Percy Jackson and The Sands Of Time

| Chapter 4 || Kidnapped (Saved?) From War |

Hello, Readers! Here is the fourth chapter in our new story! We hope you enjoy it even though it's short.

~CSP2708~

*Dylan_Walts*

| Chapter 4 |

| Kidnapped (Saved?) from War |

My first order of command had me plunked down on the front lines, a few troops around me. They told me that these troops were mine, but I couldn't really process that until the men all stared at me with expectation in their eyes.

That was when it hit me. I was fighting in World War II and these men were mine to lead into the fray of the front lines. I also had to make sure they didn't run out of ammo, and they didn't die, and they all got home to their families safe and sound. Oh gods. This would be terrible.

I mean, storming into France with forty or so men armed to the teeth following behind me wasn't bad, but I felt weighed down by my equipment, and I could only imagine how some of the others felt. I, at least, was used to wearing the heavy metal armour from camp, so this stuff wasn't much, but there were men - boys - behind me that were even thinner than I had been when I first entered Camp Half-Blood, and I had been twelve at the time!

Our first order of business was liberating a small town just past the enemy lines. It was overrun with Nazis, and I was even more determined to save the poor townspeople from them once I found out how they were being treated. They had to constantly hide the good food, hoping that they wouldn't get caught, because they had to serve the German soldier whatever they wanted, but were unable to charge them. Most small businesses around the town had already gone out of service, and the Nazis had taken over their houses, thrusting them out to live on the streets during the cold nights.

I felt the cold earth seep into my uniform as I lay on a hill, a pair of binoculars pressed to my face. I watched the Nazis - about one hundred thirty of them - swarm the town like a disease. Right then and there, my mind had been made up - they must go.

Standing up and approaching Warsaw, I stopped behind the hills to rally my troops. "Men, today we fight the forces of evil! That town must be liberated from their tyranny and the German influence! Today we're going to fight for our freedom and the freedom of others. Let's show these Nazi jerks why our country is the land of the free and the brave!" I roared.

A similar roar rose from the troops as they yelled back a hearty "Yeah!"

As we marched up the hill, I brought out my gun. Looking through the scope, I saw three groups of Nazis, about twenty each, that had separated from the rest in the town. I smile.d We could easily take these down.

Signalling to my troops, I gestured for them to divide and conquer.

The sharpshooters moved in first, getting into position and taking down the troops. As soon as the first Nazi fell, they all scattered, leaving an easy opening for my troops and myself to rush in for an ambush.

I'd lost count of how many men had fallen to my gun a long time ago, but now, I could count at least twelve. The other eight were killed as well, and we continued on our way, moving in on the rest of the town.

We advanced, met with little resistance as it was still the early hours of the morning. Whenever we came across a family of homeless townsfolk, I ordered a soldier to lead them to safety. Now moving forward with only thirty-two of my original forty men remaining.

Each step for me was a dull thud, as all I could hear was my heartbeat, matching perfectly, with each time my boot hit the frozen dirt.

The first squadron of Nazis came around the corner and immediately set after us, guns blazing. I winced as we took them down. If the others weren't awake already, that certainly would have woken them up. It wouldn't be long now before they all came out of their houses.

Not five minutes later, it seemed as if the rest of the Nazis had appeared. They swarmed around us like an infestation of cockroaches, falling and rising in waves as we shot them down, only for more to take their place in the melee. Round after round of bullets and I was still firing, ducking behind houses and cars as both sides shot at one another across the small courtyard in the centre of the town.

As soon as only twenty Nazis remained, it seemed that they got the message, as they tried to call a retreat. We couldn't let that happen. We couldn't take the chance that they would just take over another town, or rally their troops, or go and tell the head officers what they knew. This was war. And in war, there are no survivors.

As I began to shoot at their retreating backs, I saw one soldier run into an alleyway, separate from the others. Leaving my troops to deal with the remaining Nazis, I followed that one into the narrow space between the two buildings, determined not to let him get away.

A bullet soared through the air, hitting him in the back. He fell, and I smiled despite knowing that I had just taken a life. Then, my smile turned to a frown. What had the war done to me? I was happy to have killed someone?

I couldn't dwell on that for long as I felt a sudden sharp pull from my left. Turning, my eyes widened as there was a vortex floating at the side of the building, swirling mysteriously. I knew what this was. It was the same portal that Kronos had sent me through before I'd landed in this hell. Maybe, since I'd done what I've been sent here to do, I can go home.

I made sure that my backpack was fastened securely on my back, holding my gun, which had just turned back into Riptide - as it had been disguised to suit the location - and happily jumped through the portal. I really hoped that it would take me home.

With that thought in mind, I felt nothing, heard nothing, and saw nothing. It all went dark as I was swallowed by the inky blackness of the portal.

***

Word Count: 1065

Posted: Saturday, February 10th, 2018

~CSP2708~

*Dylan_Walts*