Half-Blood High

XXXVII

                                   Percy

I was gripping my sword so hard, I thought the handle would leave an imprint on my palm forever.

Kronos waved a hand, an almost dismissive gesture. I might have laughed, had about two hundred and sixty kids not turned and looked directly at us.

"Minions, attack." Kronos gave the command like he was calling for a waiter, or something equally mundane.

All Hadez broke loose.

Five kids jumped on Annabeth and Hazel, since they were closest. Hazel shrieked and knocked one over head with the butt of her spatha. Annabeth fended them off with her knife.

"Don't hurt them!" Annabeth shouted. "They have no idea what they're doing!" She shoved Connor, (or was it Travis?) Stoll away from her. He fell back a few feet, before charging her again.

"It's Kronos!" Chiron exclaimed. He pushed a few kids out the way we'd come in and shut the door. "He's controlling them! We must break his hold!"

I clubbed Sherman Yang over the head with my sword handle. Annabeth shot me a look, but I shrugged. "He's hard- headed; it won't hurt a bit."

I dodged a girl who brandished a metal water bottle, and tried to make my way toward Kronos. He frowned, and another kid stepped in my path. I fought him off, then heard a shriek from behind me.

"Lacy?! Lacy, stop!" Piper was shouting at a younger girl with blonde pigtails, who was clawing at her like a wild animal. She snatched at the girls arms. "Quit it! This isn't you!"

Lacy froze. Piper's hand saw grasping her elbow tightly. I swear I heard a faint whisper. "Piper?"

"It's me Lace. It's me, Piper. You have to stop."

"Stop?" Lacy whispered. Her green eyes were bright with tears, a sharp contrast to the other kids, who's expressions were glazed over. "He's talking... In my head... He won't stop...I have to...to." She stopped, her eyes glazing over again.

Lacy opened her mouth, but a different voice came out. It was deeper, dryer, and annoyingly familiar.

"YOU SHALL NOT INTERFERE!" Kronos' voice boomed from her mouth. All the students froze again, and in perfect unison, said: "YOU SHALL NOT INTERFERE!"

I looked to the real Kronos, who's cocky expression had dropped. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he looked over his army of teenagers.

"YOU SHALL DIE!" Lacy lunged at Piper, who let go of her and quickly backed away. Jason was suddenly behind her, wrapping an arm around Lacy's waist. She kicked and flailed, but Jason was about three heads taller and a whole heck of a lot muscular. He hauled her away, depositing her inside the locker hall. He shoved a few more kids inside there and slammed the doors shut.

"We need to get to him!" Frank shouted. He tripped up a girl and added: "I have an idea!"

Kronos may have been concentrating, but he had enough consciousness to catch Frank's arrow before it would have pierced his neck. He leered at us, and snapped it in half. "Nice try half-bloods. It'll take more then that to stop me."