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Percy knew it had happened before he heard the cry. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as though he was the one being stabbed. Percy whirled around, abandoning his fight with a stubborn telkhine. He only saw her for a moment before her body hit the ground.
Percy's vision tunnelled and all he could think about was getting to her. He slashed and cut through monster after monster, painstakingly wading through the raging battle.
Finally, he made it. There she was, sprawled across the earth, her blonde curls becoming soaked in blood, her tanned skin already paling.
Percy fell to his knees next to her, tears blurring his vision. He clutched her hand. "You can't," he whispered hoarsely. "Annabeth, you can't leave me."
Suddenly, Percy heard a taunting voice behind him. "Well, little hero? You ready to join your girlfriend?" Percy froze. Even the sobs racking his body stopped. The misery and hopelessness consuming him made way for rage.
"Enceladus," Percy growled, seeing red. He couldn't think. The sounds of the battle faded around him, until all he could hear was his own thumping heartbeat. All he wanted was revenge. This giant has killed Annabeth. He wouldn't get away with it.
Percy rose, shaking in fury. He slowly turned to face Enceladus, glaring into his eyes. He could feel the giant's ichor or pumping through his veins. It was all he could see, all he could hear, all he could taste.
Percy reached out a hand and took hold of the giant's ichor. He saw Enceladus tense.
What if he just squeezed?
Enceladus's ichor stilled inside of him. He collapsed, gasping for breath on his hands and knees. Percy watched as the giant's fingers began to turn blue, and he smiled. Power surged through him and euphoria warmed his body, watching this so-called giant beg and grovel at his feet. The sea responded to his emotions, swirling around him, forming a mighty hurricane that destroyed everything in its path.
Percy hardly noticed the screams. Looking for a new way to test Enceladus' limits, he allowed his ichor to flow again. The giant took a moment to catch his breath before shakily getting to his feet. He raised his spear as if to strike Percy, who just grinned and outstretched his hand. Enceladus stopped in his tracks. Percy waved his arm and so did he. He shook, but however hard he fought Percy's control, his efforts were futile.
Percy could feel networks of blood all around him, could feel them disintegrating as monsters evaporated in the midst of his storm. Percy watched Enceladus slaying his own soldiers and strengthened his hurricane around him. He revelled in his own power, laughing darkly. Even as he melted into ecstasy, his rage was ever-present, so he stopped puppeteering Enceladus. He smiled, knowing what he would do next. Percy would make the giant scream like he was-
"Percy, stop!" the voice cut through the cacophony of yells and screams. Percy paused, then shook his head. Why would he listen to this unimportant voice in the crowd? He took hold of the giant's ichor once again. "No, Percy, wait! Listen to me!" Despite every thought in his head screaming at him to ignore them, he listened, lowering his hand. He searched for the owner of the voice, and his eyes landed on Piper. That was it - her voice was laced with charmspeak. "Look at what you're doing. Look at everyone. They're dying." Percy realised, with a start, she was crying. "Look at Annabeth."
And Percy did. He saw her a few feet behind him, still dead. Would she be cold by now? How long had it been? He looked around. There were few monsters left. He saw demigods, both alive and dead. Had monsters killed them, or had he? Suddenly, among the dead, he saw Leo's slack face on the ground. There were still flames blazing around him. Jason's body was nearby, soaked to the skin.
Percy scanned the living, too. Everyone was drenched by his hurricane, and they all looked exhausted. Some crouched next to dying loved ones. Finally, Percy's eyes drifted to Annabeth. This had all been for her. Hadn't it? Ig started out for her, but at some point, Percy started enjoying it. He had loved it - did that make him as bad as Enceladus, who had been stabbed by some god and was now nothing more that dust in the wind? What would Annabeth had said if she'd seen him like this? Would she still love a monster?
Percy found himself on the ground beside Annabeth, though he didn't remember getting to his knees. A hand rubbed his back, but he couldn't register who it was. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."