"Those were his instructions? And he killed Meg too?" Chuck says.
"No... I doubt he was the one that killed her. Although, I'm pretty sure he went and found himself a red player to do it for him." I say.
"My god... but then if he really did have her killed. Why would he go through all this trouble just to help us out?!" Bianca says.
"You explained your plan to him, in detail didn't you? Your plan was the perfect chance for him to bury the ring incident, and any witnesses once and for all. All he'd have to do is sit back and wait for you, Will and Chuck to get together, you'd be sitting ducks." I say.
"That's why...." Chuck says. "They knew we'd be here, because he hired them."
"My guess is, it was probably the same people that killed Meg." I say.
Bianca nearly collapses but Will catches her.
"Found him." Annabeth says steeping out of the fog, with a tall man in a dark coat and a hat and sunglasses.
"Hello, Long time no see." Grimlock says in a cold dead voice.
"Did you... did you really plan this?" Bianca says. "How could you Grimlock, answer me! How could you kill Meg!? Was it the money, was the money so important that you'd kill your own wife for!?" Bianca starts to cry.
"Money... Did you say money?" Grimlock says. He starts a low cold chuckle then stares at the tree again. "It wasn't for the money, I had to... no matter what. I had to kill her while we were stuck in this world. I had to kill her while she was still my wife... and because she was still my wife in the real world. In a way she was the perfect wife. Ideal, so pretty, so submissive. The whole time we were together we never had a single fight... When we were trapped in here, this world... she changed. In here I was the one who was afraid. Terrified of playing this death game. But she looked so much happier here, more alive than she ever did in the real world. There was nothing I could do about it, she changed the Meg I loved was gone! Gone! But then I realized I didn't have to live it the way she was, murder is part of this game! If I couldn't have the Meg I loved back, then I'd settle for the memory of her! Who could blame me!"
"That's why you did it... That's the reason you killed your wife?!" I say to him.
"It's reason enough... and someday you'll understand too. Once you found love, believe me you'll do anything to keep it!" He smiles at me.
"Your wrong... you got it all wrong. You didn't love Meg, that's not what you felt! You stopped loving her when you became selfish and possessive!" Annabeth says.
Grimlock growls and pulls out a replica dagger and lunges at Annabeth, I push her to the side and onto the ground. The dagger sticks into my stomach and I pull my sword out quickly and bring it down through his arm cutting it off. He screams as I slash his neck with my sword, his body exploding into pixels as the sword slices through him.
"Oh my god, Percy!" Annabeth says from the ground. She hurries to her feet and starts to try to heal me.
"It's ok..." I take a seat on the ground and lay back. "Your not hurt are you?" I ask her.
"No, I'm ok..." she says softly kneeling beside me. "Percy..."
"I'm ok..." I say as I grab the dagger and start pulling it out. The wound instantly closes up. "Only did about 3 damage." I smile.
Her face turns red, and she hits me on the chest repeatedly. "Why did you do that!? Why lay down like your dying!?" she keeps hitting me.
"Ow! I just wanted to mess with you. Oww! And I'm tired." I say laughing as she hits me.
The other three thank us and leave, Chuck goes off back to the front and Will and Bianca go off somewhere together. The sun starts to rise, and the fog starts to dissipate. The sun growing and steadily warming Annabeth and I's backs.
"Hey... say it was you, and you married someone. And later on, you found out she had a side to her you didn't know about. How would you feel?" Annabeth says softly, not looking at me.
"I guess that I was lucky." She snaps her head at me, and I start to get nervous. "Ah.. because if you marry someone, that means you already like whatever you know about them doesn't it? And if you discovered something you didn't know about them for, and fell in love with that too... then that would be awesome." I say.
"Right good answer." She says and a wave of relief washes over me. "Anyway, I'm hungry after all this. I didn't really get to finish my diner."
"Oh... yeah you didn't." I say.
"We should get back to work tomorrow. We've been off the front lines for two days." Annabeth says while stretching.
"Yeah, I was hoping to have this floor totally cleared by the end of this week." I say, Annabeth start to walk away but something catches my eye and I grab her arm.
"No what-" she turns around and we see a beautiful girl standing above Meg's plaque. She gives us a soft and sad smile then disappears with a ray of the sunrise taking her place.
"Hey Percy?" Annabeth says. "Do you want to friend me? It's kinda silly not too, it's convenient. We are on the same assault team after all." She smiles at me.
"But... I'm a solo player." I say.
"I didn't say you had to form a party with me, stop being so dark and gloomy. You should make some friends while you're here." She says.
"Yeah I don't know, its not that-" Annabeth slaps my back. "Hey-"
"Think about it while we eat, no pressure. Come on lets go back and find a good restaurant." She smile and starts to walk, I follow her.
