Percy's pov
I lift my heavy sword as I fight off another wave of monsters. They keep coming and coming.
"We need to fall back!" Annabeth says. I nod in agreement. Hopefully before they close in around us, like they were trying to do.
We start to fall back when I hear a voice that makes my blood boil. "Leaving so soon?" Kelly asks.
I narrow my eyes as she parts the crowd of now watching monsters.
"You know, it was really a pity that I didn't even get a taste of that pathetic girl's blood." She says, using her spear to gesture with.
I growl.
"Oh, right. She's your little sister isn't she? All the better. I think the Earth Mother has found them."
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to devor people? Especially when they have done nothing but good?" I ask, stalling.
"No. My mother says the exact oppissite, Perseus Jackson. And speaking of mothers... she tasted wonderful, if you wanted to know." She licks her lips as my blood boils even more.
Jason puts a hand on my shoulder. "She's lieing. Mrs. Jackson is still breathing. Depressed, but breathing and walking all the same."
I relax some as Kelly shoots an angry glare at Jason. "Fall on your sword, Grace." I sence the power in her voice.
"Jason. Don't listen to her. None of you." I say to the others. Jason blinks but nods all the same.
Kelly stomps her foot in anger. "Ugh! Do you have to get in the way of everything, Jackson!?"
I roll my eyes. "Is the ocean salty? Are you a brat?" I ask rehtorically.
She stamps her foot again like an angry toddler. "You better watch it! Or poor little Alex will have a worse fate then holding the sky!" She screams at me. She 'composes' herself. "Now, be a good boy and surrender. You're hopelessly outnumbered."
"Not by the hair of my chinny-chin chin!" I say, annoying her even more.
"Perseus Jackson! You insufferable little-"
"Uh un uh! Children are present!" I say, as if talking to a five year old. "Now!" I duck as Annabeth throws a knife over my head, straight into Kelly's heart. She explodes on impact.
Leo's pov
Why do you even try, little hero? Gaia's sleepy voice asks me.
I glance up to see a half closed eye looking down at me. I start moving again.
"Because then there is no chance if I don't try..." I grunt.
She'll die anyway... why not save the trouble and get it over with now?
I ignore her as I continue to move down slowly.
What about Calpiso? She still waits for you...
"I promised I'd come back for her, and I will."
But she has fallen for you while the girl you say you love is dieing on your very back. She won't live for much longer, little hero.
I risk grabbing a screw driver from my belt and I throw it at her eye. Bullseye!
She shakes her head, causing me to lose my footing. I slip and grab on to a rock that seems to represent a mole. Gross.
I dangle in front of her mouth. She blows hard and I lose my grip, causing Alex and I to start plummeting to the ground below.
I untie Alex from me and move her to where I would hit first. I grab some cloth, thread, and needle and somehow mange to get a good parashoot. I let it go as I grab a hook and rope from my belt.
I mange to throw the hook with rope attached toward the rocks. Immediately I feel a jerk from the rope attaching to the rocks. I smile widely, wind whistling through my hair.
The parachute slows our sideways descent. I extend my feet for impact. Alex groans and buries her face in my chest, trying to avoid the whipping wind.
We slow some, but not enough. Pain spreads through my legs as it rams into the rocks at a fast pace. I yelp as we swing back and my shoulder runs into the very solid wall.
After a moment, I bite my lip and desend the rest of the way, ignoring my ankle that scream in protest. The girl in my arms will always come first.
I start moving across the open area and into a cave we had found a ways away that we left most of our stuff in.
I found a sleeping bag and lay Alex on top of it. She mumbles something. I lean down as she mumbles it again. "Leo........"
My eyes widen. I shake my head and get a first aid kit from my backpack. I start cleaning off one of her arms and a few words take form, though the biggest is Unwanted. Worthless, ugly, useless, used. And a few others I would rather not say, but made my blood boil nonetheless.
The one on her chest and forehead hits me most. I remember oh so long ago...
A eight year old Alex stood a few feet away in the school hallway. I stop as I realize three of the biggest bullies in school were tormenting her.
"Why should a Freak like you be loved? I bet your Daddy doesn't even like you!" One says.
"That must be the reason she doesn't have a Mommy, she up and left because she couldn't love a freak like you!"
"T-that's not true..." Alex whispers.
"Oh!? Tell me I'm lieing! She left becasuse she hated you!" The third says.
"N-no... please, stop..." She whispers, a tear falling down her cheek.
I start walking over.
The largest, Bradley, looks at me and sneers. "Oh look, the scrawny class clown has come to save the day! Oh, I'm so scared!"
"Leave her alone, meatheads." I say bravely, though I certainly didn't feel it.
"What did you call us?"
"He didn't mean it!" Alex says, looking at me, her eyes telling me to run.
"So you need your ears as well as your egos cleaned out? I said, Leave her alone, meatheads!"
Henry cracks his knucles as they start to chase me. I wink aat Alex before running around the corner.
(Later)
I sat on the apartment stairs as Alex cleaned up a cut on my cheek. "Ya shouldn' have done that, Leo."
"Eh, I'm use to it." I shrug, whincing slightly as she touches my black eye.
She shakes her head, chuckling. "Ya didn' have to do it either."
I look her dead in the eye. "I'll do anything and everything for ya Ally. Now come on, Mom's making cookies."
I shake my head, ridding the memory as I bandage the last injury on her.
