2. This Girl Is On Fire...
Percy POV
The Argo II had just landed at camp half-blood, and I made the others promise not to tell anyone about my accident. They all laughed at me but agreed, after lots of glares.
Gods, it wasn't like it's my fault I got a nosebleed.
We climbed off the ship and were met with the stern face of Annabeth's mum. Good old Athena.
Maybe that's why Aracne challenged Athena to the weaving contest, to try to get her to show some emotion. I mean Annabeth obviously takes after her mum but at least she smiles sometimes, normally when I've done something stupid, but still! I'm getting off track...
But there was an upside to seeing Athena's scowling - cue thunder - I mean... uplifting face. It seems to have united the camps.
And! I can't see good old 'stabbed teddy bears give me answers' anywhere. I really liked that pillow pet...
We jumped off the ship and ran to join in with the fighting. Me and Annabeth ran to fight monsters by the creek; Leo, Frank and Hazel left to go rebuild all the war machines and aim them at the monsters; Jason, for some reason, decided to go check on Nico and Piper decided to follow.
It all seemed to be going pretty well, obviously there were a few casualties as this is a war. The Romans were fighting in formations and shouting commands at each other; they seemed slightly confused by the Greek 'stab anything that moves!' approach.
Leo had fixed all the war machines and added upgrades so they were shooting Greek fire and killing monsters in large groups. Whenever a monster got too close a wall of rock and gems was shot up out of the ground by Hazel, who was standing close by. Frank was flying around in the form of an eagle surveying the battlefield, then transforming into a dragon to help whenever needed.
I could see Nico trying to help in the first aid tent with a blond boy, Will I think, who seemed to stop every so often just to smile at the self proclaimed Ghost King. Nico just sat looking awkward on one of the makeshift beds, trying not to scare any of the patients.
Jason was side by side with Piper, much like me and Annabeth, they were a whirl of swords with the occasional lightning bolt shooting through the middle.
My job was to stand exactly where Annabeth placed me and just attract monsters. All around me you could hear the monsters hissing 'Perseus Jackson'.
You know, I think they call me that just to get on my nerves. I do tell everyone, even monsters, to call me Percy. I bet they sit around in Tartaurus and discuss who killed them, and whenever a new monster says 'Percy Jackson' they all correct them. Like, 'we may never kill him (I hope at least) but let's annoy him for the rest of his days!' cue evil laughter. Anyways...
Every now and then Annabeth would make me call up a wave and trap a group of monsters that then we killed, before repeating the whole process again.
It was all going great; and I think that's where we went wrong.
Gaea, oh the great and mighty earth primordial. Who happily wakes up from my third rate nose blood, decided to make a scene.
When she appeared all the other monsters seemed to back off and the fighting stopped.
She looked over to me and Annabeth and gave us a, what was probably meant to be sweet, smile. "Awhh, it's my favourite two demi-gods!"
I just scoffed at her, then realised something, "Why were you so adamant (yeah I know big words) in getting our blood? Why not like Jason and Piper?" I asked.
Jason shot me a glare but Gaea just smiled as she answered, "Well Mr. Jackson, it's not often you find a demi-god who has turned down immortality not just once but twice."
Everyone gasped. Oh yeah, forgot to tell them about the second time. I'll explain it for them later.
Gaea let the whispers die down before continuing, "And then Annabeth, the first child of Athena to find the Athena Parthenos and also survive Tartaurus! Such exquisite children you both are."
I have to admit, I was more than a bit creeped out, and she made it sound like she was going to eat us. I hope not, I haven't had any of my mum's blue cookies in like a year. I hope she has made some, but not in a creepy Luke's mum way. I don't want to arrive home to an apartment of mouldy blue biscuits; I don't think I would ever eat them again. Anyways... Again...
Gaea, would she ever stop ranting, continued, "As for Jason and Piper... I just didn't really like them, Jason is too annoying and don't get me started on Piper! The girl can't even defend herself; she just stares at her knife all day." She told me, smiling over to Jason and Piper who were both bristling at the comments.
"I'll show you 'can't defend myself'!" Piper exclaimed, rushing over to where Gaea stood in the middle of the clearing. Gaea held up a hand to stop any monsters rushing forward, before shooting me a smile which seemed to say 'too easy'.
"Piper! No!" Jason and I yelled, trying to run over and stop her. But before we could get any closer tendrils of earth shot up from the ground, holding our feet in place.
Gaea didn't even glance over to Piper; she just kept smiling at me, and stabbed her in the stomach.
"No!!" Jason cried, running over to her body now that the earth had released his feet. The armies on both sides stood back and watched the scene in front of them. One in despair: one in happiness and hunger.
Jason was cradling Piper in his arms as she wiped away his tears. She leaned up to his ear and whispered something, though it was too hard to hear what, before going limp. Jason stayed sitting there, in shock, not daring to move.
Gaea slowly walked up to him, smiling almost sadly, "Do you want to join her?" she asked him. The strange thing was that she didn't sound threatening.
Jason looked up at her through tear stained eyelashes and nodded his head. Before anyone could shout, Gaea ran her earthen sword through his heart.
Finally free from my earth bounds, I glanced over at Annabeth. She looked at me with the same expression.
As one we charged over to Gaea, she kept her army held back, and started fighting her. Some may say two vs. one is unfair, but they obviously haven't fought their great grandma before.
We were getting weaker but Gaea looked as if she hadn't realised we were actually fighting. Then she yawned; now you may be thinking that's good and she's going back to sleep. She wasn't.
She raised her hand again and my feet were stuck in place.
She had called over Chimera. Smiling, she trapped Annabeth's feet with earth.
Annabeth struggled as the chimera approached her, fire dancing across the beasts tongue. My heart caught in my throat.
I screamed as it released its breath and the world seemed to stand still. I glared at Gaea and the earth cracked beneath my feet, releasing me.
I didn't dare look over at Annabeth as I approached, fearing what I would see. She was gone. Gaea would pay.
Finally the smug grin on Gaea's face disappeared as I approached her with calm, calculated steps. She took a step back and told her army to continue fighting. I just kept up my pace, walking closer. The monsters mostly ignored me but the few that didn't met a quick end.
The sounds of battle drowned out around me and it was just me and her.
"Listen Percy..." She began, still walking backwards away from me.
"Don't call me that!" I snapped at her, the earth once again cracking around us.
I could only see red and everyone around me gasped. I just ignored them and stood in front of Gaea, who was now trapped with the trees behind her.
She wiped the scared look off her face and tried a different tactic, "Do you honestly think you can beat me? I'm a pri-"
"ENOUGH!" I cut her off, a strange black substance now leaking from the cracked earth around me. I raised my sword and let it rest on her throat, she seemed to realise there was no point in fighting. "Any last words?" I spat, daring her to make her move.
"I will get revenge" She told me, before fixing me a final smug grin.
That was too much for me and I pushed my sword in, raising her off the ground as I did so, making sure that she couldn't use it to heal.
Once she was finally dead and that smug little smile off her face I turned around. The battle around me had ended. People and Gods tried to come up to talk to me, I just raised a hand and a wall of earth shot out of the ground, blocking them from me as made my way to my cabin. I was leaving, and I wasn't coming back.
**
Chapter 2! Is the title too cruel?
1638 words
Disclaimer - I own nothing except the plot.
QotU - Who is your favourite Avenger?
I like Tony and Bruce, they are like the only funny ones!
Sorry about Jiper... But at least they went together! And I added a picture :)
I have nothing against Percabeth (it isn't my favourite though) but it won't really work for the story.
Hello Bob! ⭐ (and small bob)