House of Hades

XIX-- Percy

Disclaimer: Don't own HOO or PJO. Rick Riordan does.

This chapter is dedicated to ilovepinecone.Thanks for reading and commenting!

Read, comment, vote!

XIX-- Percy

Percy scowled at the sight in front of him.

"Thorn!" he spat. "What did you do to her?"

Dr. Thorn smiled sickeningly at him, obviously enjoying Percy's fury.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know, Jackson," he replied. "If I remember correctly, I did the same to you at Westover Hall."

Percy glowered at him, and then knelt down besides Annabeth, feeling her wrist for a pulse. A wave of relief washed over him, when he found one, still strong. 

Annabeth's eyelids fluttered, and her breath was coming out in short, shallow gasps. "P-Percy," she whispered. "I-It b-burns..."

Percy bit down on his lip, his own shoulder throbbing in sympathy. "I-I know, Wise Girl," he answered, shakily. "J-just hold on, okay? For me?"

Annabeth's eyes were glazed over, and Percy was unsure whether she had processed anything he had said, but nevertheless, she nodded.

"How sweet," Thorn said, mockingly. "Romeo here thinks he could save his precious Juliet."

Percy gripped Riptide tighter, trying to keep his anger in check. "Leave her alone," he snarled. "She's been through enough already."

"Oh, boo-hoo," the manticore drawled, pretending to wipe a fake tear from his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

The ex-vice principal threw his head back, laughing raucously, at his own joke. "Besides," he added, offhandedly. "I told you before. My poison causes pain. It won't kill her."

This angered Percy all the more, and he lunged at the manticore, slashing madly. But the ex-vice principal just laughed mirthlessly, and skipped aside. "Ah, ah, ah!" he warned, tauntingly. "Even though I hear you're not quite the sharpest tool in the shed, it doesn't take many brain cells to see that I have the upperhand here."

Still scowling, Percy hated that he was right. He glanced at Annabeth's prone form on the floor; she was unconscious. Besides, even if she was conscious, Percy doubted that she would be able to fight much, anyway. But if she was conscious, at least she would be able to run if he told her to.  

"So, Jackson," Thorn provoked. "Make your choice. Surrender without a fight, or fight but surrender, anyway."

Choice. His words made Percy flash back to the argument that he had just had with Annabeth. 

I was willing to make the sacrifice.And sometime soon, you will have to.

Could this be it- the sacrifice? Just leave Annabeth here to die?

No, he refused. I won't do it.

Yet the fear that Percy wouldn't be able to get them both out of Tartarus alive, still weighed him down.

But seeing the amused twinkle in Thorn's eyes at Percy's internal struggle, pushed him to make his decision.

NO! He decided, more fueled up. I made a promise. And I'm going to keep it.

He stared straight into the manticore's two-tone eyes.

"No," Percy said.  Thorn cocked his head to the side, still grinning maniacally.

"Excuse me?"

"We won't surrender," he stated, more firmly.

Percy didn't think it was possible, but somehow, Thorn's smirk widened. "I thought you might say that. So I took the liberty of bringing along a few friends."