Ghosts - A Percabeth Story

Deal. . .

Percy needed to get to the top of Half-Blood Hill, and fast. None of the demigods seemed to notice the mob of monsters at the top of the hill, they were just too busy defending the Big House and the Cabins. 

Percy hurried through the spirit-infested and ichor splattered strawberry fields, slicing at demons as he went by them. None of the demigods Percy ran by recognized him, and he only recognized a few. Clarisse and a few other Ares kids grinned like maniacs as they cut down demon after demon, seeming to be having the time of their lives. Some of them lunged at him thinking he was one of the angry spirits, but he dodged their swings with ease.

Percy didn't necessarily have a plan for when he finally made it to the top of the hill. He figured he'd just distract Dozer for a while, then go from there. He regretted not gathering a few campers to go up with him, but it was too late to go back down now. They would probably try to kill him anyways. For each second he wasted, another demigod was getting hurt by a demon. He had to hurry.

He tried to blend in with the ghouls. A few had seen him run up the hill and murder their brethren, and they lunged at him. Percy quickly killed them, and thankfully the other monsters were too excited to notice.

Percy made his way through the barrage of spirits, trying to see what--or who--they were watching. He had an idea of who it was, and that was the creature he needed to find. He made it to the front of the crowd and froze. What he saw horrified him.

Small doglike creatures scurried up and down Thalia's Pine, biting at its branches, making it bleed golden sap. More of the creatures played tug-of-war with the Golden Fleece, and others were chewing on the Athena Parthenos. Their teeth were ridiculously long, making it so the doglike creatures couldn't close their mouths. Their jaws were bigger than their body was, and strong enough to take giant chunks out of the Athena Parthenos's base. 

Floating between the tree and statue was Dozer. His hood was down, but Percy couldn't see his face because Dozer's back was to him. From the angle his head was tilted, it was plain that he was watching the chaos happening down in Camp Half-Blood.

Anger surged in Percy, and he just barely managed to keep it in check. "Lord Dozer," he called, stepping forward. 

All the monsters, demons, and doglike creatures stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Dozer slowly turned, and Percy finally saw his face.

It was a grotesque mix of dog, human, and zombie. His muzzle had large piece of it missing, showing the muscles and bone of his jaws. He had long, spiky ears and two large eyes. One was a regular human eye, while the other was a small, glossy black one. 

"Perseus Jackson," Dozer growled through the gap in his jaw. "I remember you. You're the dead demigod on the Isle of the Blest who stubbornly refused to join me and I sent to the Fields of Punishment."

Percy's fists shook, but he managed to keep his voice steady. "Yes, sir. But, I have changed my mind. I would like to serve you."

That caught Dozer's full attention. His eyes sparkled. "Oh, really?"

Percy gave a stiff nod of confirmation.

"Well then," Dozer sniffed, floating down so he hovered just above the ground before Percy. "What brought about this change of heart?"

"I saw who was winning, and noticed just how powerful you are." 

"How did you get out of the Fields and Underworld?" Dozer questioned, his eyes shinning with an emotion Percy couldn't name.

Percy swallowed. He hadn't thought about that alibi.

The demons around him sensed his agitation and snarled. He had approximately five seconds to come up with a good, believable story, or he would be sent back to the Fields.

"I, uh," he took a deep breath, trying to ignore the murderous glares from the various monsters. "I realized how wrong I had been to decline your offer, and would like to take it if the position is still, um, available."

Dozer stared at him. Percy felt a jolt of fear. If Dozer didn't believe the story, he was doomed.

Dozer leaned down, and Percy struggled to keep from flinching. "If you really want a position in my army--especially as my lieutenant--you must do one thing to prove your loyalty." Dozer breathed, his jaws beside Percy's translucent ear. His breath reeked, which made Percy wish that when he had died he would've lost his sense of smell. 

From the fact that Dozer was breathing, Percy could tell he wasn't a ghost. That would make it that much easier to kill him then.

Percy nodded, staring straight ahead. Even though he was dead, it felt like Dozer would still be able to rip his ghostly form to shreds if he made him angry. "Yes, sir. Anything to prove that I want to be part of your army."

The remaining parts of Dozer's lips curled. "Glad to hear it." He lowered his voice. "Kill Annabeth Chase, then we will have a deal."