Lockdown II Chapter III

Lockdown II Chapter III

Annabeth POV

There was an issue.

Not really the whole we're-getting-attacked-by-griffons thing. More like, what happened to the storm that was here an hour ago and why was there a clearly marked exit?

Unfortunately that had to wait, as there were more immediate issues (griffons) to deal with.

"Percy, can you use the water from the storm?" I asked.

Percy moved his hands in a clear attempt. "No... There is no water from the storm. What gives?"

"Can we try and escape?" Crystal suggested. "Get to Hades and just leave the griffons alone?"

In response, a griffon struck at Crystal and slashed her arm. Blood started to emerge... We needed to get rid of these things fast.

I picked up my knife, but Percy blocked my path with his arm. He looked at me with those deep green eyes and grinned. "Leave these things to me."

Percy jumped up to the lowest griffon - the one that had just hurt Crystal - and grabbed its wings. He piloted the griffon until it crashed into another, and then he jumped off and landed on a third one to repeat the process. The Curse of Achilles had definitely made him stronger but this was ridiculous! He wasn't even using Riptide!

A giant skeletal hand reached out from underground and pulled a griffon down. Its controller, Nico di Angelo, had a serious expression when he said, "Please, Perce. Save some for the rest of us."

Percy sighed. "Fine. Go ahead."

Crystal picked up her weapon - a thin bazooka that I knew next to nothing about - and fired Celestial bronze rounds at griffons.

Meanwhile, I resumed simply stabbing with my knife.

I concentrated on the anomalies. The vanishing storm, the exit, the lack of water for Percy to control. There had to be a reason.

Why is it like this?

Because, a voice in my head said. The laws of logic apply primarily to reality. ''To know the truth, you must... die.''

That was the trick, I realized. The laws of logic apply ro reality. I put my knife back into my pocket and spread my arms. "Here, griffon!" Gods, I hoped this plan worked.

A griffon struck at me and slashed at my chest. The last thing I heard was Percy's scream of "ANNABETH!"

I awoke in a pure white room. Not the Underworld, that was good. Where are the others? I asked the voice in my head.

Jackson, Venereal, and di Angelo are fine, the voice said. Although, they are in the same simulation you were in. None of that was real. This is. You have to find your friends and get them out of the simulation. Then you can try and make your escape in real life.

This Aravis girl... she's still in danger, right? That's not part of the simulation?

Correct.

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