RECLUSE ?Leo Valdez?

I feel like I'm drowning

Jason took to the sky, slicing and attacking the eagles from above while Percy attempted to move the tides in his favor, slowing the army's pace.

Annabeth and Hazel both manned the ballistas and got ready to fire while Piper tried to get the Romans to turn back with her charmspeak.

Frank turned into an eagle similar to the Roman ones and took off to help Jason.

Maisie felt useless as she stood there unarmed. Feet glued to the wooden deck. She could only repeat the same question over and over again.

Where was Leo?

She snapped back into battle mode when she heard multiple cries of Jason's and Frank's names. She looked up just in time to see both of them falling into the ocean, slamming onto its blue surface at full force.

A Roman ship had managed to sneak behind the Argo II and some demigods had managed to climb aboard, unsheathing their weapons.

Maisie paid them no mind as she ran for the edge of the ship, leaning on the rail she looked out for both Jason and Frank.

She found them.

They both sat face down in the water, a new red liquid surrounding both their unmoving bodies.

Blood.

Maisie tore her eyes away from the scene when a cry of pain was heard. She turned into time to see a spear sink straight through Hazels chest, her eyes flickering in pain before going void of emotion.

Maisie was frozen. Her throat burned as she felt a rising feeling to throw up. She couldn't look away from the scene in front of her as Hazel stained the wood with her blood.

She saw moment out of the corner of her eye as Piper was next to collapse, an arrow sticking out from her chest. Her lifeless body fell to the floor before Maisie could even process what had happened.

The Romans overwhelmed Annabeth and Percy, who both fought side by side on the deck. In an act of sacrifice, Annabeth pushed Percy away from an oncoming stab, taking it herself. The sword had gone straight through her stomach and she collapsed right back into Percy. He caught her body and screamed her name. Their attacker brutally ripped the sword from her body and sliced it across Percy's neck, effectively killing the couple as they fell into a bloody heap onto the floor.

Maisie began to hyperventilate as she could only whip her head in circles, taking in each of her friend's lifeless body as they dropped.

Jason

Frank

Hazel

Piper

Annabeth

Percy

And now Coach Hedge, whose body now lay across the deck next to the Ballistas, bleeding from the head and side.

Where was Leo?

Just then, he burst up from the bottom deck, hammer in hand. Looking around at the sight before him and holding back tears. He locked eyes with Maisie and shouted out to her.

"Maisie! What are you doing?" He questioned. "Help us!"

Maisie's mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. It was like her voice had been forcefully ripped from her throat and in place of it, sat a wad of sandpaper that scratched the sides of her throat dry.

Maisie couldn't blink. Couldn't move. Couldn't cry.

She couldn't even shout out to Leo in warning.

Octavian approached him from behind, driving his knife into his back, and yanking it back out. Leo went face first onto the deck, still holding enough strength to hold her gaze. His eyes screamed at her, holding questions she couldn't answer.

Why didn't you help us?

Maisie felt like she was suffocating when Octavian approached her, laughing at the horrified look on her face.

"See, Maisie Elliot," He called, whiling his arm to her fallen friends. "This is what happens to heroes like you!"

Each word sent a metaphorical stab through her chest. She couldn't help but look around herself again. All the lifeless dead bodies. All the blood.

Jason

Frank

Hazel

Piper

Annabeth

Percy

Hedge

Leo

They were all dead.

And it was all her fault.

Maisie didn't even flinch when Octavian sent his knife straight into her chest.

She didn't flinch when he ripped it out and stabbed her a second time.

She didn't flinch when she was roughly shoved overboard and slammed into the ocean.

She didn't flinch when the icy cold water pricked at her pale skin.

She didn't flinch as she allowed herself to drift farther down into the sea.

Maisie didn't flinch. She welcomed death with open arms. Accepting her fate and letting the darkness consume her seemed like a good idea.

She had nobody left to live for anyway.

MAISIE SHOT UP FROM HER BED

Her chest heaved in and out with shaky breaths.

Her hands shook with nerves.

Her eyes watered with a mix of sorrow and relief.

Her hands tugged at her hair as she tucked herself into a ball. The air around her felt hard to breathe and she continued to heave in and out.

She was awake.

She was okay.

She was Alive.

And she needed Leo.

A/N: Thought I would give you guys an extra chapter since I took forever on the last one. I hope you liked it! ☺️

Unedited
2352 words
12/15/24