Wanted

                                                                                                Chapter 15:

                                                                           He who walked the path of hell

                                                                          who didn't know what we will tell

                                                                              accused of committing a crime

                                                                        only he knows what goes on in his mind

                                                                            by the winter solstice it shall appear

                                                                                  and let everyone finally hear

        The king had succeeded in bringing out the monster that slept inside him. The monster that slept Nico. Percy knew each and one of them had a dark side, he just had to choose the right tactic to use. They were all playing a game he controlled. A game that left the final decision all to him, he would decide at the end whether they have won or lost. And they have already been defeated.

-

         Beads of sweat were dropping from Annabeth's forehead by the time Percy called on her name.

         "Good luck, facing him." Piper patted her shoulder.

         Annabeth nodded and tightened her grip on her dagger's hilt. "Thanks. I'll need it." She could feel her heart  pounding inside her ribcage, her stomach was being tied into untanglbe knots. She took a deep breath and marched out into the arena.

         She was met with shouts and even cheers from the tumultous crowd. She came to a halt from her slow pace and stood in the middle.

         The amusement in Percy's eyes was ascertainable as ever, his smirk was wide and obvious on his face as well. He raised his hand for silence, the crowd fulfilled his command.

        "Hope you're ready Annabeth. I had a special one prepared for you."  She could hear his voice whisper in her mind. He was deceiving her, she wouldn't attend to his wishes not matter what.

         Dust began to rise in front of her and circulate around her. It left her and formed into a shape in front of her.

         The dust rose into the shape of a man. He wore all black and black raven hair covered his head. His eyes were literal red. It made sense to Annabeth. Percy had brought a monster that would show her, her fear. She had to fight what she feared the most.

         No one else would see what she saw. It was her against him. The thing she deeply and secretly feared. The boy she loved, Percy Jackson.

         She stumbled backwards at the sudden surprise. She couldn't lie to herself, she loved him. She did, but she feared him. She feared what he could do or that he could break her heart.

         Percy drew out his sword and attacked forward. He swiped his sword in front of her, she tried to step back but was too late. A small cut began to bleed in her stomach.

        She fell hard on her elbow, bruising it badly. The fake Percy stood over her, looking down with his red eyes. His sword was inches away from her throat, one move and she'll be gone.

         She would lose the competition and suffer the humiliation she would have to deal with later. The others might get closer to Percy, but she'll never be able to get to him. Him and her. They'll never be the same to each other again.

         Flashbacks played in her head about the old Percy she loved, and yet, she feared the old Percy as well. After what he did in Tartarus, Annabeth understood him. That day she understood that Percy's dark side is even more powerful than his good side, and that Percy didn't have enough control over himself to stop himself from unleashing the darkness in him.

         But Annabeth believed that his good side could be better. She believed in him, but he had to believe in himself. And for that to happen she had to get to him. She would not accept defeat against a monster.

        With energy suddenly blasting inside of her, she jumped up and kicked him away. The crowd's cheers were ringing in her head but her heart was focusing on him. The fake Percy stood up and charged forward, sword at the ready.

         Annabeth had memorized Percy's fighting tactics when he was good, she didn't know what would've changed in hi after his darkness engulfed him. That, she was willing to find out.

         She dodged his sword's swing and jumped behind him, she sliced her sword through him. A normal person would've had their body cut in half but the monster's body reformed and took shape again.

         "Wh-what?" Annabeth was too taken aback to focus on Percy who had disarmed her, causing her sword to scatter away.

         Annabeth was about to rum after it when the monster kicked her, putting the sword at her throat, again.

         The monster spoke, Percy's voice coming out of it. "You do realize that the only way to kill me is to actually face me Annabeth."

         The monster stepped back, giving her a chance. Annabeth took it and stood up. Her sword was right next to her on the ground, she picked it up and gripped its hilt so hard as if she was dangling for dear life.

         The monster didn't make sense to her, how could she actually face him? Wasn't she already battling her fear?

         "Think Annabeth. Your not actually facing me." The monster said again.

         Annabeth guessed that she would have to fight the real Percy, the one who sat on his throne looking down at her with a smile. But she couldn't possibly march up there and give him a piece of her mind.

         "Your not facing him Annabeth." The fake Percy said. "Your still facing me." The monster's shape changed. Fake Percy's red eyes turned green again, his black armor changed to jeans and his Camp Half-Blood shirt, his evil smile turned to the smirk she learned to love over the years.

         The old Percy stood before her, smiling. Annabeth knew it was fake but she couldn't stop the tears from forming. She ran to him. She crashed into a hug, burying her face in his chest.

         "I missed you Wise Girl." Percy said rubbing her back.

         "I missed you too Percy. So much." She let go, stepping back. Annabeth had to face the truth. This wasn't the real Percy. She finally understood what she had to face, to lose her fear of.

         Annabeth kept seeing the old Percy, facing him. but she had to fall into reality. She had to face the dark Percy, and to do that, she had to let go of the old one.

         "I missed you Percy. And I wish you would come back. But here's the thing." She stabbed the monster in the back, causing it to scream in pain. "Your not him. Your not real." She grabbed the monster by the shirt of its collar and whispered in its ear. "But I will face dark Percy, and I will get him back."

         She gave the monster one last push, it fell, shaking violently until Percy's image disappeared and turned to dust, that was scattered away by the wind.

         Her mind focused back to the cheering crowd. She had done it. She had faced him. She finally said goodbye to the old Percy, finally let go. Now she had to face the one smiling evilly down on her.

         "Annabeth Chase, you are here by proclaimed one of my Upper Guards. Congratulations." Percy said. Annabeth bowed, picked her dagger and made her way back to her friends.

         Percy whispered into her mind again. "Thank you Annabeth, for shattering the light that was once in me. The old me. You just did that. Thanks for showing me the real you, the girl who shatters the good. You really are evil."

         Annabeth stopped and turned to look back at him. "And I'm ready to embrace it. You don't know how bad I can get Percy." She muttered to herself.

-

         "Annabeth what were you exactly fighting?" Jason asked her as Annabeth came to stand next to her friends.

         "Why?" She asked, she looked a bit shaken. "What did it look like I was fighting?"

         "Black smoke. Literally." Piper said.

         Annabeth quickly explained to them what had happened before Percy called on someone else. As Celeste walked past them, she winked towards Piper. "Your not the only daughter of Aphrodite with powerful charmspeak Piper Mclean, watch and lean how it's really done." Celeste walked away then, her blond hair flowing behind her.

         "Ignore her Piper." Annabeth said.

         "Her? Oh please Annabeth, I saw how she fought at the killing games. She only holds a weapon for show, her only weapon is her charmspeak, she doesn't know how to use a sword. And charmspeak isn't always helpful. "

         "Let's see what she can do then." Hazel said.

         They all gathered right behind the gates. Percy summoned the Hydra for Celeste to fight. Piper expected her to use her sword but Celeste threw it away and marched towards the Hydra, head held high.

         The Hydra swung its head, ready to hit her but Celeste easily dodged it, jumping away at the right moment. She then simply yelled. "Stop!" Her charmspeak spread over everyone in the audience and the Hydra itself.

         Even Piper found herself being affected by the charmspeak, she froze in her place, alongside with her friends. Percy was the only one who remained unaffected.

         Celeste then grabbed her sword and cut off one of the heads, before the head could grow back, Celeste caught some of the poison with her sword and used it to cut off the rest of the heads.

         Everyone else watched with amazement, frozen in their place, about the fact that a simple utter of a word caused this much of control.

         "Go back to normal!" Celeste shouted, the audience and the Hydra responded, the Hydra dropped dead and the audience broke into cheers and claps. Celeste bowed, flashing a evil smile towards Piper, who did a horrible job at hiding her shock.

         "How am I going to top that?" Piper whispered loud enough for her friends to hear. Percy claimed Celeste as his third upper guard, the crowd responded with cheers.

         Celeste made her way back to the arena's entrance, she stopped in front of Piper. "Now thats how you use charmspeak. Your too weak to do what I did Piper." She flipped her hair and walked away.

         "She controlled the whole crowd. I'd never top that." Piper said shaking her head. Her friends gathered around her.

         "Piper you put Gaea back to sleep, you can do it." Jason said. Piper didn't glance at him, her eyes were gazing out to the arena, she was in deep thought.

         "Piper Mclean!" Percy voice boomed over the crowd.

         "Sorry guys, I'll have to disappoint you all." Piper said as she walked out to the arena.

         Annabeth knew Piper would win, she understood what Percy was doing. Percy was trying to bring their worst out of them, their dark sides. And he wanted Celeste to compete first to push Piper into doing her best by doing the worst. And Annabeth had a feeling Piper was about to shake the competition, by giving Percy what he wants.

        "See Annabeth. I always get what I want." Percy whispered into her mind.

         Annabeth smiled and nodded. "I'll give you what you want if you give me what I want."

Author's note:
Guys I'm deeply sorry for keeping u waiting for the chapter and it's not really long or well written, it's because my exams are coming up and school finishes next Wednesday so I have a lot of studying to do. So wish me luck!! After that it will be summer and I'll be able to update as much as I want!!
Until next time!!