Percy Jackson and the Dark Elites

XIII

Percy

He didn't know what to think when he heard someone screaming his name in the woods. No one knew he was here. Not just that, but who still knew him by Percy? Even Trial called him Ruin.

At first, he didn't move. Percy couldn't run after someone calling out his real name for help. Would it be suspicious?

No; a scared girl was screaming for help in the woods. He wouldn't be judged for running to her aid. His heart stopped when he realized that he and Annabeth were the only ones nearby. Someone found her. 

Percy loaded his steel bow and ran after the sound. It was coming from further in the woods. Ages away from the cave.

He couldn't run after this girl and leave Annabeth behind, as strong as she was still wounded. But if that was her, the one in danger and screaming for help... He sprinted up the hill, not knowing whether or not he wanted it to be her.

He saw Annabeth face down by a tree. Long scratches marked the wood from three feet up to her, like she'd clawed off the bark.

She was trying to rise to her knees. Her body racked uncontrollably in a coughing fit. Blood fell from her mouth onto the dirt.

Once he was sure no one was in the area, Percy put his arrow back in the quiver and ran to her aid.

She panicked more when he touched her. She kept calling out his name. Screaming Percy over and over. With everything going on he forgot his cover.

"It's me! Annabeth, it's just me! I'm here!"

Annabeth tried desperately to kick his legs out from under him, but she wasn't strong enough.

"Ann-" she cut him off.

However, the sound of his masked voice, deep and raspy, brought him back to his senses.

"It's me. It's me. It's just, It's... Ruin."

Annabeth collapsed on the ground. She stopped fighting against him. She arched her back to get more air in her lungs. Blood coated her shirt where the bullet wound was.

Percy scooped her up and bolted for the river. He took the most direct route from here to there. Which happened to be very far from their cave. The river bent in a U around their location. They wouldn't be able to go back. But they had left no supplies and Percy needed to treat her now.

A gunshot rang in the air. He didn't know where it was coming from, but he set Annabeth down behind a thick tree and he loaded his bow.

Another fired, the sound was close enough for them to be in the gun's range, but the bullets were landing somewhere else. They might not have been the targets.

Annabeth laid on the ground where Percy had left her. Her desperate breaths were loud enough to scare the nearby birds away.

If the gunman listened hard enough, he would hear her. There would be no telling if he was friend or foe until he filled him their bodies with bullets.

Annabeth was mumbling to herself. Percy disarmed his weapon and crouched by her, determined to figure out what was wrong. She wasn't yelling earlier over nothing.

"What is it? What did you see?" He asked in a harsh whisper.

Annabeth clawed at her throat. "Octavian... He's going to take me. Octavian..."

That settled it. Percy picked her up again. They needed to get away from the gunman. Several more shots rang out. All from different weapons.

Soon they would be trapped in the middle of a bloodbath. Percy took the opportunity and sprinted away from the ruckus. When he looked back up the hill he saw several figures retreating in their direction. They were firing at each other.