Demons, Demigods and Hunters (Percy Jackson/Supernatural)

Chapter 48

Anna

It seemed incredible to her, but Anna had somehow fallen asleep. Even when exhausted and at war she had problems with sleeping; her mind usually unable to turn off enough to allow her to rest. And yet, here she was, waking up, stretched out on the floor in the dark room where her friend's body lay. She didn't even dream, which made it all even more strange. Anna stretched, sitting up. She realized that Dean's voice had woken her up. He was talking to Sa... the body.

"You know, when we were little, you couldn't been more than five, you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go? When he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, 'Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know.'" He paused, trying to control his emotions. Anna quietly sat up, collecting her weapons so she could patrol again. He didn't look at her, he just kept talking. Anna moved faster, she didn't want to listen to this.

"I just wanted you to be a kid... Just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you... Keep you safe... Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job... I had one job... And I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry. I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I... How am I supposed to live with that?" He started to cry, and Anna crept from the room. This was private. As she left, she heard the chair scrape across the floor.

"What am I supposed to do?!" The sound of his anguished roar followed her outside. She exited the building, unsheathing Eleos. She wanted to fight something. Anything. She couldn't stop that human, but she can stop monsters. So she wants to go kill something. Anything.

Dean walked outside, next to her. He was putting his coat on.

"Dean?" She stood in front of him, searching his face for clues as to what he planned on doing. He didn't look at her.

"Get out of the way Anna."

"What are you going to do?" He finally looked her eyes. Shattered grief and desperation filled his beautiful green eyes. Anna recognized that desperation. She'd seen it mirrored in the eyes of a certain son of Poseidon before his first quest. She'd seen it in Silena Beauregard's eyes as she'd faced down the Lydian Drakon. And in the eyes of dozens of other heroes before they did something incredibly stupid because they'd lost someone they loved. She stood her ground.

"Get out of my way Anna, I don't want to make you move." Anna didn't move. He couldn't make her move on a good day, and most certainly not in his current state.

"I'd like to see you try." She retorted dryly. Anna was itching for a fight anyways. Not a monster, but he would do in a pinch. Dean growled but didn't attack. Interesting. Anna asked a different question.

"Is this going to be helpful in anyway? Or is it going to be stupid and get someone killed?" He glared at her.

"It's something I have to do." Anna raised an eyebrow, pushing down her rising fears.

"Is this something going to kill another friend of mine?" She asked softly. She examined Dean's unmoved face then made a gamble. Anna took a shuddering breath, gathering her courage before dropping her guard a little, allowing a fraction of her turbulent emotions to shine through. Dean's eyes widened at her hesitant display of trust. He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. Dean suddenly pulled her into a hug. Anna stiffened with shock.

"Stay here with Sam. Don't let Bobby or anyone bury or burn him. I'll be back." He met her eyes, steely determination shining in their green depths.

"I'm going to fix this Anna." He walked around her, getting into the Impala. Anna frowned at him. He was a self destructive son of a bitch. Anna ruthlessly crushed down everything inside her that was screaming at her to stop him. To save him.

But Anna had a mission too, and no matter how much this new sin of hers was going to blacken her already stained soul, she had to let him make his own choices. Anna needed to live just a few days longer, and Dean's loyalty to his brother would get in the way of her plans. She refused to let her tears fall.

"Dean." She called. He glanced at her through the open window of his car. She cannot condone this, this abomination he is about to commit, this insult. She knows that he is risking the wrath of Hades with his desperate attempt to regain his brother. And she won't help him. She can't afford to. But Anna cares about him too much to let him go without at least warning him.

"Upsetting the natural order is dangerous. It has a price. Whoever you go to will take advantage of your pain. Be careful, and remember that eventually, someone besides you will have to pay for the choices you're about to make." She advised coldly. Anna turned away, refusing to watch him leave. A traitorous tear trickled down her face. She really is a selfish bitch. She knows the price of the deal Dean is about to make, the price of stealing Sam back from the Underworld. And Anna has nothing left to lose. But she knows that if she takes Dean's place, it could screw up everything.

So instead of protecting him, she's letting Dean, someone she... Anna pushes that thought away... she's letting Dean go do something incredibly stupid because it doesn't fit with her own plans. Anna hates herself just that much more as she hears the Impala's engine roar. The car drives out of town behind her, even as she stalks towards the woods.

Anna really needs to kill something.