Percy Jackson: The Knight of Chaos

Ultimatum

(A/N: I love seeing the feedback from you guys! Thanks so much!)

The weight of the sky fell into my gut, and my mind went numb. If I'd been standing and in control of my actions, I would have collapsed to the floor.

"Percy would never do that!" Bianca defended me.

Fight Annabeth .... Hurt Annabeth .... Kill Annabeth .... The thoughts swirled around and around in my head, consuming my entire being. Only a day ago, I would have jumped at the chance to fight her, give her what she deserved, but now I only felt emptiness, and the certainty that I won't do it. I would not battle Annabeth, with all of my powers just so Lord Chaos can have his stupid Scepter.

I told Order that.

"I do not need you to fight, Perseus. I just need you to be defeated by my knight, my champion Annabeth." He consoled me. "She was my knight from the moment she ran away from her family, much like you were my brother's knight the moment you left Camp Half-Blood for good. Then, she met Luke, and Thalia, and then Grover, and her alliance with me and me only began to sway. She spent less time focusing on her training and expansion of powers than becoming, in her own words, 'an actual demigod'. You were the tipping point, the final excuse that led her away from my arms. I was forced to wipe her memories of me and revoke her powers, just as Chaos did for young Luke after he pledged himself to Kronos. If not for you, Annabeth would have won me my Scepter."

"Why do you want the Scepter so bad, anyway?" I pushed.

The suffocating, excruciating pressure returned anew, turning my face blue as I fought for every breath. It stayed for longer this time, and my lungs were almost completely crushed before the feeling disappeared once more.

"That's not your concern!" He thundered.

Far off, I heard Silena. "He's ... he's in love," She said, puzzled. "I can feel it. His love -- she died, long ago. Very long ago. Order wants to resurrect her, so they can be together forever. Aww, that's so cute! Uh -- I mean, cute, but I don't agree with it. I agree with Percy." She reminded herself.

That confused me. "If the only thing you want to do is bring back your loved one, why doesn't Lord Chaos let you do it, instead of starting this huge grudge?"

"Because," Nico broke in, "he also plans on massacring everyone in the realm of Chaos, including his brother, just so he can rule both realms. His power will topple that of Chaos's, if he uses the Scepter for the opposite of its intended purpose -- sending people to death, rather than saving them from it. I can feel the yearn for death emanating off him like the stink on Mrs. O'Leary."

"Gross, Nico." Hazel reprimanded him.

"Sorry, it's true," He replied airily.

"Enough!" Order bellowed, a fearsome roar that rang through my ears. Nico and Hazel shut up immediately.

Beckendorf piped up. "Why did you call us here?" He grunted, "All you're doing is giving us more information about the enemy we're to fight. Now we know your weaknesses, and that gives us more power over you."

"Ah," Order sneered, "This is the fun part. You see, I can't just allow Percy to fight Annabeth, what with all of his powers and training. No, that wouldn't be fair at all. But, ancient laws forbid me from stripping this young hero of his powers. And I cannot convince Annabeth to return to me by myself. Instead, I'm delivering you all an ultimatum: Get Annabeth to return to me and fight Percy in two weeks' time, or say goodbye to the camps you used to hold so dearly to your hearts, and everyone in them."

-

I shot straight up, punching the strangling covers that lay over me.

"Percy! Percy!" A voice cried, and I realized where I was. I lay on a soft bed in the Big House infirmary, and the rosy light of the setting sun trickled through the high arching windows on the ceiling, illuminating the girl sitting in the chair across from me.

"Don't call me that." I replied tersely. Annabeth frowned, her hands folded together, leaning forward.

"What happened?" She questioned. The final threat Order had declared upon us echoed in my head. Get Annabeth to return to me or say goodbye to your camps. I couldn't fight Annabeth, nor could I willingly allow Order to release his fury on the camps.

"We just, uh, we blacked out for a bit. Happens sometimes, you know? No big deal, really." I assured her, cringing under the weak excuse. Biting her lip, Annabeth looked at me strangely, distrust clear in her grey eyes. I imagined seeing those eyes look up at me in betrayal as I stabbed into her heart with my sword. I remembered looking up into her eyes as she stabbed me in the heart with her betrayal.

"We continued training," She started, "like you said, before you all blacked out. I think it's going well, though we certainly do still need your help."

I nodded. "Where's the rest of my Alpha Force?"

"Magia, Terria, Necrosis, and Luna are outside, already awake. Rapture, Forge, and Beta are still asleep, though perhaps they will awaken soon." She led me to the door.

I realized that, with everything that's occurred, I had yet to tell Alpha Force what had happened between me and Annabeth. Order had already confessed to setting the perspective altering spell, but they didn't know that Annabeth knew my identity.

Outside, Hazel, Bianca, Nico and Zoe stood together on the green grassy field. Together, they emanated gloominess and worry, a tidal wave of anger brimming at the surface. When they saw me approach, the gloomy feeling evaporated and weak smiles shone out of their cloaks.

"Hey, Omega." Zoe said, shooting a quick glance at Annabeth, who followed close behind.

"It's okay, Luna," I reassured her, "She knows who I am. I didn't tell her who you all were, of course."

As Zoe's brow furrowed, Annabeth spoke up. "You mean I would know who the rest are?"

Crap, I thought.

Nico stepped forward to meet her. With a shock, I realized that he was now taller than Annabeth, almost as tall as me. He took a deep breath. "You know who I am." In a single movement, the son of Hades threw back his hood, revealing his face.

Stumbling back, Annabeth stuttered out, "Ni -- Nico?" As the realization hit her, her eyes widened. "Necrosis, of course! But ..... you died."

Nico smiled grimly. "Lord Chaos saved me at the brink of death, just as he did Percy and everyone else, to join his army."

"Everyone else in the army died?" Annabeth asked.

"Annabeth, we all died. Even me." I told her.

She frowned, as if refusing to believe that. "No, no. You didn't .... we never ..... we never actually killed you. The worst thing I did was ambush you with other campers. I never ended your life."

I glanced down at my arms, where scars littered the skin, more pale pink lines than healed skin. "No, you didn't. Are you telling me you don't remember the last night?"

"The last night?"

"I had just returned from Mount Tam, where I thought Jason and Nico had died. Turns out I was half right, I guess. I was in the forest, when I saw you and Troy. You two, uh, kissed, and then I turned to leave. You both found me at Zeus's Fist, where this happened." I raised my shirt, revealing the split X that had been slashed across my chest. Annabeth gaped at it, no sound emitting her mouth.

"And then," I continued, "Piper did this." I turned around, and displayed the mutilated flesh where Piper's knife had stabbed through my body.

"Gods, Percy," Annabeth whispered, "I don't remember any of that. I never kissed Troy -- we were friends, nothing more. Piper would never do that, not to you."

"You'd be amazed at what people can do when they're under a spell." I muttered.

"Hey!" Called another voice running down to the Big House. I sucked in a breath as I realized it was Grover. I hadn't seen him since the day Dionysus went crazy. The satyr joined our group, and, after heaving a couple of wispy breaths, said, "Camp Jupiter is here to train with us. Jason Grace is waiting for you, Omega."