Percy Jackson and the Armies of Chaos ~ Complete

Stay Away!

Hi, so I decided to post two chapters in a day.

Annabeth's POV

My lip trembled as I took in the profile of the man that I used to call Percy. I took a hesitant step towards him, only to have his team instantly in my path, baring their teeth.

"It is you," I whispered. "Seaweed Brain-"

"You do not get to call me that." He hissed at me, and I instantly recoiled. What happened to him?

He looked up, and I was paralyzed by the hate in his sea-green eyes. He glared at every camper that he could see, including the rest of the seven.

"Percy," Piper said, her voice soothing and calm. "We're so sorry, so incredibly sorry..."

"You set up this attack." Percy said, not even acknowledging Piper. "Just so you could see if it was really me. Did you not think that innocent lives could be lost? Did you not think of the greater good? I expected more from you, Annabeth."

Hearing him say my name again, after all of these years... It completely wiped away all of my reasoning and intelligence.

"Percy, please." I implored, stretching out my hands. I watched him cower like a caged dog, and Era was immediately in front of him, his guardian, his protector.

"Stay away," she hissed, her ponytail whipping around. "You do not get to harm him any more than you already have."

"It was a potion," I started explaining, almost begging. I had never broken this quickly. "It's effects, it triggered things inside of us-"

"Ah!" Era said, pointing a triumphant finger towards me. "It triggered things that were already inside of you. You despised him from the start. You didn't trust him, and you thought that he wasn't good enough for you. In a way, that makes it worse," she sneered.

"No, it wasn't like that-"

"I've heard enough." Percy's hollow voice made everyone freeze. "Let's go back, Era... Seraphim."

Era sent me one last chilling glare that clearly had some kind of challenge in it. Mine, he's mine, that's what she was telling me. I didn't take the bait, I wasn't that stupid.

But Seaweed Brain and I, we had been through so much together. He and Era had had 800 years together, but Percy and I had a connection. A real one. Normally, I don't like to think about Fate and destiny, but for now... I like to think that the gods are on my side.

Alkaios's POV

"They set us up." Hale slammed a hand onto the wooden table.

"That is mahogany!" Aiyla said. (Teehee)

"Who cares!" Hale said back. He seemed to take my being a demigod in stride, which was exactly like him. He adapted, he didn't ask questions...

Aiyla, on the other hand, was a nagger. She never let things go.

"Who are you really, Alkaios?" She said, her blue eyes big and innocent. I saw Era tense with a predatory stillness.

I was still getting used to this bond.

"It's- a long story," I sighed, running a hand through my black hair. "Enough to fill ten books. But we have time. Sit."

For almost two hours, I told them of all of my adventures, until the very last day when Chaos found me. By the end of it, all of them looked about ready to raze the camp to the ground.

"What," Hale said, fighting to keep his breathing steady, "Are we going to do about this?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I came to Earth knowing full well what could happen. The hood was a bother anyway. But..." I winced, and they all tensed at the vulnerability in my gaze. "I'm not happy about this, and I'd rather not talk to the immortal campers if I don't have to."

"We will keep them away," vowed Ralan.

"Of course, we don't always have to do that," I mused, putting a hand to my chin. "We could always make life difficult for them."

Era pointed at me with a devilish look on her face. "I like the way you think."

"Well," I concluded, sitting up from the sofa and brushing off my clothes. "Just act as you normally would, I can deal with this myself."

"You don't have t-" Ralan started, but I cut him off.

"I know I don't, but this is something I want to do myself, if possible. Just go with it... I don't want to give you scripts or anything."

"Ok," Hale said, unconvinced. "We'll try."

"Go," Era ushered them out. "I have to have a talk with lovely Alkaios here."

That sent them scurrying out the door.

I turned towards her, letting the mask that I built up slip down, stepping into her waiting arms.

"I can kill her, if you want." She said, patting my back.

Only Era would suggest something like that... Jeeze.

"No, she's a good strategist, we need her in the war." But still...

She took in my broken expression, and her own face softened. "You knew that it would be hard, but you came anyway. Just remember that."

I nodded, my hair flopping down into my face.

"Will you wear your hood?"

"No point," I replied. "They all know who I am, the rumors have spread already. Might as well get it over with..."

Era took my arm, and we stepped out of the cabin into the waiting sunlight.

So? What did you think? Please tell me how you feel about the Percy/Era pairing. Is it written well?