Central Park sat peacefully in the dying hours of the day. The sun shone on the famous park, illuminating how beautiful this little slice of nature truly was. On a normal day the park would be filled with people, laughing and playing among the trees, but today was an unusual day. The people say inside, anxiously watching their TVs to see if another attack had occurred. For the past three weeks, random people would be found dead, torn apart. The police could find no logical reason for the deaths, it was almost like a savage beast had done it.
The people, being overtaken by fear, had fled to the safety of their homes, hoping that the familiar walls would save them from the fate of so many unlucky victims. However, the day was just starting to get weird. If there had been any people in the park, they would have been amazed to see four people appear out of nowhere, accompanied with the smell of saltwater, burning leaves, fresh dirt, and a waft of air.
"Good, there isn't anyone around. We should find a place to set up camp, and start figuring out the best way to train the new people," Percy said, leading the others towards a secluded part of the park where they could set up camp.
The four Horsemen got to work, pulling their magical tent out. Allis and Carter started to set that up, while Percy and Janette moved into the woods to get firewood. When they returned to the camp they saw that the other two had just finished putting up the tent, and where now setting up defenses.
Percy nodded towards the two, "Go and help them, I've got this," he told Janette, who smiled at him before jogging over to start her own defenses. Percy couldn't help but smile at her retreating back, remembering how close they had grown over the few years that they had known each other.
Janette had proved to be one of the kindest people Percy had ever met, always able to make him smile, but she had also proved to be an amazing warrior. These three people had become the three most important people in Percy's life, proving that the were willing to die for Percy just as much as he was for them.
"Done!" Carter shouted proudly, indicating the shining dome that now encompassed the small camp. Even as Percy watched, he could see the dome start to fade into transparency. The dome would let Horsemen in and out, but would stop anyone else that fryer to enter.
Percy smiled at his enthusiastic friend, watching as he begun to celebrate for no reason. "You're a weirdo," Janette laughed as Carter spin her in a circle, before moving on to Allis when Janette didn't join his dance.
Carter grinned at Janette, making him look slightly crazy. "Maybe, but it's better to be weird than boring like Percy over there," Carter jerked his head in Percy's direction, who had been watching the little scene in amusement.
"Better to be normal and boring than to be dancing around with my fly open!" Percy shouted back, grinning when Carter helped and scrambled to fix his fly. The girls burst into laughter, Allis actually leaning against a tree for support.
"Hey, it's not that funny," Carter protested, still beet red.
Janette wiped a tear away from her eye, still giggling. "Oh but it is, your face was so red!"
Carter was about to retort, when a girl stumbled into the clearing outside of the dome. She couldn't see them, but they could see her, and she was badly hurt.
Carter, Janette, and Allis all scrambled towards the dome, intent on helping the girl, but Percy put a hand out to stop them. "Don't," he warned, nodding his hand to the white sword clutched in the girls hand and the knife strapped to her leg. "We don't know her, and she has no idea who we are. If she feels threatened, she could try to kill us."
The four Horsemen watched as the girl leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Her face was obscured by the hood on a cloak that she wore, letting just a bit of blonde hair slip out. For some reason, Percy felt like he knew the girl.
Carter squinted at the sword in the girls hand, finding it odd for some reason. "Is that....made of bone!" He asked in surprise, a little grossed out at the idea, just as ten monsters burst into the clearing.
Percy's blood went cold, he finally recognized the girl with the blonde hair and bone sword. He had fought next to her for years, bled with her, and finally kissed her underwater. The girl, was Annabeth.
With a roar that put the monsters growls to shame, Percy burst through the dome and into the clearing. The monsters turned to him in surprise, their instincts telling them that this target was more important than the half dead girl they had been chasing for three days. With glowing eyes the studied the boy before them, surprised to see that he didn't look like as dangerous as their instincts told them he was. He wore a simple black shirt, jeans, and two swords strapped to his back. He had black hair that swept across his forehead, and solid green eyes that regarded the monsters with hate. The monsters grew confident, reassured by the boys looks that he wasn't that dangerous. That's when his aura hit them. Most demigods had a subdued aura, one that felt like their parents essence, and some of the demigods had auras so subdued that it was barely recognizable. This big was not one of those ones. His aura felt like none that the monsters had ever felt before. It felt massive and oppressing, and mostly empty but dotted with a giant flashes of light that felt like they were burning the monsters. But that wasn't all; a part of his aura also felt like a son of Poseidon's, but ten times as powerful. It felt like a massive sea that raged and tore away at rock, straining to reach out and crush these monsters.
Before the monsters could fully comprehend just how deadly this boy truly was, he had drawn his two swords and impaled four of them, while the other six suddenly felt their bodies fill with water, drowning them. Two seconds was all it took for Percy Jackson to kill ten monsters, it was good to be home.
Percy was abut to turn and tell a joke to Carter, who had come out to help if Percy needed him to, when Annabeth groaned and fell down.
Percy rushed to her side, turning the girl so that she was laying on her back. "What are you doing out her alone!" He demanded, propping Annabeth against a tree so that she was sitting upright.
Annabeth stared at her savior in awe, her pain preventing her from seeing that it was Percy. "Who are you?" The fevered girl asked, excitement lacing her words. "You saved my life, killed those monsters so easily!"
"Oh Annabeth, has it been so long that you've forgotten me?" Percy asked sadly, cupping her cheek with his hand.
Annabeth placed her hand against his, straining to fight through the pain. "Do I know you?" She asked, trying so hard to remember.
Percy felt a tear trace its way down his cheek, falling for this girl that had broken his heart. "Once long ago, we were best friends," he told the dying girl, watching her mind work so fast in its last minutes to remember.
"I can't remember you!" Annabeth cried out, suddenly crying. "I can't remember," she quietly sobbed, clutching her hand to a wound that she had gotten the day before. "I-I-I was looking for someone; are you who I was looking for?" She stared at Percy so fiercely, her old fire still lighting her eyes.
"Yes, yes I was," Percy whispered, wiping a tear away from her cheek.
"Percy," Annabeth whispered, capturing his hand in a gentle grip. "I've searched so long for you, so so long. You weren't suppose to leave, and I wasn't suppose to be so stupid. I was suppose to love you forever, and you were meant to be here forever. How did I mess up so much?" She asked sadly, staring at his hands, almost as if they would disappear if she looked away.
"I am so sorry that I left," Percy said, knowing that it was partially true. "I promise to never leave your side again," he said, bringing her hand to his face to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
"Good," she muttered, staring at the spot where his lips had touched her fingers. "Because I have to tell you something."
"What, what do you need to tell me?" Percy asked, sensing that her time was drawing to an end.
Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a tortured scream, the pain finally breaking through the shock and adrenaline that has gripped her body for the past three days, ever since that first monster had thrust a claw into her side.
Percy clutched her hand, convinced that if he held tight enough he would be able to keep her anchored to the mortal world. "No, don't go. I just got you back, I'm not losing you again!" He cried, begging her to stay alive.
"Percy Jackson, so kind and heroic," she whispered, placing a hand gently over the two of his that clutched her other hand. "Even after all the pain I caused you, you still love me. You will be the greatest of us, and you will save us all," she looked at him, her eye full of love for this man that had already done so much for them, but she knew that his trials were not over yet. "Take my body back to camp, find Marisa and give me to her. She will tell you what I needed to tell you," the girl said, bringing his head down to hers so that she could kiss him one last time. "The only way I ever wanted to die, kissing you," she murmured, amused despite the pain. Percy chuckled, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"You always were the bravest demigod," he said, smiling as she took his hand and placed it over her heart. He could feel it beating, seeming to struggle to keep going. "You were also the most stubborn. Always had a plan, and if it didn't go exactly as you wanted, you'd make it," Percy felt another sob rise in his chest as her heart stopped for a second, almost ready to give up, but he kept talking with a smile on his face. "So come on Wise Girl, let's see that stubborn side. Don't you dare die now!" He watched as she started to breath slower, a content smile on her face. Then, her eyes closed as one of Percy's tears fell onto her chest, which had just stopped moving. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, was dead.
Percy didn't know if he wanted to cry, scream, or kill something. Finally deciding that none of those would be useful, he lifted his friends body into his arms. When he had seen her with another guy, Percy had been furious. He had wanted to strike out and hurt someone, but instead he had left. Once he had cooled down, he knew that he wasn't angry at her, he still loved her too much to be angry with her. He would never hate her either, that was the curse he got for having the fatal flaw that he had. Loyal unto the end.
And now, she was dead in his arms. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, a gentle and tentative hand. He smiled through the tears, knowing that this was Janette's hand. Another had touched his other shoulder, this one strong but slim. He knew this was Allis's hand, the hand of a warrior and a friend. Carter just placed a hand on Allis's shoulder, showing his support for his grieving friend.
"We should take her to camp, find this Marissa she spoke of," Percy said, dreading his return to the place where he used to love going.
"Are you sure? We could wait for awhile if you're not ready," Allis said, concern lacing her words.
Percy smiled at his friends, "Yeah, I'm sure. It's better that we get this done right away. Then, we can find the other people that Chaos mentioned."
Together, the friends set off towards Camp Half-blood.