The Heroes' Downfall

Chapter Four

**Jason's POV**

"What was that, Piper?" I asked calmly, as she sat on her knees, leaning into me, clutching my shirt. She leaned into me more, crying.

"It wasn't me.. I didn't have control." She said, looking up at me, hoping that I would believe her. She cried more, when I bit my lip, not sure whether to believe it.

"Piper... You attacked Percy.." I said slowly. She pulled away, obviously hurt.

"You don't believe me?" She asked. I sighed, shaking my head. She slowly got up, and walked back to her cabin. I followed her there, and I listened as a door locked, and more tears fell. I sighed.

I started to walk toward the infirmary, and Annabeth caught up to me. "She wasn't lying you know." She said.

"How do you know that?" I asked her. She sighed.

"I know, because she would never hurt Percy voluntarily. I think whatever happened to Percy, happened to Piper. I doubt whatever happened, was a vendetta between the two, that no one knew about." She said. The idea formed in my head, and I knew she was probably right. Okay. She was right. Annabeth is never wrong.

"I'll go apologize to her after I go in and check on Percy. Are visitors allowed? I figured you would be in there with him." I said, confused.

"No visitors. He needs to regain consciousness, and then he is going to go and hang out on Olympus, with Poseidon and Apollo." She sighed sadly.

I nodded, then decided to make a joke about it. "Just like the old days of the second great prophecy, on the Argo II. Remember when Leo, Percy, and I got possessed?" I smiled, hoping then and there, that Annabeth wouldn't kill me. She chuckled, to my surprise.

"If that's the case, and the Eidolon have broken there oath on the Styx."

I nodded. "Yeah, no kidding." I was kind of worrying that that may be the case.   I sighed. "I'm going to go and check on Piper.." I said to her, and she nodded.

"Good plan." She replied. I turned around, and walked toward the Aphrodite cabin. I knocked quietly.

Drew opened the door, letting me in almost immediately, and I walked into Piper's area. She saw me, and buried her face into her pillow, refusing to look at me. I sat down next to her, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She hid her face deeper, and I could tell she was crying. I slipped my hand into hers, and I felt her try to tug it away.

"I'm sorry, Piper." I said gently. She shook her head, obviously not believing me. I sighed, carefully turning her body to the side, slightly forcing her to look at me. She quickly turned back into her pillow.

She spoke into the pillow, making her words muffled. "I'm dating the pillow now." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I'll have you know Miss McLean, that I've been dating your blanket. We have a very good relationship going, and you and your pillow are interrupting our date." I said, hoping to make her smile.

She turned to look at me, and I got my wish. Her lips were curled up slightly, but no teeth showed, which was fine with me, as long as she was smiling a little bit.

I lifted her up, and into my arms. She looked at me, some of the happiness returning to her kaleidoscope eyes. "So, you've been cheating on me?" She asked.

"Yes, but we started dating the minute that I found out that you were cheating on me with your pillow." I said, chuckling. Her smile widened, a thin line of teeth peeking out from between her lips.

"I see." She turned to her pillow, lifting it up. "We are through. My original boyfriend came back." A small laugh escaped her lips, and I wrapped her into a tight hug. She looked at me expectantly. "Are you going to break up with my blanket?" She said, and I laughed.

I turned to her blanket, lifting part of it up. "Your charmspeak has no more effect on me. You shouldn't have coaxed me into dating you, just because the pillow cheated on you. We are done for." I said. Piper looked at me, laughing, her eyes regaining their normal happy glow even if it would only last a bit.

**Percy's POV**

I woke up in a bed in the infirmary, panicking the minute I didn't see Annabeth. My vision was blurry from blood loss, and my head spun, making me dizzy. I attempted to take normal breaths, but instead the result became me hyperventilating. Will ran up to me.

"Percy! Breathe!" He yelled at me, but the breaths came too quick. I wanted Annabeth. My vision was spotted, and my head began to swim. I slowly felt myself slip away, back into unconsciousness.

--1 Hour Later--

My eyes fluttered open, and I scanned my surroundings. My eyes spotted no Annabeth, but instead found Will.

"Where's Annabeth?" I croaked out. I could already feel my breaths quickening. Will turned his head to look at me, smiling. He wasn't telling me where Annabeth was. Had she been hurt, too? I couldn't even save my girlfriend. I asked him again, this time between quick breaths. "Whe-Where's- Anna-Annabeth?"

Will noticed my panic attack, and rushed over to me. He put a hand on my chest, trying to get me to breathe. He still hadn't told me where Annabeth was..

I took a few more quick breaths, before I started to sob. In between a couple of sobs, I managed to choke out, "I wa-want Ann-Annabeth.."

One of Will's siblings, ran out of the infirmary, and my vision danced. Will held me upright, telling me to breathe and relax. Two people walked into the infirmary, but my vision was to unfocused to see who. A hand touched my back, and I immediately knew it was Annabeth. I relaxed into her touch, leaning into her hand.

My breathing lessened, and Annabeth sat down on the bed next to me. I put my head on her shoulder, and slowly felt myself, falling asleep. Before I fell asleep completly, I muttered a single word.

"Stay."

7/28/17