Finally Together [Perlypso] - Sequel {COMPLETED}

Fifteen- Annabeth Saves my Skin (Again)

Percy

We were losing miserably. The campers were trying to hold their ground, but were pinned down in a small circle, defending the sword fighting arena.

Zeus and I had engaged in combat, and were dueling mercilessly. Every time my sword collided with his master bolt, a shower of sparks and jolts of electricity flew everywhere. Although Zeus was much more powerful than me, I was a much better fighter, and faster. I jumped all around his chariot, manipulating his flying horses and slicing at his back wheels. Zeus had to summon the powers of the winds to keep himself afloat. It was going great until he had me locked between a rock and a hard place. That's when Artemis shot a volley of arrows, nailing him and his chariot, and knocking him out of the sky. He landed face first onto the stone pavilion and was slow to get up.

As great as it felt to put Zeus in his place, the campers and hunters were about to be toast. I ran to assist them and bolted to the sword fighting arena. On my way there, I deflected an arrow that would've lodged itself in a campers rib cage. He looked at me, petrified. Inside, Calypso was barking orders at some of the Apollo healers, and helping assist to campers wounds.

"One last stand?" I asked.

She nodded, and took my hand. We walked out of the arena, and my eyes met Athenas. She wielded a spear, and full Greek battle armor.

She rode her chariot down to me. "Ready to surrender, Percy?" She asked. "If you surrender and give up your camp, we might let you off mercifully... maybe banish you back to Ogygia, rather than send you straight to the depths of Tartarus."

Calypso squeezed my hand tighter. "I'm with him. Always."

"Surrender, to spare yourself and your wife." Athena advised.

"No," I said.

"Your fatal flaw betrays you again," she said. "You can't let go of camp. You can't think clearly because of it."

"This isn't my loyalty to camp," I said. "This is my ability to be selfless."

"Surrender!" Athena yelled. "Before it's too late and all is lost here! I have children fighting. Perhaps not all of them will be turned to dust!"

Were they not the ones that started this war?

"No." I said. "I simply wish to take the punishment on behalf of every Half-Blood and god in this camp."

The whole battlefield grew silent. Everybody turned to me, and stared. Calypso put her arm around me. I pulled her in close. She was all I had at that moment. I couldn't believe I'd put her in so much danger.

"Bah!" Zeus growled. "Should we send them straight to the pits of Tartarus or get more creative?"

"Banish them into the courts of darkness," Hades proposed. "For eternity."

"Stick their spirits to the River Styx," spoke Hera. "Mend them with all the broken dreams and hearts."

"Stop!" A voice rang out. Annabeth left the circle of Olympians, and put herself between Zeus and I. "I can't stand this! You want to punish all these Half-Bloods for no reason! You attacked, you killed, for nothing but a superstition!"

"Who dares-" Zeus began.

"Father," Athena interrupted, and shot Annabeth a warning glare. "She's grief stricken. She does not know what she's doing."

"Silence!" Zeus yelled. "All of you shall perish, the whole lot of you-"

A group of campers moved out of the circle and stood in front of me.

Then another.

Then Hephaestus stepped in front of Zeus, and then Aphrodite. Ares joined, though he didn't look too happy about it.

"What is this, treachery!" Zeus yelled. He certainly didn't like being made to look a fool in front of everybody.

Calypso hugged me tighter.

"Perseus' realm is heroes," Annabeth insisted. "It is his nature and domain to defend them. To fight with them."

Zeus seemed to ponder this.

"Let us all go," Annabeth said. "And there will be no trouble."

A battle like this? No trouble? It certainly looked like the trouble had already been dealt. Greek fire burned buildings, and wreckage from buildings lay everywhere. Bodies of demigods littered the hill.

Calypso hugged me even tighter. I looked at her, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. I managed to smile. "As long as I'm with you."

"No battle can go without consequence," Zeus said. "Perseus. We banish you back to Ogygia for forever except for 2 days of the year: the solstices."

All the campers stared angrily. They were losing their swordsmaster.

"Unless a hero breaks your curse," Athena said. "There you will remain."

"Curse?" I asked.

"Yes. You will be cursed to stay on the island forever. To see the horrors of war, and be able to do nothing about it. You will be haunted by this battle, and all the what if's that surround it. Perseus, you will see all the struggles of heroes, and not be able to assist them. You will be helpless in your own domain. Your heart will ache. A hero must win a gods favor and blessing in order to pursue you, and face dangers unknown in order to break the curse." Athena said. "Your fatal flaw shall be your weakness. You will hurt."

Calypso looked pale.

"Calypso," Athena continued. "Percy has accepted the punishment for both of you. You won't be required to go."

I looked at Calypso. I understood why she wouldn't want to come with me.

"I'll go," she said. "I'll go with him."

"No." I said. "I accept the punishment for both of us." I knew she had bad memories at Ogygia, and I couldn't put her through that again.