Annabeth's P.O.V.

I watched as Percy climbed up onto a rock and pounded it with his shield to get everyone's attention.

"Demigods!" His voice rung with authority and purpose. "A huge army is marching our way. And in its ranks is a god of which we have never heard. Loki, the Norse god of mischief, thievery, and trickery. But do not let that get you down! We have faced the armies of Kronos! We have fought Gaea! And we have come out on top! We have held our own against each other before! What is this puny threat compared to what we have faced in the past? We can do this! LET'S GO KICK SOME MONSTER ASS!" He really knew how to get the demigods ready for battle. As the Greeks cheered like a monstrous crowd at a football game, the Romans banged their shields with their swords and spears making almost as much noise.

"LOKI! WE ARE READY FOR YOUR LITTLE GAME!" Percy roared and jumped down from the rock, riptide raised. "DEMIGODS! KICK SOME ASS!" With that, the demigod forces ran toward the advancing army with a savage roar.

I yelled along with them, pulling out my dagger and charging the monsters. Every now and then, I saw Percy cutting through the hordes of baddies like a demon. Not a single one could lay a blow on him. I saw Grover leading troops of nature spirits into battle. Chiron and the Apollo campers shooting down the flying beasts.

"Ah!" A monster managed to slice into my leg and I staggered back a step. Before I could attack the monster, it exploded into dust. And there was Percy. Covered in monster dust, dirt, grime, and there was a huge gash in his left leg, but he wore a smile.

"Come on, Wise Girl. Chiron had some of the Apollo campers who were best at healing set up an infirmary. Let's get that leg checked out." He took my hand and dragged me to the infirmary.

"Well, you need your leg checked too." I said, looking at the ugly injury.

"I'm fine. It's nothing big. I need to get back out there." He said, shaking his head.

"But your leg is a bloody mess!" I protested. "If you're not going to look after yourself, then someone else will! And that someone is me! You are going to get that looked at!"

"It's not as bad as it looks, Annabeth. I'm fine. Here we are." He waved over a healer. "Take a look at her leg. Get it patched up and get her back out there as soon as you can. We need all the demigods we can get." Then he walked away.

"Percy! Come back here!" I called after him, but he limped away and disappeared in the throngs of fighting sides.

I was back on my feet and back in the fight within twenty minutes. It was a relief. I hated being stuck there and useless. I jumped right back in and slew monster after monster. I don't know how long the fight wore on before my world changed.

"STOP!" A voice bellowed across the battle field. Everyone stopped. And everyone looked at the speaker. And everything changed. "DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND BOW BEFORE ME!" Everyone was frozen. "I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Everyone dropped their weapons. "Haha! Not so brave now, are you? Not without your fearless leader!" Loki laughed. He tugged a little on the rope in his hands. Percy had a noose tied around his neck, the rope stretching over the branch of a tree and back down into Loki's hands.

"Don't listen to him, guys! Keep fighting!" Percy called, his hands on the rope around his neck, tugging at it, trying to get away.

"But if they don't submit, then you'll die." Loki said, he pulled on the rope and Percy was raised onto his tiptoes to keep from dangling in the air.

"I'm not worth it! My life isn't worth that of the whole world! He's just another crazy god who wants to take over the world! Don't listen to him! Keep fighting! I am not worth the world!" Percy struggled to stay on his toes.

"Shut up! Keep your mouth shut or else!" Loki yelled.

"Or else what? You're going to kill me? But you're going to kill me anyway. And if you kill me now, you lose your leverage. So if you can't kill me, what are you going to do me?" Percy yelled back. I was proud, he was looking at this logically! I have taught him something!

"You're right, I can't kill you. But I can kill a few of them." Loki pointed at the demigods who were staring at them in horror. Percy's eyes widened in fear, but his mouth remained closed tightly. "That's better. Now, kneel!" Loki commanded.

"Let him go, Loki!" Natasha yelled, running forward. Loki pulled the rope and Percy was lifted off the ground, dangling a few inches up. He kicked his feet and tried to stretch and reach the earth.

"Stop right there, Black Widow!" Loki said. "You don't want Perseus to die, do you?" Natasha froze and stared in horror as Percy struggled.

"Attack! Don't... Stop! Keep... Fighting!" Percy choked out, his feet still kicking wildly for the ground.

"I told you to keep your mouth shut or I kill one of them!" Loki tugged the rope a few more inches off the ground.

"Stop! Please, let him go! Don't hurt him!" I cried, running forward.

"Stop right there, girl!" Loki warned, pulling Percy even farther from the ground. I started to cry and I nodded, sinking to my knees.

"Just... Please! Don't... Don't hurt him!" I sobbed. Someone stepped forward.

"Don't listen to this creep! Percy told us to keep fighting! So let's keep fighting!" It was Hazel. "Are we going to let this weirdo control us? Are we going to let him tell us what to do? No! So let's listen to our leader and attack!" Hazel raised her spatha and charged toward Loki. The demigods yelled in agreement and snatched their weapons from the ground. But all I could do was stare as Percy struggled against the rope holding him in the air.

He smiled as the campers ran to attack Loki and defend their leader. Even the seven other people he had brought along ran to help. Loki snarled and pulled the rope, Percy was lifted even higher off the ground. In that instant, I made a decision. I ran back, grabbed my dagger, and charged. I pushed through the running crowd of enraged demigods, making my way to the front of the crowd. I sprinted ahead and I was almost to the tree, I was almost to my Seaweed Brain.

CRACK!

The sudden sound rang through the sudden silence. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Percy's hands fell from the rope, his legs stopped kicking around for the ground. His eyes dulled, and the crooked smile slid from his face.

"NO!" I screamed so loud my throat hurt. "NO!" I fell to my knees, and everything seemed to happen to someone else. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead. Percy is back at the Poseidon cabin, or on the beach. Percy is waiting for me back at the beach cabin in Montauk. I am not here. I am washing my hands after cleaning spilled juice off the floor and Percy is in the kitchen, making lunch. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead. Percy is not dead.

I continued to repeat that thought, over and over. Even as I heard a heartbreaking scream. Even as I felt tears fall down my face. Even as I saw his body handing there. Except it wasn't him. It was a trick. It was someone else that looks like him. It's not Percy. Because Percy is not dead. I heard voices trying to talk to me. I felt hands trying to comfort me. Even as that heartbreaking scream went on endlessly. Then there was a slight pinch on my arm and everything faded to black.

Chiron's P.O.V.

Poor Annabeth. The poor girl has been through so much. It broke my heart to watch the best, bravest, most selfless, most amazing hero die. But it broke me even more to see his true love break completely. Annabeth had lost so much. But losing Percy had obviously been the last straw. I would have to keep a close eye on her. I don't want her to do anything rash.

"Annabeth, Annabeth, dear. Annabeth, Annabeth..." I placed my hand on her shoulder. But her heartbreaking scream wore on. The tears didn't stop. I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled a syringe out of my pouch, and injected it into her arm. The scream stopped and Annabeth slumped into my arms. I carried her back to the temporary infirmary.

As soon as they heard the crack of his neck breaking, saw him die, the campers were enraged. They had never been madder. They had been out for blood. They had never fought so hard. Half the camps killed the rest of the monsters, and the other half of the two camps attacked Loki. It is fair to say that he didn't stand a chance. He was swarmed. It didn't take long for him to be overwhelmed and to go down under the flood of bloodthirsty demigods.

After the campers were finally finished with him, he was unrecognizable. He was immortal, so he couldn't die, but I bet he wishes that he could. He had a swollen face, two broken arms, two broken legs, a broken nose, all his ribs were broken, in fact, I'm pretty sure everything was broken. Like I said, the campers were enraged. Thor came forward and took him back to Asguard. And it was only after Loki had been taken care of and the campers realized that there was no more threat did they start to react.

Some went into shock, some just stared blankly into space unable to comprehend what happened, some went into denial, and some just broke down sobbing on their knees. The people that Percy had brought were trying to help out with the broken campers. Talking to them gently and soothingly. Guiding them away and over to the infirmary.

Most of these demigods had come to camp and heard about Percy Jackson, most of them had known him. Many of them had been his friends. All of them had known about him. All of them had heard about him. And all had known his kindness, his selflessness, his loyalty, and his heart.

Oh, Percy had the biggest heart. He always chose to see the best in people. He always cared more for others than for himself. He always wanted to help. But he also always felt that the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He always blamed himself when things went wrong. He always thought that everything was his fault.

I hung my head. Percy shouldn't have died. He shouldn't have had to go through all of this hell that he had to call life. This shouldn't have happened. He should have lived a long and happy life, going to college in New Rome, getting married to Annabeth, having kids. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this.

I shook my head; I cannot afford to be swallowed in my own grief right now. Right now, I have to help the injured and grieving campers. That is my job, and that is what I shall do. I have been alive for millennium. I have taught countless heroes. And seen those countless heroes die. I have gotten over their deaths. I have learned to live with their deaths. But Percy, there will be no getting over Percy. He was one of a kind. He didn't want his power, and he didn't want his role as a hero. He didn't ask to be a demigod, he didn't ask to be the subject of two world saving prophecies, and he didn't ask nor want to have this responsibility thrust upon him. But he wouldn't let anyone else be hurt by this responsibility. He wouldn't let anyone else take his burden.

Percy had the biggest heart, the most loyalty, he was the best hero. Better than Hercules, Theseus, and all the other Greek heroes combined. I will always remember Percy and everything about him. All he has done and all he was.

I looked over at the tree where his body hangs. I slowly make my way over to it. I reach out with my knife and cut the rope, catching Percy's body with my other arm as it fell from the tree. I knelt on my horse legs and gently pulled the rope from around his neck and then threw it away.

"Oh, Percy..." I muttered, tears escaping my eyes. "Why did this have to happen to you?" I looked at his dull, dead sea-green eyes sadly. Brushing my fingers over his eyelids, I closed them. "Heroes always die a tragic death. But yours was the worst." I shook my head and stood up. I carried his body over to the infirmary and gently laid it down on one of the beds.

I beckoned over an Apollo healer, who gasped when he saw Percy's body. "Please, cover him up and keep him safe." I said, voice breaking a little.