Chapter 43

Percy's POV

I hate monsters. I haven't had to worry about them as much since I became a Titan, but they're everywhere.

Here I was just minding my own business, trying to get Annabeth off my mind. I still couldn't believe she was alive.

"Help!" A voice called from the trees. I had set up my tent by a stream in the middle of some woods, as far away as I could get from people.

I looked up and saw a little girl, maybe nine or 10, running towards me. "There's this thing after me! Please help me!"

I stood up and drew my sword before even thinking about it, then I saw what was after her, a cyclops.

It's not him. I told myself. Tyson's dead. It's a bad cyclops.

Before I could think about it too much I jumped and stabbed it through the eye and watched as it crumbled to dust. It wasn't Tyson.

The girl stood there panting, wide eyed at what had happened, "What was that?"

"Cyclops," I answered.

"How-? What-? Why-?" She couldn't seem to make up her mind on what to ask.

"Here," I said, holding out my hand. "Let's get you to a safe place, they can explain things."

Luke's POV

This was bad.

How do you explain to a bunch of campers that you had kidnapped someone because it was the right thing to do? Especially when you weren't completely sure why you were ordered to do it?

"He's just trying to convince you he's on your side," I said, hoping they wouldn't listen to him.

"We're the ones who tried to help you beat the Titans, and we provided you with a safe place and training for ten years," Thalia said. Surely they wouldn't forget how we've been helping them.

"And then you kidnapped me," Jessie accused, "If you were really helping them you wouldn't have tried to stop me from telling them who Glitter really is."

"We already know he was the man in the Blue Mask," Piper said.

"He also was the man in Gold as you called him," Jessie said, "He was the man who helped the Titans win last time."

"But then why would he have been helping Demigods? And why would he have brought you with him to destroy the Titans?" Hazel asked.

"Perhaps someone asked him nicely." A new voice said. 

Annabeth's POV

I miss my knives.

My captors had left me pretty much alone for however long I've been here, a small blessing, I guess.

"Why it's lovely to meet you again," A voice said as it approached my cage. I looked up and gasped. No. If he was back that would mean-. No its not possible.

"What no warm welcome? No 'How are you alive?' I expected more from you." The Giant said.

"Why am I here?" I managed to ask. Why haven't they just killed me?"

"Why it's simple my dear, you're the bait, just like you were last time. Your precious Percy Jackson would do anything for you, as he has already proven."

"No, Percy's dead," I said. He was lying, he had to be lying.

"Ah did you truly not already know? Your Percy was the reason for the Gods' defeat, the man in Gold. It was easy really. Once you were killed, we knew, he would stop at nothing to get revenge."