In Between Two Worlds (HP/PJO Crossover)

Chapter 76: The Party Ponies Invade.

"One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"

Luke curled his lip. The soldiers who were about to kill us hesitated, waiting for his order.

Before he could say anything, Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was the first pure-black pegasus I'd ever seen, with wings like a giant raven. The pegasus mare bucked and whinnied.

"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"

Luke kept his eyes on Percy.

"I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."

"And you keep avoiding one," I noticed. "Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?"

Luke glanced at his men, and he saw I'd trapped him. If he backed down now, he would look weak. If he fought Percy, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse.

"I'll kill you quickly," he decided, and raised his weapon. Backbiter glinted with an evil gray-and-gold light where the human steel had been melded with celestial bronze. I could almost feel the blade fighting against itself, like two opposing magnets bound together. I didn't know how the blade had been made, but I sensed a tragedy.

Someone had died in the process. Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield.

He grinned at Percy wickedly.

"Luke," Annabeth said, "at least give him a shield."

"Sorry, Annabeth," he said. "You bring your own equipment to this party."

The shield was a problem. Fighting two-handed with just a sword gives you more power, but fighting one-handed with a shield gives you better defense and versatility. There are more moves, more options, more ways to kill. I thought back to Chiron, who'd told me to stay at camp no matter what, and learn to fight. Now I was going to pay for not listening to him.

Luke lunged and almost killed Percy on the first try. His sword went under his arm, slashing through his shirt.

He jumped back, then counterattacked with Riptide, but Luke slammed his blade away with his shield.

"My, Percy," Luke chided. "You're out of practice."

He came at him again with a swipe to the head. Percy parried, returned with a thrust. He sidestepped easily.

When Luke lunged again, he jumped backward into the swimming pool. Luke was gonna go down. He spun underwater, creating a funnel cloud, and blasted out of the deep end, straight at Luke's face.

The force of the water knocked him down, spluttering and blinded. But before Perc could strike, he rolled aside and was on his feet again.

He attacked and sliced off the edge of Luke's shield, but that didn't even faze him. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at Percy's legs. His jeans were ripped above the knee. He was hurt. I didn't know how badly. Luke hacked downward and Percy rolled behind a deck chair. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't take the weight.

"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated.

He rolled again as Luke's sword slashed the deck chair in half, metal pipes and all.

Percy clawed toward the swimming pool. He'd never make it. Luke knew it, too. He advanced slowly, smiling. The edge of his sword was tinged with red.

"One thing I want you to watch before you die, Percy." He looked at the bear-man Oreius, who was still holding Annabeth, Grover and me by our shirts. "You can eat your dinner now, Oreius. Bon appetit."