thought of as a father figure all these years just betrayed you, and you're going to turn your head? For what? Some girl you barely even talk to anyway? Face it, you've lost your survival instinct. The Percy I know wouldn't even be thinking about Rachel. He'd want to get to the bottom of what's going on in that lab."

"I already told you. I'm not turning my head to anything, and I haven't lost my survival instinct. I'm just prioritizing the thing I should've prioritized since day one. A relationship, Grover. Something normal."

"Something you never had before all of this, right?" Grover mumbled coldly.

Percy raised his voice, "Hey, you never had that either! Don't go playing the loser card on me! We were in the same boat at Yancy, buddy!"

Grover got loud too. "Right, and yet here I am, completely focused on the safety of this camp! Me, not you!"

"Are you forgetting the past three years? If I recall right, I've saved your ass hundreds of times. If it weren't for me, you'd be dead! You never had the guts to take on the apocalypse by yourself, and you're saying that I lost my edge?"

That one visibly hurt Grover, and Percy wanted to punch himself for it. He wasn't even thinking. The words, they just slipped out before he could stop them.

Then Grover fired back, "Are you forgetting what happened to your mom?! What the infected have done to you?!"

At that, the fire in Percy's heart rose, causing him to get in Grover's face, a finger on his chest.

"Don't bring that up. Ever. You know not to bring that up with me."

For a moment, the tension was so strong, Percy thought the room might begin burning around them and they wouldn't even notice. It surprised him. He and Grover had their little spats before, but nothing this heated. Had he not noticed a change in his best friend or something? Had something really made him snap with this whole lab thing? Why was he so passionate about it?

Thankfully, the heat in the air cooled. Grover broke the glaring contest between he and Percy, sighing. "What are we doing? You and I are best friends, man, we can't be arguing like this."

Percy nodded, "I know. I'm sorry for what I said."

"Yeah, me too."

Silence. Percy tried to think of something to say, or a subject change to make Grover feel better, to make the situation more lighthearted. The first thing that popped into his mind came out of his mouth, though it probably shouldn't have been said. "So...you said you wanted to tell me something about the lab?"

Grover lifted his head, and all anger was gone. It worked, but now Percy had to again, entertain the thing he wanted to avoid most.

"Yeah. I came up with a plan to get us back in there before nightfall. This time, we won't have to go while Mr. Brunner's asleep." Grover smirked, "And hey, if we make it quick, you can do this and still go on your date with Rachel."

A way to make both work? Percy was all ears.

"Go on."

"Okay, so this plan's actually going to start in a few minutes. Earlier, I talked with the Stoll twins about creating a diversion by using Clarisse. Obviously, once I mentioned her, they asked for payment, so I promised a few items of mine, some tradeoffs and rest days. They asked me what it was all for, so I made something up, blah blah blah..."

Percy rolled his hand in a circle, "Get to the point."

"Right. Anyway, I got them to agree to starting a fight with Clarisse. Once it breaks out in the next minute or so, Mr. Brunner will leave his office to break it up and sort things out. That's our opportunity to sneak back into the lab."

"And you got Clarisse on board with this?"

"No. She has no idea."

Percy snickered, "Do the Stoll twins know that?"

Grover smiled sheepishly, "Uh...no, they don't. And please don't tell them. It has to look as real as possible."

"Dude, you're going to get them beat up."

"Hey, they deserve it after stealing my reed pipes over and over again!"

Percy laughed, "I guess. But hey, why couldn't we just sneak back in during the night like before? It worked, you know."

"Yeah, but I kind of get the feeling that Mr. Brunner knows something's up. He's been in his office all day, and I mean all day. Usually, he'll at least leave once or twice to go use the bathroom, but he hasn't even done that. I think he's guarding the secret door."

Crap. Percy should've known that he'd be onto them. Nothing gets past the old man.

"Okay, so the diversion is our best option now. But how will he know about the fight? He won't be able to hear what's going on from these dorms."

Grover lifted a devious finger, "Ah, but he will once I alert him. And I'm too scrawny to break it up myself, so he'll have no choice but to go. That'll be your cue. You remember the code, right?"

"Yeah. 20793." Percy surprised himself. He couldn't remember a single math equation he studied for on a test, but he could remember the combination to a secret lab containing evil parasites. Go figure.

"Nice," Grover said, "Stay in here, and I'll go alert Mr. Brunner. If I'm correct, the fight should be starting right about now. Once you see him come past my room, high tail it to his office and get in the lab. I'll be right behind you."

Percy figured it was okay to go through with it. He sort of didn't have a choice, since Grover forced this on him and devised a plan behind his back. But hey, as long as they got this done before nightfall, he could still go on that date with Rachel and take out two birds with one stone. Win-win.

So he agreed to it, "Sounds good."

He gave Grover an encouraging fist bump. The smaller man took off down the hall, leaving Percy in anticipation.

While he stood hidden behind the door, he blocked out any doubts about doing this, forming a mental barrier to keep everything out that didn't involve the plan. This was for the safety of the camp. If Mr. Brunner was doing something dangerous, they had to figure out what it was. For all they knew, it could be a matter of life or death.

After a minute or so, Percy began hearing footsteps. They approached, then figures matched their beat. Grover first, who came running faster than when he flees from infected, and then Mr. Brunner not far behind, wobbling rather quickly on his crutches.

Percy peered into the hallway and watched Mr. Brunner's form get smaller and smaller. He smirked. Now.

The beeline to that office lasted less than the wait for Grover and Mr. Brunner. Percy was told to make this quick, and he intended on delivering. It took little time to reach the room and slip past the doors. He unlocked the fake bookcase and entered the door's code like a routine he'd performed a hundred times. He imagined this was how Mr. Brunner felt.

Before he even entered the lab, his hand found the light switch and flipped it. In less than a millisecond, the room became clear. Only one problem. Everything they saw last night was gone.

Not a trace remained. The vials of green liquid on the center table, along with the dead parasites, the live parasites in containers, the papers, the letter copies, the folders, everything...vanished. It looked like a completely new room. The tables glinted silver from the ray overhead, not a scratch or a mark on them.

As far as Percy saw, there weren't any closets or drawers that Mr. Brunner could hide everything in. So what did he do with all of it? Burn it? Toss it? If so, when? Could he really have snuck past the kids on watchtower duty to dispose of evidence?

Unless he got rid of it inside the walls. But how? That seemed impossible. With as many residents as this place has, it's hard to do anything without someone knowing.

Then again, nobody knows about this secret room. Mr. Brunner could just be that good at keeping things locked in.

For a minute straight, Percy wasted time in standing at the center of the room, staring at the floor, frozen. He had no idea what to do next, or where to begin. He thought about looking around for any secret compartments, but he knew that would take up too much time. The diversion would only give him ten minutes tops, and that wasn't nearly enough time.

Deciding anything was worth a shot, he got on his knees and began feeling the floor with his hands, rubbing them around in circles to see if he could locate any rough spots that could be a latch to a trapdoor. Anything. If this didn't work, then he'd try the walls next, and if that didn't work...he guessed they would just have to forget about it.

He'd barely started when he heard footsteps coming back down the hallway, a voice pleading for someone to stop.

Percy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. That's Grover...and Mr. Brunner, coming this way.

He had no time to run or hide. Before he knew it, Mr. Brunner stood in the doorway of the lab, a terrified Grover behind his shoulder, looking between the older man and his best friend like a fight would break out. And judging by the flashing looks on Mr. Brunner's face, he was teetering on the idea.

Percy stood, and remained speechless. For a moment, all was silent, while the two stared at each other in disbelief.

Finally, Mr. Brunner let out a pained breath, "Percy..." Was all he said.

He wanted to say a thousand things to his mentor. Ask a thousand questions. But only one seemed to surface first, seemingly out of randomness. "Where's the stuff?"

Mr. Brunner didn't say anything. He still couldn't believe it. Grover looked like he might pass out from the building tension.

"Where's the stuff?" He repeated, "The papers. The letters to Project Atlas, the parasites, the weird vials of that green goo? It was here last night."

Mr. Brunner broke the gaze and hobbled over to one of the tables, leaning on it. "I...should have known. I suspected you would try...but I never would've thought Grover too."

Instead of immediately putting the rightful blame on Grover for pushing him into it, he lied. "I made him. He didn't want to, but I talked him into tagging along. It's...my fault. Blame me."

"I don't blame you," he sighed, shaking his head, "How could I? You're young and curious. I completely understand. But...for your own good, I really wish you didn't do this."

"Why? What's going on, Mr. Brunner? Why have you been working with Project Atlas? Why are you keeping parasites dead and alive in here? Tell us the truth."

Mr. Brunner shifted so he was fully leaning on the table now with his entire body. The man looked like he was aging as the time passed, ten years every second, his eyes and skin withering away from exhaustion. Percy wasn't sure what was going through his head, but he knew it must've been overwhelming.

Grover piped up; his voice hoarse. "D-Did you know we snuck in last night? Is that why all the stuff's gone?"

"I suspected. Some of the papers had been moved and messed with a bit. Given the context, I figured it might've been Percy. I just wasn't sure how he figured out the code."

"Saw the false bottom. Knew you used invisible ink. I'm not as dumb as I seem."

"I didn't imply you to be dumb, my boy-"

"Don't call me that!" Percy yelled, "Don't talk to me like what we had is still there! It's not! You lied to me! To us! You've been working with Project Atlas for who knows how long! And what's worse, you've been stowing the enemy away in here, doing experiments on them!"

"I never meant for you to find out. I truly didn't. This...gods, this was the last thing that I wanted to happen. I thought if I could do it on my own, I could atone for what I did in the arctic."

"Do what on your own?! Tell me!"

He still didn't budge. Percy clenched his fists, nodding with his eyes narrowed.

"Alright, then. I'll tell you what. If you don't tell us the truth about what's been going on back here, then I'm done. I'm leaving Olympus for good."

Grover's mouth dropped, "Percy!"

"I'm serious." He crossed his arms, "I've always believed in you. Trusted you. I thought...that you trusted me too. But I guess I was wrong. I can't be here if even now, you won't talk."

Mr. Brunner's eyes were getting watery, his face slack with conflict. Percy could tell he was just one nudge away from fessing up, but something still held him back. He'd give him ten more seconds, and if nothing came out of his mouth, Percy was packing his things and heading out. He'd think about what to do and where to go from there.

To leave his home of three years...his friends...it broke his heart. But he just couldn't do it if this was how it was going to be. If everything was a lie.

A word began to form on Mr. Brunner's tongue, but it was interrupted and cut short by another figure rapidly approaching the lab. All three sets of eyes fell on Beckendorf, breathing heavily and sweating in the doorway, his eyes wide.

Percy's anger got pushed to the side for a second upon seeing his friend. "Beckendorf?"

Mr. Brunner tried to block the view of the lab with his body, "You aren't supposed to be back here, Charles! What is the matter with you?"

"Sorry, sir...it's just..." Beckendorf tried to get the words out, but his breath couldn't catch up, "...trucks. A bunch of trucks pulled up outside. All with the letter A painted on the side."

Percy, Grover, and Mr. Brunner all simultaneously entered a state of fear and shock. Everyone formed the name in their thoughts, but only Mr. Brunner spoke it.

"Project Atlas. They know." His breathing speed increased, "Oh gods, they know!"

Percy was even more confused than ever before. "Know what?"

But Mr. Brunner paid no attention. He'd entered his own world of petrification and paranoia, having a near panic attack right in front of everyone. "Charles, go back out there and try to stall them! Talk as much as you have to! Get the others to help!" When Beckendorf only stared at Brunner, he roared, "NOW!"

Beckendorf took off, while Mr. Brunner began pacing the room, looking for something in the floor. "They know. I don't know how they know, but they know. This is bad, this is very bad. This is the worst possible scenario..."

Percy and Grover shared a look of absolute perplexion. Neither had a clue what was going on.

"What are you talking about?" Percy tried getting closer to Mr. Brunner, "Hey! What's going on?! Why is Project Atlas here?!"

No response, just more incoherent mumbling.

Reaching his boiling point, Percy grabbed Mr. Brunner by the collar of his shirt and forcibly tugged him forward, so they could face each other. "HEY! TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW!"

Mr. Brunner immediately latched on to Percy's shoulders, squeezing them with a surprisingly strong grip. "Percy, there isn't much time. You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. For the past three years, I've been working on a cure in secret. Those vials of green liquid you saw last night? That's it. That's the foundation for the cure."

Percy's expression changed so rapidly it almost gave him whiplash. He went from enraged to thunder struck in a flash.

"B-But-"

Mr. Brunner was on a roll. "I created it by experimenting on the parasites themselves. Knowing that they thrive in the cold, I conducted research in seeing what would happen if you exposed them to intense heat. At first, they died quickly and even burst into flames. But over time, I learned that more results came with a gradual approach. I placed them under a heater for weeks and weeks, every day, I would increase the temperature just a notch. Over time, the parasites adapted to the heat and their entire body composition changed. Even their blood. What was born...was a different kind of parasite. One that is in direct opposition to the original creatures that came to Earth. When faced with each other, cold and warm, both would attack each other, completely blood lusted. It was fascinating. The original didn't even consider the new, adapted parasite to be one of its own."

Percy could hardly keep up. He wanted answers, but he didn't expect any of this. Mr. Brunner spoke so fast and urgently, his brain was having trouble processing a sentence long past. Cure...adapting parasites...it was all being jumbled.

Mr. Brunner let go of Percy and bent down to the floor again, this time, finding the secret hatch that Percy suspected sat in here. It was a small, square space, housing only a large briefcase, and a thick journal. He didn't pick that up, only the briefcase, handing it to Percy.

"Open it."

Percy did. Inside, sat the vials of green liquid. About thirty of them, sitting neatly in rows, stabilized by soft Styrofoam, like a package.

"Is this..."

"It's the blood of the adapted parasites. That's the foundation for the cure, Percy. It's lethal to the originals. It kills them almost instantly if they come in contact with it. If this can be developed into a vaccine...well, we wouldn't be able to save infected that have been that way for years or months, since the host would be malnourished and die immediately of starvation or thirst. But as far as people that have turned within hours, days, or even up to three weeks...it would work on all of them. We could preserve humanity this way. Not a single person more has to become these monsters."

A cure. Percy actually held the cure for the infection. A weapon to use against the evil invaders. His guess was right. Mr. Brunner...was working on a cure. Just thinking of the word in the context of their environment made it sound magical.

As he thought about it and took in the explanation, Percy's face began to light up with hope. "We wouldn't have to kill hosts anymore. With this...we could actually get rid of the parasites inside somebody without killing them!"

Mr. Brunner nodded, "Granted, this blood inside of somebody's system will make them sick for a day or two. But aside from a fever and a headache...I can't see it being worse than that. I haven't tested it on anybody because it's not one hundred percent complete."

Percy just shook his head, careful not to shake or move the briefcase in any way. "But this is amazing! Why would you keep something like this a secret?"

"Because it's hard to find trustworthy people in this new world. Project Atlas has spies and agents everywhere. I figured...one of them could be here. And judging by the sudden arrival of the trucks outside, I'd say I was right to be suspicious."

"But why would they come here for this? Do they want to steal it?"

"Yes, but not to use for themselves. To destroy it. They don't want a cure because it goes against their goal of using the infected for their own gain. If there are less people being turned, the worse it is for their cause."

"Wait, what? They actually want people to turn? Why?"

"I don't know. But the point is, me having this is a death sentence. The reason you found letters from them and vice versa was because I tricked them. Ever since the beginning, I've unfortunately been caught in their web. Being the only surviving member of the team that found the parasites, they wanted to use my knowledge, but I tried to get away. It...didn't work. They always found me. So at one point, I decided to play along, pretending to do experiments for them. I suppose my time had to run out eventually."

This was too much. Percy couldn't handle all of the information, the revelation. He was still coming to terms with the fact that he held the foundation for a cure. A cure. Something he's dreamed about countless times.

Grover cleared his throat nervously, "Guys...we should probably get out there. Who knows what Project Atlas will do if they think you're running? They might destroy the entire place."

Mr. Brunner closed his eyes, nodding. "Of course, Grover. Just give me one moment." Giving Percy the most sincere, intense look he'd ever seen from the old man, he held his shoulders again and spoke clearly, hanging on every word.

"Percy Jackson, I need you to listen to me. If you ever pay attention to anything I say, please let it be this." He took in a shaky breath, "If anything happens to me out there with these agents...I need you to promise me that you'll guard this cure with your life, and deliver it to the HRM."

A tightness in his chest began to form. His throat got dry. "Why are you saying that? Nothing's happening to you, Mr. Brunner."

"Don't speak. Just listen." Mr. Brunner's tone brokered no argument. Quickly, he shut the briefcase lid and continued, "Take this and put it in your backpack. Take Riptide and whatever other supplies you can gather from your room. I'll try to distract Project Atlas long enough for you to find some way of escape. If you can manage, run as fast as you can away from here and don't look back. Do you understand me? Nod if you do."

Percy felt like he was going to cry for some reason. Everything was happening so fast. Everything was changing in the blink of an eye. He managed to nod.

"Good. I need you to do whatever it takes to assure that this does not fall into their hands, or anyone else's, period. Do not trust a stranger with it, do not trust a friend, a lover, or even Grover with it. Nobody but you may hold it. Nod if you understand."

Percy nodded.

"I mentioned the HRM. It means 'Human Restoration Military.' A large, secretive group that rivals Project Atlas in size and power. Their leader is a man named Will Solace, a medical prodigy and a good friend of mine from back in the day. He has the ability to turn this into a vaccine. I'm confident in that. I need you to deliver this to him as fast as possible so he can get started on the process. Their base is located underground in Miami. Where exactly? I unfortunately don't know the specifics, but there are soldiers of the HRM everywhere in that city, so if you look around with caution, you'll find someone. Nod if you understand."

Percy nodded.

Mr. Brunner paused to look at Percy. Really look at him. His eyes twinkled with pride, and his hands came up from his shoulders to cup his face. A smile broke out underneath his beard, and Percy felt a strange sense of comfort and familiarity that he hadn't felt in a long time. It reminded him of his father.

"I'm proud of you, my boy. I know you're going to be successful in this. You've always wanted to help save the world from this horrible tragedy, so here's your chance. You wanted my trust? Well, here it is. I trust you. If I could do it myself, I would, because it's only right that I finish what I started. But in a few minutes...I'll likely be taken prisoner, or more than likely, killed. I have no choice but to give the task to someone else."

Breaking the warm grip, Percy felt a chill come over him, like his life support had been snatched away. Mr. Brunner gave him one last grim look, raising a finger to emphasize. "Remember what I said. Don't look back."

And like before, all Percy could do was nod. He didn't have the chance to say all the things he wanted to say, or plead with Mr. Brunner to not go, but it was too late. He was already out the door and going to face the music.

Only he and Grover remained, the latter's eyes darting from Percy's face to the briefcase containing the cure.

"W-We'd better go, Perce. Wouldn't want it all to be a waste, right?"

"It's a cure," Percy said, "It's...actually a cure, Grover. Can you believe it?"

"I know. It's...unreal. I can't believe Mr. Brunner actually pulled it off. I guess you were right this entire time to put so much faith in him."

Percy did his best to push his feelings aside, putting the duty placed on him first. If Mr. Brunner actually got taken, or died out there, he couldn't let it be in vain. He will escape. He will guard the cure with his life. He will deliver it to Miami.

Just like his old saying. Act first, think later. He has to act now to fulfill his promise, and think later to mourn those left behind. Those he'd probably never see again.

Nodding to himself, he walked towards the lab door and out of it, making a path from the office out into the hallway, Grover following close by his side.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am. We're a team, man. I know I'm not the strongest, or the smartest survivor. But I'll have your back out there no matter what."

"It's too dangerous. I can't let you be a part of it." Huh. He was starting to understand why Mr. Brunner kept the whole thing a secret. He just wanted to protect everyone.

"Really?" Grover protested, "You're gonna go on your own now? After all we've been through together?"

By now, they'd reached Percy's room. He made quick work of grabbing a backpack from his closet, strapping Riptide to it, some spare clothes and other supplies, and picking out what he really needed.

Percy focused on deciding what to take, but half of him still paid attention to Grover. "I'm gonna miss you, man. I really am. But I just can't let you go. I wouldn't forgive myself if you got killed helping with something that I'm supposed to do."

"But..."

The tremble in his voice caught Percy's attention. He glanced up at Grover to see a tear falling down his cheek. "...you're my only friend. I-I can't do this without you, man. You were right before. You've saved my ass so many times, I just don't have what it takes to survive on my own, even here."

Percy finished packing his things and stood up to face Grover, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't say that man. What I said before wasn't true. You're smart and loyal. If Project Atlas chases me, they'll leave this place, and you can be safe here."

But Grover still fought tooth and nail to accompany him, which only made it hurt more. It was already bad enough that he had to leave Grover behind, but to continuously have to tell him no? A nail drove into his heart with every rejection.

"Just listen! Listen for a second! I can do this, Perce. I can go with you and I won't get in your way. Let me prove it to you right now! I'll take the briefcase and sneak out while you cover me if anything happens! You're the better fighter, anyway!"

That made Percy stop dead in his tracks. He tilted his head and studied Grover, putting his mind on something that he should've been thinking of sooner.

If Mr. Brunner kept that room and the cure a secret all this time because he thought Project Atlas had spies within the camp...and Project Atlas is showing up literally the day after we snuck in...that could only mean either me, Grover, or Mr. Brunner alerted them, assuming nobody else in the camp knows too. It wasn't Mr. Brunner, and it certainly wasn't me...

"Grover, why do you want the briefcase?"

Grover blinked, "S-So I can prove to you that I'll be useful! That I can go with you!"

Percy knew he was lying. His stuttering was the biggest tell, and his voice went in a higher pitch.

But no...no, it couldn't have been Grover. He would never do that.

He couldn't think about it right now. Too much was going on. Time was only running out, and he needed to get safely away from here with the cure before Project Atlas wises up.

To throw Grover off for good, he shook his head and gave a stern, "It's not happening." With that, he stormed past him and made way for the dorm entrance.

Dread filled his entire being walking towards that door. Through the glass, he could already make out the entire scene. Every resident of Olympus stood grouped together in the courtyard, facing Project Atlas, who held less numbers, but wore armor and had better weapons. Their trucks were parked behind the gates, and they stood in front of the walls, lined up in a thick formation with their fingers on the triggers, leaving no room for escape or exit. Unless Percy climbed the wall completely exposed...he didn't think he'd be able to pull off the disappearing act.

He came out of the dorms and got a better look at them. They hadn't changed since the last time he encountered that soldier in the city a while back. They still wore that SWAT-like gear, with their helmets and their guns, their unified movements and military mimicking format. However, there was one figure he didn't recognize. Different from the rest. A taller man wearing heavier, more protective metal armor with a skull design on his helmet. Strapped to his back wasn't a gun, but a large flamethrower. He stood in front of Mr. Brunner, who seemed to be addressing him.

Getting closer, he began hearing the conversation a bit clearer.

"-ust understand that we have no problem with you searching the premises. Your concerns are valid, and we won't get in your way. But I assure you, there is no cure here, or anything that would upset you, Hyperion."

That must've been the man's name. Hyperion. Percy recognized that from Greek myth. If he remembered right, that was one of the titans. And Atlas...that was a titan too. The guy that supposedly held up the sky. Percy wondered if there was a connection there between the man's name and the title of the organization.

Hyperion spoke, his voice clearly being augmented by the armor. "I know what you're doing, Chiron. You're trying to stall me while one of your underlings sneaks away with the cure. We've gotten confirmation that it's here. There's no need in continuing to play possum."

Percy could only imagine what was going through everyone's heads right now. The residents probably had no idea what was going on, or why they were talking about a cure. He could see it on many people's faces, especially the new ones. Utter confusion, murmuring to each other, trying to make sense of it. Clarisse was involved in it, Michael Yew, Beckendorf, Silena, the Stoll twins, all talking to someone with hushed tones.

Except Rachel. He caught the sight of her red hair at the opposite end of the crowd, looking around for someone. Likely him. Which...only made him feel worse about this entire thing.

Mr. Brunner apparently didn't say anything to Hyperion's claim, so the armored man got firmer. "Don't make me do something we'll all regret, old man. If you give the cure up now, we'll take it and be on our way. No one has to die. But if you keep playing games with me..." His fingers twitched, like he was itching to grab that flamethrower and torch everyone in front of him. "...everyone gets burned. And I'll start with you."

There were several gasps and whispers of fear, but Mr. Brunner remained surprisingly calm. Percy figured he must've prepared for this situation.

"I'm telling you the truth, my friend. And even if there were such a thing here? How would you know? What proof do you have?"

Hyperion chuckled, his head scanning the crowd slowly, "We have several moles inside several places. Including this camp." His head stopped its osculation at a place dangerously close to Percy. Hyperion raised a gloved finger and pointed. "There he is, right there. Grover Underwood gave us the message last night."

Every head in the vicinity snapped towards Grover, who stood not ten feet from Percy. With all the attention and rising hatred being sent towards him, he shook, eyes jumping from person to person.

Percy didn't even feel angry, or sad. He didn't feel anything other than pure shock. In that moment, he looked at his friend and realized that this entire time...he never really knew him. Everything made sense now. Why Grover was so passionate about getting in that secret room. Why he urged sneaking in, and going back in the first place.

Why just a few minutes ago, he tried to coerce Percy into giving him the cure.

Grover's eyes found Percy. They were welling up with tears. His best friend tried to shake his head, but he could hardly move from the trembling. Percy just stared at him as if he were a stranger.

Hyperion kept going, "He's a reliable source. Been a good boy for the past year or so, giving little tidbits of information here and there, all verified and proven. So this is no different. If he says there's a cure, there's a cure." Giving into his urge, the armored agent reached behind him and whipped out the flamethrower, holding it at the ready. "Now, I'll give you one last chance. Hand it over."

Everything fell still and silent. A cool breeze soared past the camp and back into the sky. With the sun setting in the background, giving the atmosphere a perfect orange glow...it almost looked like a perfect ending to another day. Percy found it ironic.

Then, it happened. Mr. Brunner didn't budge. Nobody did. Even though Hyperion wore a mask, Percy could practically see the decisive switch to his demeanor.

"I see. You've made your choice."

He pulled the trigger. A pillar of fire erupted from the end of the flamethrower and engulfed Mr. Brunner. Bloodcurdling screams could faintly be heard under the roar of the flame. Within seconds, the man Percy respected more than anyone was reduced to a pile of melted flesh and ashy remains.

---

After disposing of Mr. Brunner, the other agents behind Hyperion fired their weapons, too.

What came next...was a massacre. A catastrophe unlike anything Percy had ever seen. Worse than any nightmare or scenario he could think of. So many people died instantly, killed and mowed down by a volley of bullets, all shot simultaneously.

The lucky ones that happened to be out of the way ran for their lives. Most of them hid, some went to get weapons and fight back, while a few just froze up on the ground, praying towards the sky for mercy.

Percy ran.

Even with the newly equipped gear, it wasn't hard for the adrenaline to give him an extra boost in sprinting towards Beckendorf's shop. Percy slipped in between the backside of it and the wall, which offered a five-foot gap. Sitting there, he thought over his options. To think they could win this fight would be delusional. Even with weapons, the campers fighting back were still getting killed, simply because they were overpowered. These agents had years of experience on them, rarely missing a shot. Every friendly face he'd come to know over the years of living here was quickly being wiped out.

Percy also considered climbing the wall. But he's tried before just to see if it'll work, and it never has. The metal is too refined and smooth, thanks to Beckendorf and his team. They wanted it to look as nice as possible.

Whatever he decided, he needed to act on it fast. With the population of Olympus dwindling, and the cure vulnerable, the risk only went higher and higher.

Mr. Brunner...he's dead. He's actually dead. And Rachel...I don't even know where she is. She's probably dead too.

He knew Mr. Brunner shouldn't have trusted him with the cure. He thought he had what it took, but now he realizes he doesn't. Someone that did wouldn't be sitting here mulling over their thoughts, or hesitating for even one second. They'd take the chance and run for it.

But no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't. His legs were jelly, his resolve crushed by what lie before him. For the first time, the reality of the burden of taking on the apocalypse alone hit him. It wasn't just a dream or a hope anymore. It wasn't just some promise that he made in naivety, it was actually happening. And now that he's faced with it...he can't even move.

Some hero he was.

"Percy!" A voice called, "Percy!"

A hand grabbed onto Percy's shoulder, snapping him away from his trance. He looked beside him to see Grover on one knee, urgently tugging on his sleeve.

"Come on, we've gotta get you out of here!"

Suddenly, Percy forgot all about his fears. That fire that once sat in his heart burst into flames again, heating up his entire body. Grover never saw the punch coming. All four knuckles on Percy's hand connected with his ex-friend's jaw, knocking his head back and crumpling him to the ground.

His lip started to bleed, but Percy didn't care in the slightest. He jumped on top of him to finish the job, but decided to hold off so he could get answers. With his fist raised in the air, he began hissing questions at Grover. "Project Atlas?! For a year! Why, Grover?! Why the hell would you betray everyone?!"

He looked up at Percy in terror, not even bothering to wipe his busted lip. "I didn't want to! They made me!"

"When?" Percy growled, "When did they contact you first?"

"A year ago, in the city. Remember when you and I made that supply run where we got separated? It was then. They forced me to be a spy, Percy. I didn't want to do it!"

"But you still did."

"I...I know. I'm sorry. They..." His lip quivered, "...don't just kill you if you disobey. It's worse than that. They turn you. Make you into an infected. And I can't become one of them, Percy. I just can't."

Percy tightened his raised fist, ready to just unleash on Grover in that moment and beat him to a bloody pulp for causing this. If he didn't notify them...maybe Mr. Brunner would still be alive. Maybe everyone would be alive.

It was Grover's fault.

No...if he's being honest with himself, it's his fault. For not noticing. For not asking or somehow figuring it out. If he did, they could've worked on breaking him free from their grasp together. But instead, Grover had to go through it alone.

Knowing and admitting that didn't quell the anger, though. "And what did you think we...I would do to you if I found out?"

Grover sniffed, "I-I figured you guys would banish me from Olympus. Or worst-case scenario, kill me. But never turn me."

Percy wanted to keep beating him, perhaps even kill him, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew Grover for so long, and they'd been through so much together even before the apocalypse...killing him wouldn't be right. It would leave a mark within Percy's heart that couldn't be erased or forgotten.

So he sighed and got off of him, refusing to face his confused gaze.

"Well, you've got it right. I am banishing you from my life. You and I...we're done. If you somehow survive this and escape, don't follow me or contact me again. If you do, well, I won't be in the sparing mood next time."

"Percy...please."

"Goodbye, Grover."

Not another word was said. Percy didn't look back at him, and Grover didn't try to argue or appeal to him any further. For all he knew, he just ran away and left entirely. He didn't really care at this point.

Percy peered out from behind the shop to look at the state of Camp now. Project Atlas had finished off the courtyard and the last of the resisting residents, walking over a pile of bodies and standing before Hyperion, who was just ten feet from the dorms entrance.

"Listen up!" He barked, "I want every inch of this place, and the dorm complex searched! Check every single nook and cranny until you come up with something! I will stay behind with three others to search the bodies! The rest of you, go!"

The agents acted immediately, piling into the complex like a mob. Hyperion remained behind and swatted his finger in three different directions, ordering a few agents to begin searching the bodies. Percy glared at the armored man. No remorse whatsoever. He burned Mr. Brunner without even a second thought. That's who he's dealing with here. People that have killed so much, it's like second nature to them.

Ducking behind the shop again, Percy tried to come up with a plan. Now that the brunt of the agents was inside, only four remained out here. It gave him a better chance of making a run for it. The gates were still open, so if he went now, he might be able to avoid attention.

Just as he started though, something blocked his path.

Percy bumped into solid steel. A large hand wrapped around his neck and squeezed with lethal force. Hyperion had caught him.

Up close, the man was even more intimidating. He towered over Percy, either from natural height, or from a boost in the armor. Even so, it didn't matter. He was a walking killing machine. With his size and protection, he virtually had no weak spots. He might be slower than the average survivor, but with that flamethrower, he can use a long-ranged attack without breaking a sweat.

Percy tried to beat his wrist so he would let go, but he might as well have been punching an oak tree. Hyperion's hand never even budged. With a simple shift of his position, the agent tossed Percy in the air like a sack of potatoes.

He fell hard on his back but broke the fall well to ease the shock. Using the momentum of the throw, he flipped onto his feet and unsheathed Riptide from his backpack. Hyperion's armor pretty much cancelled out any attempt he could make with the sword, though. Hell, even a gun probably wouldn't work.

But it was all Percy had. He wasn't going to give up and die a coward. Or die at all and let the cure get into their hands. He'd find a way to take this guy down.

Hyperion turned to face Percy, sizing him up. "Percy Jackson. Grover mentioned you a few times as a formidable opponent, should our organization ever cross paths with this settlement." The agent chuckled, "Got to say, I don't see it."

"Come a little closer. You'll see it then."

"I admire your confidence. It'll take all you can muster to stand against me." By now, the three other agents noticed what was going on, and came over with their guns raised at Percy. But Hyperion put up a hand, "Stand down. I'll take care of this."

Percy gulped. Well, at least that bought him some time. He wouldn't get shot without a fighting chance. But now...he actually had to fight this guy. And if that throw from before told him anything...he wasn't even in the same league.

Hyperion threw his flamethrower to the side, motioning for Percy to come at him. "Come, Jackson. It's been a long time since I've killed another man with my own two hands."

Despite every instinct he had screaming at him not to do it...Percy charged anyway.

He went at Hyperion quick, bringing down Riptide against his chest with a strong swipe. If it were any normal person, they would be cleaved in half right about now. But with this guy, it just clanged against his armor and bounced off harmlessly, not even making a dent.

Hyperion tried swinging at him, but his movements were too slow. Percy managed to duck and weave out of the way from being grabbed, every now and then delivering strong stabs and slashes. All to no effect. For a minute or so, they continued like that in a stalemate. Hyperion couldn't get ahold of him, and Percy couldn't damage Hyperion. Nothing was being accomplished on either side.

Finally, Percy thought of a different technique. Instead of using the sharp end, he used the blunt end at the bottom of Riptide's handle to bash against Hyperion's helmet, likely the weakest part of his armor. To his surprise, it actually worked in stumbling him for a moment.

Percy's eyes found the flamethrower he'd tossed aside. Hyperion may think of this as some hand-to-hand duel, but Percy wasn't going to abide by any unspoken rules. He was fighting for his life here.

Tossing Riptide aside, he dove after the flamethrower and hefted it onto his lap, turning it around like a machine gun turret in the direction of Hyperion. After some groping, he blindly found the trigger and pulled it.

The same pillar of fire that killed Mr. Brunner shot from the tip, covering the agent head to toe in flames. Percy didn't think it would kill him, but at the very least, it would heat up the metal and maybe burn him slowly from the outside.

Percy's heart sank when Hyperion walked right through the fire.

The orange nightmare just danced off his armor and billowed past. Hyperion approached casually, kicking the flamethrower out of Percy's hands and slamming his other boot against Percy's ribs.

They didn't break on impact, but Percy felt unbearable pain course through his stomach and shoulder, a throbbing, fiery feeling that came in waves, only getting worse as it went on. He lay in a fetal position, curled up and coughing blood, while Hyperion watched him, unscathed.

"Disappointing. I expected a little more spunk from you, Jackson."

Percy could barely speak. His mouth tasted of iron; his insides felt like they'd been scrambled, everything was blurry. It looked like he was going to die with another kick like that.

He felt the backpack on him being pulled away forcefully, then heard a zipper come undone. Hyperion looked through it until he reached the briefcase. Percy didn't hear if he opened it or not, but judging by his laughter, he must've found the cure.

"So you have it. Excellent. The boss will be very pleased."

Through his fuzzy vision, Percy could faintly see something in the distance. It looked like a person creeping up on the three other Project Atlas agents. He blinked a few times, and with every blink, he saw frames of Clarisse using her electric spear to shock the agents on the back of the neck, finding the weak spot in their gear and contacting skin with the electricity. They couldn't even fight back. Clarisse was too fast, and disposed of them quickly.

The three agents plopped to the ground, leaving her standing above them, clutching her spear and breathing heavily. By the looks of it, she'd already done plenty of fighting.

Clarisse? Is this a dream?

Hyperion sat the backpack down and took his attention away from Percy to acknowledge her. "Ah, another survivor. And with what seems to be one of our weapons. Where did you get that, little girl?"

Normally, Clarisse would spit back with a comment of her own, but she was too out of breath and weary. Even Percy could see that from his position. He wanted to yell at her to run, but it would be pointless. Like telling him to run when faced with Hyperion. It just wasn't who they were. They would fight until their last breath, even if they're afraid.

Clarisse, without a word, engaged the agent, coming forward much like Percy with her spear, stabbing at him uselessly. However, he was able to grab her quicker than his attempts with Percy. Two gloved hands around her neck, easily lifting her off the ground. Percy could see her face losing its color.

Her draining eyes found his. She seemed to be mouthing something. Percy squinted to try and make it out.

The grooves...the grooves in his armor. Go...for them...

Grooves?

Then it hit Percy. Hyperion wouldn't be able to walk or fight the way he did if he didn't have little areas of relief in his armor. Small spots in the elbows, the knees, or the neck that allowed him mobility.

Fighting against the pain with all of his willpower, Percy pushed himself off the ground and crawled over to Riptide, weakly picking it up and gripping it as tight as he could in this state.

It took everything to stand up. But he did, through the help of some invisible force behind him, keeping him from falling or toppling over. In Percy's mind, he liked to think it was the hands of everyone that died today, including Mr. Brunner, giving him one last push.

Five feet away from Hyperion's back, he heard the crunch of Clarisse's windpipe as it snapped. In the very next moment, Percy thrust Riptide into the spot where Hyperion's helmet met his torso armor. Right in the spinal cord.

Clarisse had been right. The blade slipped through the groove easily and drove itself into the agent's neck, halfway through. Hyperion immediately dropped Clarisse and started coughing, gasping for air. Percy stuck the sword in deeper.

Hyperion fell to his knees, the coughing and gasping stopped, replaced with a weak wheezing, his body not even trying to gather in air anymore.

The doors of the dorm complex opened, and other agents emerged, noticing what was going on. Before Hyperion died, he managed to use the last of his strength for a message.

"Percy Jackson...holds the cure..."

Then, he fell limp against Riptide.

For just a split second, all was quiet. The agents just stared at Hyperion's armored corpse, and at Percy, who somehow managed to slay him. Once they processed what he told them, all hell broke loose.

Several agents screamed in fury at the death of their commanding officer, swearing the same to Percy. Cracks of thunder rang in the air from all the bullets being fired. Percy could only appoint their anger and hatred as the reason he was able to escape. It hindered their aim. There was no other explanation as to why that many agents, all armed to the teeth, could miss hitting him with even one shot.

But he managed to do it. He managed to get his backpack, Riptide, an assault rifle from a dead agent, and high tail it out of there. Through the gates and past the Project Atlas trucks, into the open wasteland, never looking back.

Just like Mr. Brunner told him.

---

-x-