The Half-Blood Games | Percabeth

Chapter 21: Percy

"Percy?" I whispered, barely believing it.

"Whats up?" he asked. 

I stared at him for a few seconds, shocked. Then I rushed forwards and hugged him.

I could tell I shocked him, but I didn't care. I was just so happy to see him, especially now that he had saved my life.

"Thank you," I told him, staring into his sea-green eyes.

"Don't mention it," He grinned. "We should probably get out of here. I don't now how many sharks this one's body will attract."

That's when I remembered; Percy was a Career. Which meant...

"Where are your allies?" I asked.

Percy tilted his head at me. "My what?"

"Your allies," I replied. "Hazel. And Frank. Rachel. Where are they?"

Percy's face dawned with realization. "Oh, them. They aren't my allies anymore."

I bunched up my eyebrows. "What?"

"I ran away from them after the flood started," Percy said. "Had to make sure you were all right."

Now I was really confused. "What?"

"Well, the whole reason I was with them in the first place was to make sure they didn't kill you," Percy told me. "They really wanted to kill you, you know. Especially Octavian. But I guess you don't have to worry about him anymore."

He joined them to protect me? The idea seemed strange in my head. It didn't really make sense.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I care about you, duh," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now let's go."

I don't have enough time to process his words before he's off. He swims beautifully, like he was born in the water. It makes sense. He is from District 4, after all. They say that everyone there can swim as well as the fish.

He slows down and matches my pace, while giving me helpful tips such as, "Slow down your kicks!" and "Move your arms more!"

I listen, and instantly start to see the difference. I'm grateful for it.

The rain has stopped, and the water level is starting to lower. Percy and I reach the first mountain, and land on a ledge just as the water sinks below it. It's almost as if someone had pulled out a plug, and all the water was draining out. I wonder if that's actually what the Gamemakers did.

"So," I ask as Percy and I sit down, exhausted. Well, I am, anyway. He looks like he could keep going for hours. "Are we allies now?"

Percy shrugs. "I guess."

And that's that.

We have a perfect view of the Cornucopia from our ledge. The water is completely gone now, and I watch as Frank, Hazel, and Rachel run towards it. The supplies are gone, either wiped away by the water or destroyed by it. I see them start to freak out, yelling at each other and pulling out weapons. Maybe, if we're lucky, they'll kill each other.

I realize that this is all who's left. Seeing as a cannon went off today, Nico di Angelo from District 10 must be dead. Which means the three Careers on the ground and the two of us are the only remaining tributes.

"It's almost over," Percy says. "There's only five of us left."

I agree with him. Soon, the Capitol will start the end of the Games, which should be something horrifying, involving mutations or fires or who knows what. I don't want to think about it.

"We should find somewhere to hide," I say. "It'll be night soon."

Percy nods.

We can't stay on the mountain, like I had originally planned. We would be in the direct eye line of the Careers if we did. Instead, we find a cave in the mountain. It's pretty inside, with different colors of sandstone covering the walls.

"You hungry?" Percy asked. I nodded, and he tossed me a bag of dried fruit. "I hope you have more food, cause that's all I got."

I laugh. "Yeah, I do."

We eat in silence. I study him. He's muscular, much more so than Leo, and seems relaxed. He reminds me of my former ally. He has the same relaxed attitude, sense of humor, and smile that makes you want to smile back.

"So..." He starts, but drops off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

So much has changed since our meetings on the roof. We've changed. I can sense it in him, and I know I have. But I still see the cocky boy I talked with then, and I see Leo, no matter how much pain it brings me.

"Do you have any family?" I ask, realizing I don't know much about him. It's funny, how much you can talk to someone without knowing anything about them.

He smiles. "Yup. There's my step-dad, my mom, and my little brother."

"The one you volunteered for," I remember. He nods.

"Tyson," His smile widens. "I love him more than anything in the world."

I smile too. "What happened to your dad?"

"He died in a fishing accident before I was born," Percy says dismissively. So we both never knew our fathers.

"Do you ever think about them?" I ask. "When you're here? Knowing that they're watching you?"

Percy looks sad now. "All the time. And I assume you do, too. You have your Great-Aunt, right? And all the orphans."

I nod, surprised that he remembered that. It's been awhile since our last rooftop conversation, and so much has happened.

Just then, the anthem plays. I can see the sky from the cave, and sure enough, Nico di Angelo from District 10's face is up there, glittering like the stars.

Percy clears his throat. "Well, we should probably get some rest. It'll be a long day tomorrow."

I nod. Tomorrow will probably be the end, and we'll need all the rest we can get.

Percy has his own backpack, and his own sleeping bag. We set ours up next to each other, and climb in. It's comforting, having him beside me. I feel like I have Leo back.

"Goodnight, Annabeth," He says. 

"Goodnight, Percy," I reply.

And then I close my eyes, not wanting to think about what will happen tomorrow, not wanting to think about anything. But my dreams are filled with the sea-green eyed boy sleeping right beside me.