Titans Wrath

Annabeth: Chapter 6

     I was in the middle of arguing with Ares about the strategical benefits of trench warfare from WW1 over the hill based warfare of the American Civil War when a sea breeze filled my nose. I halted mid sentence, confused, considering we were in my patron palace on Olympus. "What is it?" Ares asked, noticing my pause in my sentence. He took a breath before I could say anything and grunted. "Right, you should probably go to that." Again, before I could respond he put a hand on my shoulder and with a gruff shove, I fell through space as I was flashed to the Olympian Arena. Around me stood all of the other guardians, and in front of us, Percy stood, tall and proud, Riptide panted between his feet in the ground. 

     Even after all these years, I still got chills when I saw him. His hair was tousled like he just got back from a walk on the beach, and was so dark it seemed to drain the color from everything around it. His face was angular and tan, with high cheek bones and a defined jaw. As he grew older, he started looking more and more like the god that conceived him and less like a mortal. His frame was broad and tall, but not overly buff. He was muscled like a swimmer, lean and fast. I didn't realize I was zoned out ogling him until he flashed me a wink. Heat rushed to my face but thankfully no one seemed to notice. 

     "Sup guys." His hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword and he pulled it free of the ground effortlessly. "I've been tasked with training you all to be the best you can be." All of us looked between eachother and I noticed a few doubtful looks. I remembered that, after the war with Gaea, none of them had really seen my husband in action, and they had clearly forgotten. 

     Jason stepped forward, a grin on his face. "Oh yea? And what makes the gods think you're any better than the rest of us?" He challenged. His words were harsh but his eyes twinkled with amusement and the spark of their old rivalry back on the Argo II. 

     "My my, is that a formal challenge, Grace?" Percy shot back, his own eyes glinting with mischief. He rolled Riptide around in his right hand twirling it around. Jason drew his sword and the rest of us stepped back. Hazel and Piper rolled their eyes while Frank and Nico exchanged a handful of drachmas. Thalia nudged me and mumbled under her breath as the boys began to stretch. 

     "5 Drachma says Percy ends up on his back in 5 minutes." She mumbled and I laughed, handing her the coins. 

     "You're so on, Grace." 

Linebreak

     After about 10 minutes of prep, the rest of us guardians had made it into the stands to watch. Percy stood on one side of the arena and Jason stood on the other. Nico stood in the middle, holding up a hand to either of them like a wrestling announcer. "Alright boys, I want a good clean duel. No hitting of the uh, 'family jewels'. Avoid maiming if you can, no dismemberment, yadda yadda. Powers are allowed. Ready?" He looked at Percy, to which he nodded. I shuddered at the look on my husbands face. Every time Percy got prepared for a fight, he became way more terrifying. His eyes became hard and cold, calculating. I had taught him everything I could about tactics and reading an opponent in a fight, and ever since I had never seen him lose a duel. His prowess with a sword was already unmatched. "Ready?" Nico looked at Jason, who grinned and nodded in response. Nico raised his hands high, held it there, and then sliced down quickly, dissolving into shadows as he did. 

     The moment the fight started, Jason's gladius morphed into a pilum. He raised it high and thunder rumbled. Percy had only cleared half the arena when lightening flashed, arching down the shaft of Jason's spear and redirecting right at Percy's chest. For a horrifying moment I thought Jason had won, but then Percy materialized behind Jason. Jason must have felt a change in the air around him because he suddenly dove forward and came to a roll, landing on one knee and driving his spear straight at Percy's chest. 

     Sparks flew as Riptide flashed, parrying Jason's spear. Fast as lightening, his spear turned back into a gladius. Within seconds Percy and Jason were locked in a frighteningly fast series of strikes and blocks and dodges and parries. Jason's face was clenched in concentration, but Percy looked normal. His face was lax, his expression lazy and his eyes still cold and unforgiving. 

     I grinned.

     Percy was playing with Jason. Everyone else's face was a mix of shock and awe watching the two duel, both moving blindingly fast, the force of their sword strikes felt through the ground. Sweat beaded Jason's face and his arm started to droop. He was tiring, quickly, but Percy still appeared to be fine. With a roar, mid strike, Jason's sword turned back into a spear as he faked a swing at Percy's head. Percy moved to block it just for Jason to swing his spear like a bat straight into Percys ribs. Percy stumbled back, but Jason had already moved onto the offensive. Gripping his spear in both hands, he went to stab at Percy's chest, but last second Percy managed to push the spear to the left. Instead of pulling back, Jason put even more force into his swing, and instead slammed the butt end of his spear across Percy's forehead. We were all quiet, and even Jason seemed surprised as Percy stumbled back, raising a hand to his head. When he pulled his hand away, I saw it had blood on it, and blood trailed down his right cheek and down his chin. Then, Percy smiled. Either from exhaustion or fear, I saw Jason shiver. 

     "My turn." Percy's word reverberated through the whole arena, and the ground rumbled ominously. Percy's feet left the ground as the water in the air condensed around him and formed storm clouds, letting him hover in place. The clouds swirled in a miniature hurricane, rain being slung in every direction, and lighting flashed in his dark clouds. Jason rose off the ground as well, lightening crackling between his fingertips and out of the corners of his eyes, both of which were glowing with crackling blue energy. Suddenly, it was like the temperature int he arena had been cranked up as waves of their power washed over us like waves of heat. They both flew at eachother and their was a deafening BOOM. 

     When the smoke cleared, Percy stood over Jason, the tip of Riptide resting under the unconscious son of Jupiter's chin.