When Percy's life flashed before his eyes he saw basically two things. The first was a montage of his virtual life as Riptide. A series of him debating his first couple of names (PJackson576, WaterSlicer, Persassy) before acquiring his amazing sword that lead him to his fame. Countless battles all by himself, doing the impossible, being the impossible. Everything, all in short millisecond flashes that wouldn't make sense to any other living being.

The second thing was more surprising. Percy had always figured that it would be something like Tyson, or Grover, or his mom, but for some reason that didn't make sense at all...it wasn't. It was the brief interactions with -Chasing-.

Her stony face, a mask of her cunningness. Her grey eyes sparkling from her real face. Her real grey eyes that were so full of life that Percy knew they couldn't just be coded into an avatar. Her blonde curls that looked stupendous on her, even better than her brown hair. The distinct smell of...her. Percy couldn't figure out what it really was, a mix of musty books, some type of perfume, and flowers. In his short montage she was annoyed and scared, the only real emotions he'd seen on her ever. Damn, he was going to die without ever seeing her smile.

"Riptide!" The boy called, Leo, yelled. From the corner of Percy's eyes he could see the shorter boy shaking. He looked like how Percy's insides felt: twisted and warped with fear. He probably would've melted into a puddle if he were able. xClassicx's bar was in the dark red, grow littler every second. A curl of her cinnamon hair fell in front on her face.

Seeing them, like that filled Percy with an obtuse feeling. Something far beyond his comprehension. It burned through his limbs, a pulsing in his mind, a sudden flush of energy that was abnormal. But his Health bar was the same. It wasn't like someone had used a power up or spell on him.

Whatever it was it steadied his trembling hands. Riptide glowed in the darkness, the bronze light giving Percy the courage to grin. He bounced on his feet, cocking his head to the side.

"Well," Percy said shocked at his own calmness. He felt like a different person. Was that strange? Is this what happens to people right before they get murdered?

"What are you waiting for?" Percy asked Kronos.

The virtual assassin moved like the shadows, very subtly but Percy didn't miss a inch of it. The masked man turn his head to the side, "It's customary to give my victims time to pray to their god."

Percy snorted, "Where was that rule earlier?"

His laugh echoed off the empty buildings. It was colder than the game generated breeze. Leo shuddered.

"Caught my bluff," the man joked, though all the humor was lost on the other boys. Percy was moving before Kronos, although it was only by a blink of time. Percy sliced at him, catching only the wind. Kronos skidded on the pavement pulling a long silver sword from space. The blade was clean and shining but Percy barely noticed.

Kronos brought it down on him, causing him to block. Riptide moved as an extension of his own arm. The clash sent a shower of sparks up between them. Behind the gold mask Percy could see the cold blue eyes smiling.

Kronos pushed his blade down with strength far beyond any normal human being. Percy let him slide down swords with a screech that was sure to bring the zombies running. Kronos laughed and flung his foot into Percy's stomach.

"Riptide!" Leo screamed for him.

Percy the ground, hard. He rolled away as Kronos moved to finish the job he started hours ago. The sound of metal on asphalt was louder than anything Percy had ever heard.

He dashed back at the assassin, wielding his beloved blade like he'd been using it his entire life. The air was raucous with the sound of their weapons colliding. It seemed that every move Percy made Kronos already had known. Kronos batted of his swing and sliced the air of Percy's shoulder faster than light.

He's scrambled to his feet but he wasn't faster than Kronos. He jabbed his sword into Percy's side, and whipped it away again before Percy could even process it. Another slash flicking across Percy's cheek and another down his other arm. Percy stumbled back, writhing in pain.

"Shame." Kronos hissed at him, "I here thought that maybe there was someone here who might at least get me to work up a sweat."

Suddenly Percy realized exactly why he was in the game. Why it was Kronos and not some other player.

"But be warned: he is the best of the best."

The masked man twirled around Percy like he was part of the night shadows. His grinning mask reflected the moonlight with a merciless glare. Percy struggled just to keep him in sight. His movements were unreadable. Percy felt him grab a fistful of his cloak and before he could do anything, the assassin had dragged his blade across the fabric.

Just like that.

Cold air flooded over Percy and he nearly fell over.

"No more of that troubling healing now." Kronos laughed. He held the sliced blue fabric in his hand like a trophy. Percy realized just how stupid of a person he'd been.

Thinking he could take on this...

This...

Monster. This Titan of a man. Percy had no chance. His only ace in the hole was just obliterated. Kronos was playing cat and mouse with him. He wanted to see Percy fall and beg for his life.

Percy wanted to fall and beg for his life.

Kronos slammed his foot into Percy's chest knocking the wind out of his lungs. The other player stomped on his wrist and kicked Riptide out of his grip, without slowing in the least.

"Come on," Kronos said wickedly, "Beg for me to spare your life."

The monster pinning him down laughed. Percy could see multiple cameras lingering around them, drawn to his blood like sharks in the water. Kronos pressed his silver blade into Percy's neck, slightly, slowly.

"Beg, little Riptide!" He giggled.

Percy gulped for air. His green eyes locked on to the closet hovering sphere. His face was wet, but he didn't know if it was tears or sweat or his blood. It was probably a mix of all three.

"I swear on my sword, I'll do whatever it takes to make it back to you."

"I'll be back soon, Tyson."

"Don't cry, okay?"

Back a while ago, before Gabe, before the money problems, Percy remembered when his mother was trying to become an author. She'd research while Percy watched VCR tapes and played with his stuffed animals. Percy remembered in vibrant detail about her explaining story writing to him. It never really grasped it until that moment, for some odd reason.

In story writing, everything had a reason. Every conversation, every action, every event happened for a reason: to move the plot along. His mother would just about drive herself crazy trying to move the plot along because she always wanted the readers to know the characters like she did.

It seemed so silly now, tracing it back.

Every conversation ("Hey, name's Grover! Wanna come over and play my Olympus Virtual Reality Game?"), Every action ("Sorry, I'm a Solo Player. I don't join guilds."), Every event ("Welcome to the Age of Heroes tournament!"), just to move the plot along.

Kronos leaned forward in anticipation. "Don't worry, Percy, after this I'll make sure to pay baby brother and mommy a visit, too!"

Percy's vision turned to Kronos completely, "Over my dead body!"

"That's the idea, Jackson."

"Fuck You!"

If everything was leading to Percy's death, well, he can't say that he regretted his last words.

Kronos drew back his sword and with a motion much slower than before he took his time slicing Percy's neck.

Ah, there are those flashes of his life again. His sword and his usernames and -Chasing- appearing with a dagger in hand.

"Get Away From Him!" The hallucination yelled.

Kronos was slammed to the side and Percy inhaled for the first time. He wasn't sure where she had came from but just looking at her relieved Percy's mental health a little. She wore her hair up in a ponytail but her curls were as obvious as ever. Her tunic was ripped and her armour from before was gone. That didn't stop her from being as terrifying as Kronos was. She looked downright murderous.

"How dare you!" She snapped at Percy, yanking him up.

"Me?" Percy asked incredulously. His hand varied between holding his side and his neck both of which were gushing blood the way his nose oughta be after seeing -Chasing- with such a ripped top.

"Yes you!" She snarled, "I thought you were dead!"

"What are you my mother?!" Percy snarled right back, before remembering that she was probably challenging his real mother's emotions right now. He hastily scooped up his sword the tight grip giving him a slight reassurance.

"You are so fucking lucky!" -Chasing- snapped, "If I hadn't been here than Kronos would have another kill already!"

"Wow, Thanks!" Percy wheezed, blood dripping from his lips for a reason he didn't understand, "Is that all I am to you? Another kill mark for that guy?"

She looked back at Kronos but he was still on the ground. His hand was covering his face his gold mask laying a couple feet from him. Percy's heart jumped into his throat.

The face of a killer.

Even with his black glove covering the left half of his face, Percy knew he was never going to be able to sleep without seeing him cackling in his nightmares. His eyes were blue as icy water, a long scar running down his right cheek, from his eye to the curve of his mouth. His smile was worse than the mask. Percy could see was eagerness in his teeth.

Annabeth froze where she was supporting Riptide. Percy could feel her every limb suddenly waver.

"-Chasing-?" He whispered, "-Chasing-!"

But she wasn't hearing him.

Kronos stood up slowly. Seconds ticked by, and Percy found himself struggling to breathe. Kronos removed his hand revealing a large welt where he hit the ground after -Chasing-'s attack. Blood trialed down his face to the drop off of his chin. His blonde hair was matted with a swirl of scarlet.

His health bar had gone down 5%

"You couldn't just stay out of it, could you, Annie?" Kronos asked in a harsh whisper.

"Who...?" She asked in a raspy voice.

Kronos leapt at them brandishing his sword with a malicious grip. -Chasing- wasn't moving. Percy himself could move.

"Goddamnit!" A voice yelled, "What is wrong with all of you people?!"

A flash of purple exploded in the air and for a second Percy thought that he was going to officially die from inhale an excessive amount of lavender perfume. That stuff was nasty.

"Sure, fine, Let's all fucking risk our lives just standing around because the Goddamn Motherfucking Assassin looks creepy as Hell!" Hawtstufz9 shouted at the top of his lungs. "You people are crazy!"

Percy gaped at the sight before him. Leo was standing there, wearing a toolbelt that Percy was sure he didn't have before. One hand was holding open his menu with that hacking code he was working on, the other held a vial with drops of a purple liquid on it. His side was still red with dried blood from xClassicx was no longer draped over his shoulder.

Kronos was gone, leaving only a circle engraved in the weatherworn street.

"What...how?" Percy stumbled for answers.

"Teleportation potion was in -Chasing-'s inventory." Leo said, "I hacked it, since both of you seemed to be determined to die at his hand! It won't take him long to find us again so I suggest we run. Very fast. Very Far."

"What about xClassicx?" Percy said wincing as -Chasing- readjusted his weight on her shoulder. She "accidentally" nudged his bleeding side.

"Uh, the Angel chick took her," he shrugged, looking down for the moment, "She was almost gone...-AngelQueen- said she could take her a couple blocks away so we wouldn't get bitten."

The silence was stifling. When Leo spoke again it was like he was trying to reassure himself that it was the right course of action.

"It's for the best." He whispered, "I mean the only cure for Zombification is Ambrosia so--"

Percy flung off of Annabeth's side and grabbed Leo's shoulders. "Say that again!"

"It's for the best?" Leo cried, "Ow man! You're hurting me!"

"Why the Hell didn't you say Ambrosia cured Zombification earlier?!" Percy yelled, "I have some in my inventory!"

"What?" -Chasing- asked.

"We've got to stop her," Percy stumbled off Leo. "I can save xClassicx!"

"Did you just miss the fact that Kronos is going to find us all again in like seven minutes? Dude these potions only teleport like four miles!"

-Chasing- swiped the empty vial from him, "Gimme that! Don't go breaking into my inventory!"

"I just saved your life!" Leo grumbled.

Percy ignored them both and glanced at his steadily dropping health meter. He looked at the end of the road and started hobbling as fast as he could. This pain was nothing, he told himself. Gabe had given him worse.

"Riptide!" -Chasing- yelled after him, "You imbecile, get back here!" Percy could hear her running after him but he kept going.

Leo's shoulders dropped and he looked at the virtually sky. "It's like he wants to die," He muttered then ran after the other two's glowing player stats.