Annabeth POV
The GPS coordinates that Luke sent led us into the woods outside of Moscow. Percy and I were walking through the dense green alone.
Our team and soldiers were following a safe distance behind.
We couldn't tip off the terrorists that we were bringing an entire ambush to them. Of course, they probably already knew that it was coming.
To be honest, this looked like a last-ditch effort at revenge.
At this point, Kronos didn't care about his terrorist organization or getting caught, he wanted his revenge on Percy. That's what his message was about. We had already stopped the Apocalypse, and WiCKeD and BlodgeHarm were crumbling, so he wanted revenge.
However, Kronos and Krios belonged in jail for their crimes.
"Okay, Wise Girl, we're getting closer, so stay alert," Percy said as his pace slowed.
We were carefully stepped around every tree at this point because terrorists and soldiers could pop out at any moment. Plus, this forest was so thick; there were a lot of hiding places.
"You're telling me, Seaweed Brain," I said slyly.
Percy chuckled as he looked at my teasing smile. Honestly, despite the mission, we were having a good time. It was like a date, but we could die or get caught at any moment.
You know, it was a typical day in our lives.
"Don't get cocky, Wise Girl. I'm still technically you're superior," Percy said with a smirk.
"Shut up. I know that I'm still a recruit, but I basically can do and did everything that a special agent is capable of," I said.
"Yeah, you did, and you were amazing," Percy said genuinely. "Plus, you were super sexy as you did it," he added cheekily.
I laughed as he leaned to the side and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. It wasn't the time for romance, but he was so sweet. I knew that he loves me. To be honest, I was pretty sure that Percy loves me more than I love him.
And, that was an incredible feeling that every woman wishes for.
After a few minutes of walking, our conversation died. We came upon a clearing in the forest where the coordinates ended.
The clearing was about three-fourths of a football field.
The terrorist leaders were already waiting for us. There were three vans and one truck stationed in the middle of the field. About 3 dozen soldiers were guarding the interior of the field, and their guns and blades were drawn.
Percy and I paused on the outer edge of the woods and crouched behind some bushes.
We both turned our earpieces on, and I gave a quick rundown of what we were seeing. Technically, there could've been more soldiers in the woods.
Regardless, Lake Valor and the other government agencies did a good job at the camp. We dwindled their numbers down significantly.
My eyes narrowed at Luke Castellan. I hated him now.
He was standing next to Kronos and Krios, who were seated in some portable chairs. They all wore stern expressions as they calmly waited for Percy.
Percy started to stand, but I grabbed his arm.
"Wise Girl, what's wrong?" he asked in concern. My fingers tightened around his hand as I gave a comforting squeeze.
"Be careful, Seaweed Brain. I'm right here if needed," I said firmly.
Percy smiled reassuringly. "I'll be okay, Wise Girl. I have you and the team behind me."
With that, Percy stood and walked smoothly into the field. Everyone's attention turned to Percy as he walked towards Kronos, Krios, and Luke.
The soldiers aimed their guns at Percy's head.
Percy stopped a few yards away from Kronos and Krios, who were smiling menacingly. I hated them. They did horrible things to so many people, yet they were smiling. It was disgusting.
"Where's my seat?" Percy asked with confidence.
I could tell that Percy wasn't scared of Kronos. Percy had a warrior's heart, which allowed him to enter any situation with strength and courage.
This allowed him to make everyone else feel better as well.
"You came here so that I can kill you. There's no need for a seat," Kronos said. His tone was dangerous and menacing. I certainly believed his words.
"Well, that was rude," Leo's voice reverberated in my ear.
Percy continued to talk with the terrorists. He was buying time for everyone to get ready.
"In position," several voices said in my earpiece. Different Lake Valor, CIA, and MI6 teams were situated in the woods around the field.
I brought out my gun and applied a scope to the top. While the targets weren't too far away, my aim could miss. Also, at least, the first shot had to hit a proper mark. My tranquilizer shot would motion Lake Valor to step forth from their hiding space.
"Enough of this nonsense," Kronos exclaimed as he stood up. "Luke, you know what to do. Get him on his knees in front of me."
Luke immediately shot forward at Percy.
It was a surprise even for Percy. His block was late causing them both to fall to the floor. However, both of them were experts at combat.
They got up and faced each other.
The other soldiers simply watched them battle.
Percy's fighting was good, but he had two disadvantages. One, Luke was well-rested while Percy had been doing a lot in the past couple of days. Two, Luke had more experience with combat.
Regardless, Percy held his own for the time being.
Even as one eye lingered on their hand-to-hand fight, I aimed at my target: Kronos.
The tranquilizer fired silently. I watched as the bullet traveled through the air. However, it didn't hit the right mark.
Damn it. Krios stood up just as the tranq traveled into their field.
Krios dropped like a stone as the bullet struck his neck. He'd be indefinitely unconscious for a few hours. Suddenly, everything went into motion.
Percy took advantage of Luke's surprise and knocked him to the ground.
Meanwhile, the woods exploded with activity. Soldiers and agents alike started firing at the terrorists, causing everyone to go into defensive mode.
The terrorists took cover behind the vans and truck.
A ring of soldiers guarded Kronos as they walked him towards the largest van. However, they weren't going anywhere because their tires were already shot out.
Percy and Luke were still fighting as they dived behind the truck to dodge the bullets.
I stepped into the clearing and fired at the soldiers.
One by one they were all going down. Kronos was safely hidden inside the van, but he had nowhere to go.
"Annabeth, let's do this," Jason said into the earpiece.
Several agents and soldiers (including myself, Jason, Reyna, Clarisse, Frank, Nico, etc.) burst through the woods and ran towards the black vans from all directions.
Honestly, this was easier than I expected.
We not only outnumbered them but also surprised them.
"Annabeth, duck," Reyna shouted as she fired. The bullets whizzed above my head and took down two soldiers.
Reyna and I ducked behind one van. The soldiers were all congregated around the big van and truck. My team was using the other vans and the woods as cover.
I couldn't find Percy, but I could see his and Luke's legs moving as they fought behind the truck. It explained why no agents were shooting on that side of the truck. They didn't want to injure Percy in the process.
I shot another soldier through the window of the van.
"Reyna, we gotta move and get closer," I shouted.
There was too much sound going on. Despite clearing the terrorists of their power, they still held a strong fight with their remaining weapons (ie guns and grenades).
"Already on it," Reyna shouted as she tossed a grenade.
It blew up with a loud bang and disoriented a group of soldiers. Jason, Frank, and Clarisse took them down easily as we raced towards the big van next to them.
Jason held his gun aimed at Kronos as Frank pulled him out harshly.
Despite getting captured, Kronos still had an evil look and a dark smile. His arrogance rubbed me the wrong way like we were missing something.
Suddenly, a punch came at my face, but I easily dodged it.
My body whirled around and slashed the soldier. He crumbled to the ground and Clarisse kicked him into unconsciousness. One kick was all it took.
I was still shooting at my enemies, but my attention was aimed towards Percy.
Soldiers were inside the open-lid truck, and they were firing in all directions. Fortunately, we were blocked by two black vans, and they were failing at hitting us.
They had left Percy and Luke to their own fight.
I could only imagine the injuries that they both sustained through this long and intense fight. Suddenly, from under the truck, I saw Percy land on his back.
"Guys, Percy needs help. He's outnumbered," I shouted. Several soldiers had unfairly joined Luke in fighting Percy.
"My soldiers will serve my final command," Kronos chuckled menacingly. "Percy Jackson is gonna die."
My blood boiled with anger, but Nico beat me to punching Kronos in the face.
Clarrise, Frank, and Nico forcefully started walking Kronos away from the group and into the woods. I knew that Lake Valor personal was graciously waiting to tie him up.
Some CIA agents had already carried Krios's unconscious body away from the scene.
"Let's go," Jason said.
Reyna, Jason, and I ran towards the cargo truck. Reyna dispatched another grenade, and it flew into the truck's cargo-holding box.
The six soldiers inside screamed. However, they couldn't escape the bomb in time. I was fairly confident that they all had died.
Something still felt very off.
We were missing something. I was missing something.
Reyna and I shot towards the truck. There were five terrorists and Luke. Jason had already dropped one of them, but his gun got knocked away.
Luke held Percy by his bloodied shirt and kneed him in the gut against the truck.
I ran towards them while ducking under a soldier's punch. Reyna took over the fight and shouted at me to help Percy.
My gun was out of ammo, but I bashed the gun against Luke's head.
He growled in pain and staggered away from Percy. He fell to his knees but clumsily stood up. He was battered and bruised all over. Percy's temple was bleeding, and the blood was flowing down the left side of his face.
His eyes widened as he ran at me. Percy grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him just as a knife flew behind me.
I felt the knife cut through my ponytail. Gods, that was close.
In our shock, I didn't notice Luke coming at us. His kick came harshly against Percy's chest and pushed Percy back against the truck.
Percy landed in a seating position as he clutched his head.
"Well, Annabeth, I have to admit, you played me," Luke said slyly.
His punch came to my face, but I was ready for it. I parried and punched his chest. We ended up fighting and moving away from the truck.
Luke was oddly stepping back while throwing offensive moves.
It was weird. It was like he was actively trying to fight me but also get away from Percy. No, he was trying to get away from the truck.
Suddenly, it clicked.
I whirled around and kicked Luke across the face. Luke staggered back and Jason reached us. He stabbed a tranquilizer dart into Luke's neck and threw him down.
My attention turned to Percy, who was just starting to get up. Reyna was fighting two soldiers a few feet next to Percy.
"Reyna, Percy, RUN," I shouted.
Percy's eyes locked onto mine as he listened to my words. I could see the confusion on his face, but he trusted me enough to listen and run.
I started running towards them, but it was too late.
Percy ran a few yards away from the truck when it happened.
I watched in horror as the next few moments happened in slow motion. The truck exploded with a large bang. The shock wave and flames shot at Percy, Reyna, and the dead/unconscious soldiers on the ground.
Smoke erupted in all directions.
"Percy," Jason shouted as he stood up from Luke.
The force of the bomb threw Percy and Reyna back. Reyna's body violently smashed into a black van with a loud bang. Percy was hurled a few feet away from hers. His body rolled against the ground for a few seconds.
"Percy, oh my god," Jason shouted again and started running.
Tears streamed down my face as I stared at Percy's and Reyna's bodies laying on the ground after the truck's explosion.
They weren't moving at all.
Percy was laying on his back, unconscious and unresponsive.
Suddenly, my body jolted out of the shock. I ran towards Percy's limp body, which was smoked and burned and bloodied. Everyone started running towards them.
My tears ravaged my eyes and cheeks as Jason and I fell next to Percy.
I croaked out his name as I took his hand into mine.
Percy's face was turned to one side, and his eyes were closed. Blood, sweat, and dirt were soaking his hair and face.
His chest was barely rising and falling.
Regardless, my Seaweed Brain looked dead. Please, gods, please no.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope that y'all are enjoying this story. This was an intense chapter with a little bit of everything. Please enjoy.
If y'all have ideas for my next story, let me know :)
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE: READ + VOTE + SHARE + COMMENT + FOLLOW