The Darkness Is Coming

She's All I Have

[A/N there might be some graphics in the fight scenes. I'm putting them in italics if that helps. Acrisius also speaks in italics]

"I want Torrington."

Percy glanced at Alessa. Her eyes were fiery as she watched the man who'd essentially brought her into the world.

"You can have him. I've got Nakamura. At least we have the advantage of Nemesis not being able to attack."

Alessa just grunted, racing towards the fight.

Just before they reached the two demigod leaders, they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"So sorry, children of Poseidon." Nemesis sneered. "You'll have to work a little harder to get to them."

Percy glanced at Alessa. "My guess is we have to fight before getting to them."

"Then we go through the army." She snapped.

Percy glanced up at the fighting and sighed. "Through we go."

They ran into battle together.

Percy quickly found that he enjoyed fighting with someone alongside him who knew all the same things he did. Alessa moved at the same speed he did, using many of the same moves.

"Pull water from the lake!" Percy yelled to her.

"Already on it!" Alessa shouted back. "You focus on your sword-work."

"I don't need to focus." Percy quipped, decapitating a telkhine as he turned to look at Alessa.

She threw an ice shard past his face. Percy heard a shriek of pain and turned to see a Laistrygonian stumbling backwards, the ice stabbing into its eye.

"You're shoddy."

"If I am that's your fault." Percy kept fighting. "You're the one who locked me in a corner of my mind for gods only know how long."

"Just focus on the fight." Alessa snapped again. 

They were past the few monsters and into the group of demigods now. Percy paused, trying to decide whether or not to kill them, but Alessa kept moving calmly through like she had with the monsters.

"Alessa-"

"They've sworn a blood oath. They cannot be saved."

Percy winced as she decapitated a young woman wielding a dual knives.

Alessa suddenly whirled. "They're that way."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

Percy sighed and followed her as she ran through the group. He tried not to look at the carnage she left behind. Killing monsters was one thing, it was just gold dust... this was very different.

Suddenly they were surrounded. The demigods in the Chaos Army pushed in. Percy grabbed Alessa and pulled her over so their backs were pressed together. "We're stuck."

"Not for long." She growled.

"Alessa, think about what they're being put through-"

"They're dead, Percy!" Alessa yelled. "Ethan and Alabaster pricked their fingers, drank their blood, then snapped their necks. The perfect mindless soldiers. Just kill their bodies and be done with it!"

Percy gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going. They fought off the teenagers circling them.

Suddenly a path opened up. Percy jumped, pulling Alessa with him, but he found that their escape was not what it was meant to be.

Alessa screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Percy whirled and moved to stand above her, swinging his sword at anything that moved. Mortals and demigods alike could go to Hades. She was all he had left.

He noticed movement behind him and spun, sword first.

"Easy. Just me." Nico intercepted it with his own sword. "Let me get her out of the way."

Percy gritted his teeth but nodded. Nico knelt and touched Alessa's shoulder, folding into his shadow.

And then he was alone. Alone in a mass of mindless bodies that wanted his head on a platter.

Percy went into autopilot. His sword flashed over and over as he slammed through the ranks.

Red hair. Brown hair. Blue eyes. Green eyes. One impressive set of orange ones. Short noses. Long ones. Hooked ones. The faces blurred. He didn't care anymore. They were dead. He could see it in their eyes now, there was nothing.

He learned his lesson with the bodies. At first Percy had tried to just knock them aside or stab them in a place that would kill a living being. Once a girl with startling green hair and a thick slice through her throat jumped on him from the side, he realized he had to fully decapitate them before moving on.

"That'll be a mess to clean up." He grumbled to himself.

Suddenly the lines of armored bodies were gone. Percy had fought his way clear through the army.

Ethan and Alabaster stood in front of him, both of them with weapons drawn. Percy gritted his teeth.

'My turn.' Acrisius spoke up. He'd been rather quiet the past few days.

Percy paused.

"Having second thoughts?" Alabaster sneered.

'You swore.' Acrisius reminded him.

'Alright, fine.' Percy closed his eyes.

Alabaster started forward, but Ethan stopped him. "Something's happening...." He was watching Percy.

The son of Poseidon opened his eyes again. One had stayed its usual sea-green, but one had turned a watery blue.

"My turn." Acrisius spoke again.

[A/N ALRIGHT KIDS. Time for you to be helpful. Does Alessa live or die? Do we rip another loved one from Percy's life? With so little left for him as it is? Do we DESTROY the man? Comment beloooooow]