The Truth Behind The Myths

That Was Your Plan?

As soon as it had begun, the battle was over. Annabeth stumbled back as the telkhine she was fighting burst into dust. She looked around wildly, waiting for another attack, but nothing came.

"Hey hey hey easy- deep breaths Annabeth, we're okay, come on-" Steve began to reach out for her, but she was already whirling, trying to spot something.

"Where's Percy?"

Nico frowned, also looking around. "Bucky asked me to take him to the beach. But I don't know what happened from there-"

Annabeth took off, shoving through the ranks of Roman demigods as they began to treat each others wounds and get wounded kids to the infirmary. Steve pushed after her, Nico close behind him.

As they got closer, the clash of metal on metal began to echo through the streets of New Rome. Annabeth stumbled and nearly fell, but hauled herself back on her feet and kept running.

Steve reached her and matched her pace. "If they're fighting we have to let them be!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Annabeth they're trained killers! In a different way than you are!"

Steve was overtaking her, and Annabeth gritted her teeth, digging in for more power.

They crested the hill over the beach and stopped. Nico stumbled up to them a few moments later, gasping for air.

"Still want to get in the middle of that?" Steve asked, eyeing the scene below them.

Annabeth shook her head. "You couldn't pay me."

Bucky and Percy were literally throwing up arches of sand as they whirled back and forth, slamming into each other over and over. The fighting was brutal, and they were already moving way faster than any human should be able to.

"How are they doing that?" Nico asked quietly.

"It's the serum." Steve was eyeing them critically.

"Steve I see that look." Annabeth said quietly. "You know that won't end well."

"I can keep up with them-"

"They've trained together for years and the moves they're doing are far from easy. If you get in the way you might get killed. By either of them, Bucky's too focused and you know he gets tunnel vision."

Steve started forward, but Annabeth grabbed his arm sharply. "Steven Grant Rogers."

"Annabeth Sophia Chase."

"Steve, she's right. Bucky's better but he's still only knitting with one needle, if you know what I mean."

"Way to quote Freddie Mercury in a very serious situation."

Nico shrugged and turned his attention to the fight, narrowing his eyes. His hand twitched towards his sword but he stopped himself.

In the sand below them, Percy knocked Bucky's knife away. Before the son of Poseidon could strike a more dangerous blow than the thin slices already littering the few open spots in Bucky's armor, the son of Nike spearhead tackled him.

Steve shook his head. "No, you're right... we just have to watch and jump in if it becomes clear that Bucky is going to lose.

Riptide went flying away from the two wrestling on the beach. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

Bucky stumbled to his feet, and Percy was up in a heartbeat. He lunged and Nico yelled as he saw a glint of silver.

"BUCKY!"

The son of Nike screamed in pain, grabbing the knife handle as Percy slammed it into his side.

Steve raced out onto the sand, Annabeth on his heels. When Percy leaned in to grab the knife again, Bucky's metal arm clamped over his shoulder and across his back. He gripped the knife with his own hand, preventing it from being removed, and began to drag Percy backwards.

"Bucky what are you doing?!"

"I need to get him to the water!"

Nico scrambled after the four super soldiers. Somehow they were having no problems keeping solid footing, but he stumbled and tripped his way through the sand banks and down to the water's edge.

Bucky was nearly to the shallows when Percy's struggles began to double. He hit Bucky's hand and the Winter Soldier gritted his teeth in pain as the knife ripped farther along his side.

Percy finally managed to wriggle free, shoving Bucky to the side. He stumbled and lost his footing, splashing in the small waves.

Steve changed course, running for his best friend, but Annabeth barreled onward. She dropped her shoulder just a moment before she slammed into Percy.

He went crashing into the now waist-deep water. There was a drop-off not much farther out, and the force of Annabeth's hit shoved him out over it, into more open ocean. She broke the surface, but before anyone could ask her what she thought that would do, a gloved hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her down again. Her scream was cut off sharply as her head went underwater.

Nico stopped at the edge of the water, panting, and peered out over the waves.

"Oh gods... where... where'd they go?"