Running Over Water

[13 - The Struggle]

Percy

As soon as we see him, he leaves. As if this meeting was just an excuse to ridicule us. We're all standing up now, in fighting stances. Cisco, however, wasn't. He looked scared out of his mind and I would've laughed at him if it weren't for the situation.

"What the holy frak just happened," Cisco breathes out, his eyes wide and his lollipop still in his hand, shockingly.

"I have no idea-" I said but the flicker of the lights cuts me off. I looked around us and watched as the streetlights die out in a blink of an eye. And after that, it was like a line of dominoes. All the lights near us went out before we could question what was happening. All the lights went out around us except the light near us, as if we were under a spotlight.

Was this supposed to be some funny trick to him?

My hand flew to my pocket and I held Riptide (in pen form). If this speedster was mortal, my sword wouldn't do anything. But I could always use it to intimidate him. Although that was unlikely, this man doesn't seem like the person to be afraid of anything.

But suddenly, the man was back, red lightning trailed after him, the same way it did like Barry's.

This was all too confusing.

"What are you-" Barry begins to shout but he's cut off when he's thrown to the ground and lands with a loud thud. The same happens to Cisco, poor him. Except he was thrown at a tree and lands at its base, groaning in pain.

I wait for the incoming incursion, holding the now uncapped Riptide in front of me protectively. I would've used my powers but it was hard since he moved too quick for me to get an aim on him.

I spin around in my spot, trying to look for the speedster. And I suddenly hear a whoosh just a few feet away from me. I turn towards the sound but it's too late.

Instead of getting incapacitated, I feel a strong grip on my throat and I'm pushed against a tree. My head hits the trunk hard and it feels like butterflies are floating around me. I groan in pain while I clawed at his fingers but my arms went slack and numb at my side. I wanted to cough and splutter but there didn't seem to be enough air.

I don't know what I expected to happen at the park, but it definitely wasn't this.

"Go home, Perseus Jackson. This isn't your fight. Not unless you choose it to be," he said. His voice was distorted and a bit freaky. But before I could retort back about this being my business, he dropped me and with that, he rushed away, the three of us on the ground and his trail of red lightning was the only evidence of his presence here.

I stayed there, gasping out for air, still shocked after what just happened. My hand touched my throat scarcely, as if it was a prized possession. Barry finally got up, getting support from the bench and he gave me a curt nod before he sped away after the Man in the Yellow Suit. Cisco seemed uninjured as well, except his oh-so luscious hair had leaves in it.

Annabeth and Caitlin just decided that now would be the best time to come over. Impeccable timing, I would say. "What happened? We heard some ruckus over here and wanted to make sure you were okay. And where did Barry go?" Caitlin runs over, panting. And I just shake my head in response, a bead of sweat rolls down my temple.

Barry

It's like he's always one step ahead. It's like he knows what I'm going to do next and knows exactly how to use that to his advantage. I heard what he said to Percy, but it was hard focusing on them when my back really hurt.

I followed the man through the labyrinth of the city. We passed by cars and people. Our lightning that tailed us as we ran lit up the streets. I was so close to being faster. He was so close, yet so far. And that made me angrier than ever. I almost grabbed him, I reached my arm out and almost took ahold of his shoulder but he took a sharp right and that distracted me. I swore under my breath as I followed him into a stadium. But when I finally stopped and stood in the middle, completely exposed, he had disappeared.