Betrayed

Chapter 30

30 chapters.... that's, that's... wow. That's a lot. 

*Ethan/Avenger POV*

I wonder when Julia will get here. The dance is tomorrow so me and the rest of the boys on the team were out getting our suits. The girls had gone Chaos only knows where and left us to our own devices. Chaos had appeared and thrown some drachmas at Percy, then he'd disappeared. Percy didn't seem surprised, he'd probably talked to Chaos through an MM. 

We walked around New York, looking for a shop Chaos had told Percy to go to. Eventually, we found it. When we walked in, a bell chimed above the door. The shop was dark and dusty. It looked abandoned. Percy walked up to the counter, "Mr. L?" No one answered. Percy tapped the bell on the counter. It echoed loudly in the quiet shop. Still no one answered. I glanced at Luke. "Percy, maybe we should go?" Percy shook his head and tried again, louder, "Mr. L? It's me, Nova. Chaos sent us." Again, no one answered. We turned and were about to leave when we heard a crash. Percy's eyes widened and he spun around, leaping over the counter and disappearing into the darkness behind it. 

I looked at the others and we rushed forwards, following our commander into the darkness. Immediately, I lost all sense of sight. I focused on my other senses and managed not to crash into anything. Will, since his powers revolved completely around light and the sun, crashed into the wall. I edged towards the sound, my hands out in front of me. My hands hit the wall and I slid down to the ground. Will was lying there, dazed. I helped him up and he leant against the wall. "Nico! Will's hurt!" Nico was by my side in an instant, "Is he okay? What happened?" "He's fine, he just crashed into the wall." "Thanks Ethan." Will recovered and started to glow. Light emanated from him as if he was a human sun. "Oh thank the gods." We regrouped and moved further into the shop, looking for Percy. What kind of shop is this? It's like a maze.

We soon found him, he was peering around a corner. I tapped him on the shoulder and he started, almost falling around the corner. He turned around, bringing his sword down towards my head. I instinctively raised my arm. The sword crashed into the brace on my forearm. I winced from the force of the strike. Percy quickly sheathed his sword again. "Sorry Ethan. Will! Stop glowing!" He whisper yelled. Will looked confused but stopped glowing. It was then that I noticed we didn't need the light anymore, there was light coming from around the corner. I opened my mouth to ask what it was but Percy raised a finger to his mouth, signalling that I needed to be quiet. He motioned that we should look around the corner. 

I looked around and what I saw made me stumble back. There was an old man bound and gagged, hanging upside down in the middle of the room, rotating slowly. Blood dripped from cuts on his forehead and stomach. He was passed out, or maybe dead, I couldn't tell. I wondered for a moment why Percy hadn't already rescued him but then I saw a boy sitting in the corner. Percy was eyeing the boy as if he knew him. I looked at the boy, he was pale and had ginger hair that came down to just below his ears. I noticed Nico standing in the corner, cloaked in shadows. If you hadn't trained with him for 250 years you wouldn't have seen him. Percy walked around the corner, "Hello Zack." The boy looked up, his eyes were startling. They were a swirling mix of purple and gold. "Hello Nova. Long time no see." "Not long enough." Percy muttered. The boy, now known as Zack, shrugged, "Eternity wouldn't be long enough. So how's Jack?" "He's doing better without you." "Doubtful. So why are you here?" "You know why." "That's correct. I'm guessing you know why I'm here as well?" "I have my suspicions." "Which are usually right." "Always right, until you." "Indeed." "So how are we going to do this? Are we going to fight or are you going to run away like you did last time?" Zack sneered, "I've gotten better since we last met. I won't run away again." "No matter how powerful or skilled you get, you'll always be a coward." Percy opened an MM link.

Stay back. This is between me and Zack. - Percy

Put Per- - Luke

That's an order Luke! - Percy