A/N Wassup people? The quest is finally coming to a close. This is gonna be good. (You might hate me, but whatever.) Don't forget to check out The Heir of Time and The Wandering Demigod. (What? I'm allowed to advertise.)
«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Percy frowned towards the pit, "I've been expecting you. Really? You're over three thousand years old, and the best you can do is one of the most cliche lines in existence?"

The pit rumbles with barely controlled rage.

"I am at my wit's end with you, Jackson." Kronos growls out.

Percy fakes a yawn, "Yeah, whatever gramps. Listen, we're here for the horse, so can we have it back now?"

Pegasus looks up, as if he knows that Percy is talking about him. The winged Horse neighs at the trio.

"Yeah, we're your rescue quest." Percy seems to direct at the horse, "Give us like, twenty minutes. Thirty, tops."

"Can you talk to him?" Annabeth asks.

"Yeah, I'll explain to you later." Percy replies calmly, "When we get back to camp."

"You're pretty confident Jackson." Kronos hisses from the pit.

"Well, I figured that the best way to counter deception was with cunning of my own." Percy's bow appears over his shoulder.

Percy draws a strange looking arrow, nocks it, and fires. The arrow falls into the pit and an ugly colored mushroom cloud poofs out of the hole.

"What did you do?" The king of the titans demands.

Percy sighs, "I figured that was pointless, but I wanted to do that anyway."

"Do what exactly?" Annabeth asks.

"I shot a stink arrow into his hole."

The ground begins to shake under the trio.

"Um Perce," Luke says, "Can we not anger the titan any more than he already is?"

"Too late." The voice hisses, "I was willing to give you one last chance to join me and help your friend, but it seems you gave up the one chance to discover the location of this."

The image of a green crystal floats up from the center of the hole, and Percy's slightly arrogant look disappears, becoming the hardened face of an experienced, and dangerous, warrior.

Percy's eyes then get a very sly gleam in them, and he relaxes his face, "You know, that doesn't actually matter. I know where another one of those is. I came across it while travelling with the Hunters."

"What!" Kronos practically roars, "Queen Sess assured me that the one at Mount Rushmore was the only one!"

Luke and Annabeth stare at Percy, who was trying very hard not to lose control of his facade.

I can't believe that he just tricked to king of the Titans. Luke thought to himself.

"It matters not." Kronos says, "I still have two potential recruits right here."

Luke feels a shiver go down his spine. It's almost like he could feel Kronos' nonexistent eyes turn towards him.

"You, young Luke." Kronos hisses out, "Don't you want revenge on your father for leaving you mother in such a terrible condition? Don't you want to be stronger? As strong as the Gods themselves?"

Luke swallows, "I'll never side with you." He forces out, "The gods may suck, but they're better than you."

"You really are a disappointment." Kronos says, then turns his attention towards Annabeth, "And you, daughter of Athena?"

Annabeth shakes her head uncertainty.

"You don't seem certain." He says, almost apologetically, "A monument to last millennia? To build something permanent? Are those not the words you use? Under the Gods, you cannot create such a marvel. They would not allow it. I can make you stronger. I will help you spite your negligent father and horrible stepmother. All you must do, is swear allegiance to me."

Annabeth turns to Luke and Percy, her eyes clouded by uncertainty.

"Annabeth..." Percy says, "Don't do it. He's called the Crooked One for a reason."

Kronos laughs, "That I am young Jackson. Now Annabeth, choose."

"I...I choose..." Her face hardens, "I choose revenge."

With that last comment, she lunges at Percy, jabbing forward with her knife. Percy was only saved by his near-instantaneous reaction time. He barely manages to deflect the daughter of Athena's knife off of his bow.

"KRONOS!" Percy bellows.

The Hunter Boy sheathes his bow and uncaps Riptide, charging down into the arena-like space between the pit and Pegasus' cage. The instant he steps down, the arena is bordered by Cyclops and dracenae. Percy glares at the monsters. The rage coming off his body was almost tangible. The demigod's eyes were practically glowing in anger. Every monster he looked at stepped back slightly in fear.

"What are you waiting for?" Kronos hisses, "Get him."

The monsters roar and hiss, then charge at the son of Poseidon.

Luke was having problems of his own. Mainly, fighting his best friend.

"Why Annabeth?" He asks, "Why betray us."

"I'm sorry Luke." She replies, cutting down with her knife, "I truly am, but Kronos offers so much."

Luke deflects the strike, "He's been visiting you in your dreams, hasn't he?"

"I signed up with him weeks ago." The daughter of Athena replies, "This quest just seemed like the perfect chance to get rid of Percy Jackson."

The two disengage, and stare each other down across the small distance.

Back down in the arena, Percy is fighting like a whirling dervish. [A/N I don't actually know what that is, but my grandma calls my brother that when he's being crazy.] He slides under the feet of a Cyclops and swings his sword wide, severing the Achilles tendon on both of the monster's feet. It falls to the ground and dissolves. Percy stands up just in time to deflect a trident strike from a dracenae. The Hunter Boy cuts the snake woman in half and takes her trident, whirling it around in his left hand.

Trident in one hand, Riptide in the other, Percy begins to mow down the cyclopses one by one. One of them swings its club down at Percy, who barely manages to deflect it with the trident, which snaps a under the weight.

"You see." Annabeth directs Luke's attention to the fight in the arena below them, "He is weakening. Perseus Jackson will not last much longer. Then, the God's greatest weapon will be lost."

Percy stabs Riptide into the ground and charges at the nearest Cyclops. It grins and swings the tree trunk it calls a club down. Percy jumps up and flips onto the club. He then runs up the cyclops' arm and uses it single eye as a springboard, launching himself into the air.

Luke smirks at Annabeth, "It seems that the Hunter Boy still has a few tricks up his sleeve."

While suspended in midair, Percy's bow and quiver reappear over his shoulder, and he quickly unsheathes it and nocks and arrow. The Boy Hunter then proceeds to empty his entire quiver into the monsters below him, dissolving the remaining Cyclops and most of the dracenae.

Percy lands and slings his bow back over his shoulder. He then draws Riptide from the ground and easily dispatches the remaining monsters.

Percy, feeling the anger beginning to bubble over from the pit of Kronos, calls over to Luke, "Time to get moving dude!"

Percy runs to the opposite end of the arena and swiftly cuts the cage containing Pegasus to ribbons.

"Pegasus, may you grant Luke and myself permission to ride on you?" Percy asks, quickly but formally.

Pegasus responds by kneeling down in front of Percy. The son of Poseidon grins and gets on the immortal beast.

Annabeth sees what happened down in the arena and looks at Luke, "I'm not letting you escape so easily." She then puts on her invisibility cap, vanishing from sight.

"Percy, now would be a good time to Leave."Luke calls out.

"Reach your hand out!" Percy calls out.

Luke obliges, and Percy grabs the son of Hermes' wrist. Luke is about to climb onto Pegasus' back when he feels a sharp pain in his leg and cries out. Luke looks down, but sees nothing, but the pain keeps getting worse. He kicks out and hits something. Annabeth appears and her Yankees baseball cap glitters to the ground.

The daughter of Athena is clasped around Luke's leg, with her knife buried in his calf. There is a look of determination in her eyes.

"Hurry up and climb up." Percy shouts over the wind, "I'm losing my grip!"

"We've got a hitchhiker." Luke shouts back.

He begins kicking out at Annabeth, hoping to dislodge her. Eventually, he is successful, and the girl falls from his leg, landing on the top of a mountain and rolling. Luke doesn't know if she survived the fall, and frankly, doesn't care. He clambered up onto Pegasus' back, knife still stuck in his leg.

Percy looks back and notices the injury, "We'll have to get that treated as soon as we get beck to camp." A pause, "Listen Luke, I'm sorry about Annabeth. I mean I know that you were close and all..."

"What's there to be sorry about?" Luke replies bitterly, "She made her choice and if she survived that fall, is now our enemy."

Percy doesn't reply and the two fall into an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the flight back to camp.

Two hours later, the two arrive back at camp. They are immediately mobbed by the rest of the campers.

"Easy everyone." Percy calls out, "Where's an Apollo camper? We've got injured here!"

Lee Fletcher and two other campers force their way through the crowd. Percy gestures towards Luke.

"I'm fine." Luke insists.

Lee looks at him like he's crazy, "You have a freaking knife sticking out of your leg. Don't tell me your fine."

With that, Luke is put on a stretcher and carried off to he infirmary. Everyone else looks at Percy. Percy hears hooves and turns.

"Percy my boy! I saw them carry off Luke, but where is Annabeth?"

Percy looks around, "Perhaps I should tell you first in private."

Thirty minutes later, Percy had finished telling the quest in complete detail.

Chiron sighs, "Though I am pleased to hear of the successful rescue of Pegasus, the story of Annabeth's betrayal does put a dampened on the entire situation."

Percy nods in agreement, "My I go back to my cabin and rest? It has been a long few days."

Chiron nods distractedly.

Percy walks to the door and opens it, leaving the old centaur to his musing."

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»
A/N Well what did you guys think of that crazy plot twist? Now Percy has to explain that to Thalia...hehehe. So yeah, the first quest is complete. (This book is not.) Remember to take a look at The Heir to Time and The Wandering Demigod.
Keep being awesome.
Leonidas_son_of_Nike