𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 (Annabeth X Malereader)

[15] A boxing glove arrow?

"One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?" Luke curled his lip. The soldiers hesitated, waiting for his order. Before he could say anything, Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. A pure-black Pegasus, with wings like a giant raven. The Pegasus mare bucked and whinnied.

"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a Pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"

Luke kept his eyes on Percy. "I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."

"And you keep avoiding one," Percy noticed. "Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?" Luke glanced at his men. Y/N grinned. Percy was smart. If he backed down now, Luke would look weak. If he fought Percy, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse. On the downside, Y/N knew how good Luke was at sword fighting.

"I'll kill you quickly," Luke decided and raised his weapon. Backbiter was a foot longer than Riptide. Its blade glinted with an evil grey-and-gold light where the human steel had been melded with celestial bronze. Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield.

He grinned wickedly.

"Luke," Y/N frowned, "at least give him a shield."

"Sorry, Y/N," he said. "You bring your own equipment to this party." Y/N grimaced. The shield was a problem. Fighting two-handed with just a sword gives the user more power, but fighting one-handed with a shield allows for better defence and versatility. There are more moves, more options, more ways to kill.

Luke lunged and almost killed him on the first try. His sword went under Percy's arm, slashing through his shirt and grazing his ribs. Percy jumped back, then counterattacked with Riptide, but Luke slammed his blade away with his shield.

"My, Percy," Luke chided. "You're out of practice." He came at Percy again with a swipe to the head. He parried, returned with a thrust. Luke sidestepped easily. The cut on Percy's ribs stung. His heart racing. When Luke lunged again, Percy jumped backward into the swimming pool and felt a surge of strength. He spun underwater, creating a funnel cloud, and blasted out of the deep end, straight at Luke's face. The force of the water knocked him down, spluttering and blinded. But before Percy could strike, Luke rolled aside and was on his feet again.

Percy attacked and sliced off the edge of his shield, but that didn't even faze him. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at Percy's legs. Suddenly his thigh was on fire, with a pain so intense Percy collapsed. his jeans were ripped above the knee. Luke hacked downward and Percy rolled behind a deck chair. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't take the weight.

"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated. He rolled again as Luke's sword slashed the deck chair in half, metal pipes and all. Percy clawed toward the swimming pool, trying hard not to black out. 'I'm not going to make it...' Percy thought, his mind searing with pain.

Luke knew he had won. He advanced slowly, smiling. The edge of his sword was tinged with red. "One thing I want you to watch before you die, Percy." He looked at the bear man Oreius, who was still holding Annabeth and Grover by the necks. "You can eat your dinner now, Oreius. Bon appétit."

"He-he! He-he!" The bear-man lifted them and bared his teeth.

"Annabeth!" Y/N yelled, rushing forward.

That's when all Hades broke loose.

Whish! A red-feathered arrow sprouted from Oreius's mouth. With a surprised look on his hairy face, he crumpled to the deck.

"Brother!" Agrius wailed. He let the Pegasus's reins go slack just long enough for the black steed to kick him in the head and fly away free over Miami Bay.