Percy didn't realize he was dreaming until he heard Annabeth's screams.

He as standing on Half Blood hill, on the porch of the Big House. The afternoon was warm and comfortable. Percy almost forgot he was dead.

"Chiron, there is something wrong!"

Percy turned to see two familiar faces. Will Solace, try as he might to look energized, still looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. He walked briskly next to the Chiron, who looked older than Gaea right then.

"Chiron!" Will shouted, gain the attention of a couple Demeter and Iris campers sitting nearby. He quickly waved them off lowering his voice to an urgent whisper. "Please Chiron!"

Chiron looked grim, looking off in the distance, as if wishing to be anywhere but there.

"She is not getting better." Will whispered.

"Well who is?"

Will nearly jumped out of his sandals. Nico stood next to him glaring heatedly.

"Well, Solace?" Nico demanded, "You're the ever-so-smart doctor! Tell me who is getting better?"

Will opened and closed his mouth, before sighing in defeat. He ran a hand through his sandy beach hair. "No one." He mumbled, "No one at all."

Percy felt his mouth go dry. The back of his throat stung.

"Boys, I believe that it's best-" Chiron's wise words of wisdom were cut off by a scream from the infirmary. A familiar scream, that made Percy want to die. Yes, he'd rather die than hear her in pain.

"I thought she was sedated!" Nico said looking at Will.

"She was!" The son of Apollo charged towards the big House doors running completely through Percy. Nico and Chiron followed like it was rehearsed, except that Nico paused slightly, looking back as if feeling something unusual.

Then Percy was suddenly in the sick bay. The sight made his blood run cold.

Annabeth was curled into a fetal position backed against the wall. Towering over her was a cloaked woman, with purple skin. She had sharp etched features and blistering white hair. Her eyes were unnaturally black and she chanted something in an old, old language.

Jason laid on the floor nearby his sword scattered from his hand and a gash on his forehead. His glasses were sprouting a cracked spider-web on the lens. He didn't move.

Annabeth screamed, tears running down her face, terrified.

"I pick you Annabeth Chase to be my pawn!" The woman declared, sparks of black electricity shocked through her hair. Her hands were on fire with dangerous black flames. "Nova, come forth!"

Annabeth tried to sink away, but the woman grabbed her shirt calor and placed her fiery hand on Annabeth forehead.

Annabeth screamed.

Percy ran towards her his hands yanking the grip of the woman. His fingers slid right through her like an illusion. Annabeth withered in agony, screaming at the top of her lungs. The woman dropped her unceremoniously, as if she was done.

Annabeth jerked and cried her gray stormy eyes flicking black.

"Annabeth!" Nico, Will and Chiron burst through the door way. The woman snarled at them and disappeared in a misty flash.

Percy knelt next to Annabeth, trying to hold her hand but his hand jerky sliding right through. His voice was crammed in his mouth viciously. Will, and Nico and Chiron rushed around them yelling but Percy didn't care.

His own breath seemed louder than the shouts, he felt tears rage behind his eyes.

Nico and Will were talking to her, Will trying to prop her up, trying to get a reaction.

All Percy knew is that Annabeth looked right at him, her stormy eyes accompanied by an alien shroud of darkness. She reached towards him.

"Percy...?" She whispered.

Then he faded from the scene.

***

Percy didn't know what to think. What happened? Who was the woman? What did she do to his Annabeth?

Why wasn't he waking up?

Percy felt like he was floating. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't move. He could feel that his head hurt. But that was about it.

"Gods, why are you always such a idiot?"

Percy felt the voice near him. He knew that voice, Bianca.

"Did you have to save my life?" She asked a sniffing side tone. Was she crying? Why was she crying?

"It the water barely missed the hole in your back, stupid." She said. "I swear if you don't wake up...I'll...I'll..." She let out a sob, "just please wake up, Percy."

The footsteps retreated like she was running for her life. The sobs echoed off the walls, leaving Percy to wonder how big the room he was in. He wanted so desperately to get up and find Bianca, and tell her he was fine. But he couldn't.

Darkness swirled around him.

He could slowly, ever so slowly feel his energy coming back. He could feel a soft cloth underneath him, a cover on a thin mattress. The air smelled sterile, like the infirmary at Camp Half-Blood, though Percy wasn't sure if that was because his nightmare setting or because he was in one.

He wasn't hurt that badly right?

He cringed mentally. Why else would Bianca have acted like that?

"Halo, status report." A voice clear drilled through his thoughts. Two pairs of footsteps tapped neatly on a tile floor.

"Bianca recovered, only a slight strain on her powers. She's lucky though. If Savoir hadn't taken that blow, she would've faded like Quiver-"

Halo cut off abruptly. Hero took a sharp breath, like the name was a dagger in his chest.

"Sorry," Halo said, "but that's what she told me. That's how Archangel died."

"It's fine, it's fine." Hero muttered. It was clearly not fine though. "What about Savoir?"

"He should be okay."

"Should be?"

Halo hesitated.

"Halo. Answer."

He made some sort of choking sound, "I don't know! Okay?! He should be up by now! All I know is that if he doesn't get up in an hour or two he's going to fade. I don't know why."

They were silent, Percy could almost feel the tension in the air. He was going to fade? What?

"I've got something to do." Halo said quietly, "training and uh...stuff." It sounded almost like he was afraid Hero would stop him.

Halo ran off, but Hero stayed. An empty silence cascaded in the room. Then a hiccup. Then a hushed exhale.

Then Percy realized Hero was crying.

"Gods, please," Hero said, his voice shaking, "I can't lose another one. I'm second in command, I shouldn't have let him go. Either of them. This is all my fault."

Percy wanted to protest. It wasn't his fault, Percy chose to go running like a crazy person after Bianca. Nothing could've stopped him.

"First Quiver, now Savoir?" Hero whispered almost to himself, "not even that. So many have died because of me. It has to stop."

"It has to stop."

His voice sounded cold, and broken. A familiar tange that pricked whenever he talked came running back to Percy. A heavy realization hit the son of Poseidon, the identity of Hero.

"I led Zoë straight to her death. I could've...I should've...It has to stop." Hero said, "Savoir...I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I've only known you for a minute. I'm sorry that I let you walk into this."

Percy could feel his heart rate pick up. A beeping sound reached his senses, a heart monitor maybe?

"Archangel's a mess, You're in a coma...It's all my fault."

Percy felt his heart twist. He could almost see where this was going. And he didn't like it.

"It has to stop."

Yes, Percy thought, you've got to stop tapping like that!

But Hero wasn't a mind reader. He had no way to know Percy could hear everything he said, that Percy didn't blame him for the fire.

Or for the Titan War.

Hero left the room, heading probably for the training arena. No one stopped him, No one could've stopped him.

But Percy forced the agonizingly slow process of waking up, to hurry. His eyes fluttered opened and he fell in a less-than-graceful way of the cot.

He did manage to get one word out. One small word.

"Luke...."