Emperors Errands

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS. ALL RIGHTS TO RICK RIORDAN WHO CREATED THE CHARACTERS.

Rated: T (This chapter may disturb or be sensitive to some viewers. Just a warning.)

Main Pairing: Percy/Annabeth

Summary:
Childhood tragedies and a new mission is all Annabeth Chase needs to keep her up at night. When a spike in murders across America sends Annabeth and her astonishing handsome partner, Percy Jackson, on a wild goose chase of corrupt memories, she is forced to confront a not so friendly face from her past. (Percabeth, Human AU.)

TAGS:
Adventure, romance, crime, action, secret agent, Percy, Annabeth, spy, spies.

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!
I live in New Zealand, therefore some words in this story may be spelt differently to how you would spell it. (Example: favourite = British English, favorite = American English.) I will be using British English.

Annabeth's P.O.V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Murder, terrorists, attacks, more murder.

Gods, is there nothing else more important to document about on the news? I scrolled through the channels on the television. America is so dramatic nowadays. How did good news ever become the minority? It really makes you think how much the world has changed. For better or for worst, I'm still not quite sure.

I slumped back in my couch turning the television off and just listening to the birds outside, tweeting in harmony. Peace I thought to myself as I revelled in relaxation. I felt the breeze brush against my skin from the window I had left open opposite me.

I closed my eyes. I could so get use to this. No problem. How great it felt to be stress free for once. No more missions, fighting and drama for a whole entire month. That sounded like the perfect vacation for an active agent like myself.

A grumble erupted in my stomach. I huffed in frustration, I had just eaten an hour ago yet my stomach was still unsatisfied? My eyes fluttered open as I set my feet on the ground.

I let a rather annoyed groan slip from my lips. I carried myself to the kitchen where my hands found the fridge rather quickly. Just as I reached to get some leftover lasagne, my phone rang.

I peered down at my phone, a frown forming on my face. Wait… Why was my phone ringing? I didn't really have much friends, it's the catch that comes with being a secret agent. Secret agent... Gods, I hope it isn't another mission. I had just started my mini holiday. The least they can do for me is give me a break. Sure I love my job, the adventure, the adrenaline and hype. But I needed to relax once in a while!

My feet led me to the other side of the kitchen where my mobile was charging. I hesitated before reaching out to unplug it. I checked the dialler, biting my lip and begging for it to be some stupid advertisement. When my eyes found the name of the caller my hopes were crushed. It was Chiron. Well, that cut my holiday short. He probably wants to send me on another mission. I hovered my finger over the green button, stealing an extra second before answering.

"Hello," I said with an unintentional groan.

"Annabeth, what a lovely day we're having today, aren't we?" Chiron spoke.

"Yes, excellent," I huffed knowing he was trying to relax me before spilling the beans. I'd picked up on his antics over the years I'd known him.

Chiron cleared his throat before continuing. "I apologize in advance-" mission. My theories were correct, he was going to send me on another mission. "But there has been some rather, unpleasant series of events occurring recently."

"It's okay, Chiron. I understand," I spoke up putting on my cherry tone. But the truth was, I didn't understand. Why did he have to choose me? Out of a couple thousand others that would happily volunteer to do the job to earn extra money. It must be something important. "I wasn't planning on doing anything anyway," I lied.

"Excellent. Always lovely to hear your enthusiasm," Proof that I'm great at keeping my emotions in check. "If you could be at base tomorrow around 8:00am, that would be terrific." 8:00? Normally Chiron would give me an extra hour. Something was off…

"Yep," I said popping the 'p'. "I'll see you then Chiron, have a good afternoon."

"Alright, you too," he replied hanging up.

I groaned putting my phone down. Relaxation was never possible with my job anyway. Who was I to think the world would let me stay at home on my couch for a week watching the television and stuffing my face with popcorn?

I glanced over to where I had been sitting. I bet the next time I so much as touch that couch will be in two months. I don't even know why I bought this small cottage when I'm rarely ever home. I sighed, I wonder what the problem will be. Was someone murdered? A threat? Maybe an announcement? No that wouldn't make sense, Chiron sounded sad and distressed. Maybe it wasn't a good announcement…

I closed my eyes and braced for the oncoming headache my clouded thoughts caused. Opening them, I turned and reached for a clean glass sitting on the counter. I filled it up all the while thinking of the possibilities that required my presence.

I looked around my small little cottage. I might be leaving to deal with a situation that is in another state. If so, I was going to miss my small little cottage. When I first saw it, I instantly fell in love with the architecture. I would be lying if I said being a secret agent was my dream. It never was, while I was still in school I would scoff at children who dreamed of being one. I'd read all the articles about why being an agent was dangerous and stupid. Thus, architecture had always been my passion and still is. However I don't see much of a future for it now. Yet here I am, going against what I'd believed. But when Chiron came to me on that street that on night…

I shivered at the thought; I didn't want to even think of that right now. I have enough drama to deal with. I glanced over at the clock that hung above my hallway table. 4:28pm. I yawned, just imagining laying down in my soft bed wrapped in the silky blankets made me feel warm. I guess it couldn't hurt to have a nap. I needed to clean my head of its thoughts and catch up on sleep anyway. With that, I turned and made my way to my bedroom for a nice long nap.

Here we go, the first words that popped into my mind when the building came into view. After yesterday I felt a lot better, I had been isolated in my cottage for the past couple of days revelling in relaxation going unbeknownst to the fact I was isolating myself. Yesterday, I had been cooped up thinking of all the problems that could've occurred. Until that beautiful nap that seemed to clear my head, I felt like I was walking on sunshine, even if that may seem a bit too optimistic for my liking.

I gathered my beige bag before jumping out of the cab I had caught. I slung the bag over my shoulder as I looked up at the building that I had become rather familiar with. I stood there for a minute watching as the taxi drove off without me. Taking a moment to analyse the environment, I noticed that everyone walking down the street were dressed rather formally. Stealing a quick look at my own clothing, I made a quick comparison of my own outfit with the outfits others were wearing. I was wearing a white blouse under my rather dark blazer. Trousers occupied my legs and to top it off I was wearing very light makeup just to look presentable. My hair was tied up to keep my curls from forming a curtain across my face.

I heard an annoyed grumble coming from behind me. I turned my head. Why was that guy grumbling at me? I stood still, glaring him down as he brushed past me mumbling I was a 'slow walker'. Oh, I had been too caught up in my thoughts that I was standing on the sidewalk looking like an idiot. With that I continued walking to the building, this time with a faster pace.

When I had entered I could smell the essence of lemons. I smiled; I had always been entranced by the smell of lemons, it just had a nice aroma. It's almost like the staff had planned to lift my spirits today. I proceeded to walk to the receptionist waiting behind the desk.

"Annabelle Chay, appointment with Chiron," I said politely when my turn to talk to the receptionist came. Funny, I still felt uncomfortable and nervous when I said my undercover name. It's not like I had anything to hide, it just felt unnatural with a fake name falling from my lips. Of course we only had these fake names for personal security. Even inside headquarters, we still had to use our false name just to be cautious. I watched as she typed on her keyboard searching for details of my appointment. She wheeled her chair over to where her phone was to confirm with Chiron of the meeting. Once she hung up she gave me a toothy smile.

"Chiron's waiting for you in room 409," she spoke, wheeling back to the front desk and handing me a pass to prove I was here legally if I was questioned.

I nodded to show my comprehension, tucked the pass into my bag and proceeded to walk toward the elevators. I pressed the button with the arrow facing up and waited, clutching my bag. I unconsciously started to tap my foot against the marble floor. Headquarters was large to say the least, it felt like a stadium on the inside. The building was styled by architectural geniuses. So as fancy as it looked, it was immensely secure, more protected than a bank I'd say. I watched as businessmen and women weaved through each other carrying suitcases with stern looks thrown across their faces.

Ding.

I climbed into the elevator, selecting level four where my appointment was being held. I watched as the elevator doors started closing. I sighed impatiently while I waited. ADHD did not help with waiting, much less with my nerves hanging on my shoulders. I stared at the doors, just challenging them to finish doing their job. I was considering exiting the elevator to take another one when suddenly I heard a desperate shout.

I didn't jump; I was trained to keep shock at bay when surprised. I looked up to see a boy weaving and clawing through crowds trying desperately to reach my elevator. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. He stuck out like a sore thumb as he weaved and occasionally bumped into a few people who didn't look too happy about. He ran into the elevator thanking me for waiting. Which to be perfectly honest, I wasn't waiting for him at all, but the doors thought otherwise.

I looked up at him studying his features. He had sea-green eyes that reminded me of the ocean on a warm summer's day. I took note of his tousled raven hair, which was slightly drooping over his forehead from running. He was wearing a zinc white blouse with a semi-formal black jacket thrown over it and some dark navy blue jeans that were fading at the knees. He had a nice pair of black boots with laces that ended just under his jeans and a nice dark tie to top it off. His outfit was not full blown formal but it looked like he had tried to put some effort in.

He looked at me puffing as if it was a real effort to run across a room. He grinned at me, stuck his hand out and announced, "Percy Jackson." I looked down at his hand. Wow he had really tanned hands. Wait, why is he showing me his hand? I slowly looked back at him with a questioning gaze. He continued "my name," he chuckled.

Oh.

Had I been that oblivious? Apparently so, to point out the obvious. Did I mention how I hate it when people correct me? So why wasn't I already going at his throat? I bet this guy is just trying to play with my emotions. I sent him my best poker face.

He hesitantly looked away towards the oh so stupid elevator doors which by now had closed and was slowly taking us up to level four. My vision kept focused on his retreating gaze. Was that a tint of pink on his checks? Why was he wearing women's makeup? Or is that a blush… I cringed inwardly at that thought. He was probably just tired from the run, an action clearly indicating he didn't visit the gym often. But taking a sneak peak at his figure, he was rather toned which sent me into another fit of questions.

Ding.

The elevator alerted, announcing its success in making it to the correct destination. I simply looked back at the green eyed man. I nodded in acknowledgment before exiting the lift. I continued walking down a hallway leading to my designated room. Just as I reached the room, I felt a presence behind me. I sighed and turned around.

"What." I didn't mean for it to come out harshly, however I wasn't in the mood to put up with any problems.

"This is kind of my room too," Percy announced cautiously. His hand retreated to scratch his neck.

I shook my head. He must have the wrong room. Chiron had called me, and he hadn't mentioned anything about a group of people joining us. I faced him putting my hands on my hips.

"Look, it's clear you have mistaken your room number. If you want, I could call reception quickly to sort out your problems. How does that sound?" I put politely, squeezing the strap of my bag.

He stared at me in shock as if he couldn't believe what I was saying. He let out a frustrated huff then proceeded to reach behind me and open the door. I hastily turned around facing the desk inside and put on my best fake smile.

"Chiron," I greeted cheerfully and walked in, failing to acknowledge Percy's subtle eye roll.

"Annabeth, Percy, lovely to see you two agents have already been acquainted," he spoke calmly.

"We sure have been acquainted," Percy smiled broadly and sat down beside me. He sure has a tongue, I thought bitterly. I joined him, plopping my butt down beside him with a neat posture and small smile.

Chiron stood, "would either of you like some coffee?"

"Yes please," I nodded eagerly, whilst Percy shook his head explaining how he already had some caffeine this morning.

"Well," Chiron started walking over to the coffee maker. "I'm sure you both have an idea as to why you were called in today," he asked looking up from the coffee machine. A deafening silence filled the room. We both knew the answer to that question or at least suspected a possible answer.

"Chiron, you know I hate the suspense," Percy joked trying to lighten up the mood, although I could feel his hesitance in his laugh.

"Well I better tell you immediately then," Chiron produced a crinkled smile in amusement. "Well, as I am sure you both know, murders are a common crime here in America." He grabbed his freshly made latte and set it down on his side of the desk.

We nodded as he shifted his vision under the table and placed a brown paper file full of documents on the desk. Being the curious person I am, I immediately dug into the file. As I was flipping through the file, my eyes landed on a certain page, a certain picture. Chiron looked over to see what I was staring at as well as Percy.

"Ah, it's as if you can predict what I'm up to," Chiron laughed to himself.

"Chiron what's – what's this?" my voice cracked looking down at the picture. I mentally cursed myself for slipping up on the last couple words.

Chiron sighed in discomfort. "Annabeth, I know – "

"Know what?" My eyes whipped up, piercing into Chiron's soft ones. "Knew how much he hurt me? How could you." I felt my eyes watering but I refused to let a tear fall. I wasn't weak, and I was certainly not going to look like it in front of them. "You promised me I'd be far away from him," my voice broke. I subconsciously let a tear fall and hastily wiped it away. Just picturing his face again made me feel horrible.

"Annabeth," Chiron spoke up calmly. "I know he hurt you and I don't intend on that happening again. But please, he needs you. You're the only one that can give him a chance." I bit my tongue before I could point a finger at Percy and accuse him of being useless if I am the only chance he has.

I shook my head. "I gave him one too many chances. He failed me, again, again and again," slamming my hands repeatedly on the desk for emphasise. Gods, I was getting a headache trying to hold back all my ongoing emotions. "And I refuse to be pulled back into that drama," I directed at Chiron rather harshly clenching my jaw.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Chiron voiced, whilst I swiped my hands of the desk trying to act civilized.

Everyone kept quiet, acting as if nothing had happened. The door slowly creaked open, revealing a young small petit woman with short straight chestnut hair. Chiron nodded relaxing back into his chair, all while making a come here motion with his fingers. She gave all of us worried glances before proceeding further into the room after closing the door behind her.

"I heard yelling and screaming – and – and loud slamming noises," she explained using hand gestures to be more dramatic.

I can't stand it when people over react. She was the perfect example of the word overdramatic. The way she was describing it was as if we were monkeys jumping on the furniture and throwing a party, no offence to all the monkeys out there. I gave her a flat smile and spoke up.

"I'm sorry, it must have been another room," I said politely.

"No, I have excellent hearing and it was one-hundred percent-ly coming from this room."

I scrunched my nose up in disgust. Gods I can't handle it when people don't use proper grammar. This girl was trying to get on my nerves. She was like a stereotypical dumb blonde, minus her brown hair and she matches the title. Which was surprising since dumb blondes did not exist in reality. Secondly, she was doubting me, something no person should ever do. I was about to open my mouth when Mr. Genius next to me beat me to it. That was sarcasm if you hadn't noticed.

"Yeah, we're fine. But it was nice of you to check on us. We all make mistakes. To be honest, I make mistakes all the time," Percy finished his mini 'speech' grinning. I could already point out many flaws in every word that just came out of his mouth.

She giggled in response, batting her eyelashes. "Yeah, sorry," she replied winking at him before exiting through the door. I inwardly gagged at the two's exchange.

Only until the click the door made when it closed did all my thoughts come rushing back to me at once. How could she just flirt with him in front of her boss Chiron so obviously? How did become Chiron's assistant in the first place? And what is with her limited vocabulary? Who even says two words in reply after previously defending herself? And most importantly did Percy even notice her flirting? I mean this is a serious business meeting and if he was going to use that opportunity to flirt with girls… Well he technically wasn't flirting it was her. Why was I even questioning her and Percy's relationship? I mean it was clear they hadn't met befo-

"Annabeth," I jumped in my spot, glaring at Percy.

"What," I snapped back at him. He looked pretty taken aback.

"I'm sorry, you were just zoning out," he replied furrowing his eyebrows together, plastering a smirk across his face.

I huffed folding my arms across my chest looking at the opposite wall at the paintings. Gods, had I been staring at him? How long was I – no, I better stop before I zone out again. With that I looked back up to Chiron accepting my fate of going on an inevitable mission.

"Chiron, mission," I changed the topic.

Chiron huffed and a serious expression ate away his usual crinkled smile. "As you may or may have not seen on the news, there has been a rather suspicious spike in murders."

As he spoke, I assessed all the possibilities. Did that mean that another gang or terrorist attack was on the way? My fingers started to fiddle in my lap and I unconsciously bit my lip, impatiently waiting for details. My eyebrows scrunched together in annoyance as I heard Percy's finger tapping on the desk.

Chiron continued. "We are not sure who or what is causing this, but we've found some evidence I'd like you to look into." He reached for the file in front of me and flipped it around so it faced himself. "Now I will tell you what you are about to see is a bit, well," Chiron's face seized up with uncertainty. He pulled out a picture of something pale covered by a white sheet from the file and passed it to me.

I analysed the picture in my hand. It was a child, a girl. Her skin was tainted a sickly pale and her greasy black hair stuck to the nape of her neck. Her lips were swollen and practically colourless. She lay on what must have been an assessment table. The type's you see in hospitals. Half of her body was covered by a zinc white sheet. The girl couldn't be any older than ten. The hair of my neck twitched up when I saw her torn throat, quite literally. It looked like a tiger had cut her throat open. Three deep lines covered her neck from the top of her jaw to the bottom of her collarbone. Of course you could still see blood and flesh, however it was more neat because it must have been cleaned. By looking at the shredded skin, a wave of nausea hit my system. I was looking at a corpse of a young girl who must have been tragically killed by an animal.

I almost jumped out of my seat when I felt someone breathe down my neck. A strand of Percy's hair tickled my jaw as he stuck his head over my shoulder peering down at the picture. In my peripheral vision, I saw him cringe with pity and disgust. I don't blame him, it's not very nice to see a mangled corpse like this one, especially when the victim is someone young and innocent. She died in a savagely manner and of top of that, she was way too young.

"Who is that?" Percy asked, regaining his posture.

Chiron's jaw clenched. "Amelia Jones. Age nine, died from an attack of the unknown."

I started putting the pieces together in my head. There is a spike in murders, and Amelia must have been a victim of it. The problem being no one knew the cause of the recent deaths. All we had was the brutality of the bodies to estimate what could have inflicted the death of these people. My guess was that Chiron wanted us to investigate exactly that. However I still didn't understand how the blonde haired man in the other picture tied to this. Setting my focus back on Chiron, I mentally prepared for the daunting words I knew were yet to come.

"We have – " Chiron took a hesitant breath, "suspicions, to say the least."

Chiron met my eyes for an awkward moment. It was as if he could see my conflicted thoughts by simply looking into my irises and through to my soul.

"You mean you suspect Luke Castellan to be responsible?" I pointed out.

"Annabeth, you don't know what we know," Chiron's voice held sympathy but I could tell he was trying to put it as lightly as possible.

"Oh yeah?" I cocked an eyebrow, "and what is it exactly that I do not know?" I tilted my head to the side, a challenge evident on my face.

His face twisted between a fake smile and a deer caught in the headlights. He hadn't thought of an answer to that question. "The girl is not the only victim. Luke…"

My eyes widened and my blood rushed to my face. I couldn't feel or move any of my limbs; my body has turned itself against me. I couldn't comprehend what Chiron was telling going to tell me. Was he referring to Luke being… dead? It felt as if a scorching liquid was being poured down my spine and spreading down to my fingertips.

"What! What about Luke?!" I demanded as I held back water building in my tear duct and bit down on my bottom lip.

Chiron gave up on keeping me in suspense. "Luke's mother was murdered the same way as the girl."

Guilt came crashing down upon me. I felt relief seize up my fists. I was mildly disgusted at myself, I'd never been more thankful for someone's death. His mother of all people had been murdered and here I sat with a smile knowing it wasn't a person I had built an attachment to. How selfish did that sound? Other people probably cared about her and here I was thanking any and every God up there that it was her and not Luke.

I heard Percy shifting in his seat beside me, his eyes piercing into the side of my head. I scolded myself; I had completely forgotten he was sitting there watching my and Chiron's exchange. What would he think of me now? I swallowed the thought of being judged by someone who is going to be by my side for a while. It would not be wise to build a bad impression. The thought of Percy accusing me to be a crazy psychopath who wishes death upon people crossed my mind and made me cringe.

Percy butted in. "Who is this 'Luke' may I ask?" Percy questioned with a frown. His eyes darted to Chiron's then mine twice.

Chiron cleared his throat instead of answering. However, Percy still held his stare on Chiron, determined to get an answer out of him. He looked at the ceiling to avoid his stare before finally giving up with a sigh. "I believe it is not my place to inform you about Annabeth's relationship with that man. I can tell you from a professional point of view to inform you but that'll be all."

I cringed; I didn't know what to think of that. I couldn't decide how to feel. Happy, that he didn't spill my complicated relationship with Luke to my new co-worker, embarrassed that Chiron said it as if I was in a romantic relationship with Luke, or frustrated that I'd have to spill my guts to Percy later. A deep blush set in as I felt my blood rush to my face. A curl from my head fell as I had been too distracted trailing my eyes around the pattern of the wooden desk. I mentally high-fived myself because it covered my tinted cheeks.

Percy responded with a brief nod. "So what can you tell me?"

Chiron cleared his throat and slid the picture of Luke that I hadn't realised was under my fingertips across the desk to Percy. Percy muttered thanks and squinted his eyes at the boy's blond hair. I couldn't help but zone out and stare at the skyscrapers outside the window while the men conversed basic information about Luke, such as where he was born, his family, wealth and appearance. Silver buildings and clouds flourished in dense cities like this because they were practically the only thing to look at a part from the crowds that flock the crossings. How high we were I couldn't quite calculate considering I couldn't even see the ground. A certain biography, well more of a certain someone caught my attention when I grew bored and decided to flick through the pages of the file. I was on the fifth or sixth line when I was interrupted.

"Annabeth?"

A strangled noise from the back of my throat came in response as I looked to Percy. He cocked an eyebrow and chuckled in amusement at my pretty stupid reply. I could safely say that I could not tell if my face had gone pale or bright red. I bit my tongue and glanced at Chiron, a silent plea was present in my eyes. His eyes crinkled in a crooked smile before falling to it's usually simple one.

"Well I think that will be all for today. There will be an event coming up I would like both of you to attend but I will contact you later with that information." Chiron smiled. "Everything else you need to know is in that folder," he said pointing to the folder in front of me. "If you have any questions just call or visit; and don't forget to report to us on every move or choice you make, we need to be informed for your safety." He paused, "but I'm sure you already knew that didn't you Annabeth?" he gazed at me knowingly.

I smiled back at him. How could I stay mad at Chiron? He was like a father figure to me, he knew how I didn't like to beat around the bush but get straight to the point. "Exactly, but I do have a quick question," I bit my lip glancing over at Percy beside me. "Why is he here?" I questioned nervously.

"Percy will be your partner. You both have the skills and quality to take hold of this one," he stated nonchalantly. "I reckon you both will get along just fine."

I nodded ignoring his last statement. "So we can stay at our own residents while on this mission, right?" I asked already knowing the answer. Obviously yes, I always reside there even on missions. Apart from that one time, but that was an exception.

"Actually you'll both be staying in this nice – " He flipped a couple of pages from the file in front of me, "villa located slightly out back from the city. But not too far away, you can easily drive there within fifteen or so minutes."

Living with a stranger AND on top of that, a guy? That's something I don't think I'll be capable of doing. He could be messy, might not clean up after himself, or he might be clean. That'd be good. But there are more cons to weigh – Stop. You're doing it again Annabeth! Pull yourself together and do this another time, my inner self scolded. I decided to listen to it. I could do with not getting in drama for a little bit. Even though it might only be for five minutes. Whatever.

Percy must have signalled for Chiron to continue because he piped up. "Alright then," he grinned. "I expect to hear from you two by tomorrow, okay?" he chirped happily. Percy grinned, nodding a bit too quickly, clearly wanting to get out of this situation as much as I did.

We stood up from our seats to shake hands and say goodbye. With that, Percy and I exited the room into the hallway. There was awkward silence for a minute or two before Percy spoke up.

"So, Annabeth," he chided sarcastically. "Thanks for telling me your name earlier." More Sarcasm.

"Look, I'm sorry. I tend to keep my walls up to strangers. Believe it or not, before you came into that elevator I didn't know you," my voice dripped with sarcasm. "I wouldn't call you a stranger now though, more of an acquaintance because of the meeting. Don't let that go to your ego." Pause. I sent him a pointed look. "Do not expect me to say that again," I said crossing my arms across my chest then walking down the hallway. I could hear him trotting to catch up.

He chuckled walking beside me. "Wouldn't plan on it, partner," he winked playfully. His stride was rather close to me so my feet maneuvered slightly to the right to reform my personal bubble. He noticed my actions and frowned slightly before noticing that he was practically brushing my shoulder. Quickly noticing this he repositioned his steps with a huff as if I was being petty. He caught my eye when I looked up at him and he simply just shrugged.

"So, what are you Perseus Jackson?" He tilted his head and rose an eyebrow, something I noted that he did often enough for me to notice. He averted his gaze to the ground, a thoughtful expression was present on his face.

"I am going to pretend that you did not use my full name and to answer your question," he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm many things."

What was that even supposed to mean? "I was leaning for a more specific answer…" I added, brushing my fallen curls behind my ear.

He shrugged and made his way to the end of the hallway to the elevator we had ascended in. He stood and turned his head looking me dead in my eye. "Just look in my biography. You know, the document you were peeping at earlier." With that he turned on his heel and disappeared behind the closing doors, leaving me alone in the airy hall.

I stared intently at the paper. I grabbed the mug beside me and sipped my instant coffee. My eyes trailed across each word, occasionally scanning the words multiple times just to be sure. I didn't want to believe it, no matter how many clues pointed at him. My childhood friend, crush, and brother figure could be a murderer? Shivers ran down my spine and my mind prodded for anything to disprove the suspicions I was reading.

I gave up with an annoyed huff. It could not possibly be Luke behind the murders; it just would not make any sense at all. Besides, the deaths were occurring all over the states, Luke couldn't possibly be travelling all over America just to kill one person then fly all the way back to kill another. It had to be a gang of some sort, which would make sense. However that leads back to my previous problem. The statements in the file claim that Luke is a leader of a terrorist group of some sort. That would make my gang guess correct in the most sickening way. It just could not be though! The Luke I had grown up with never had the thoughts or influences of any of the sort to get him involved in such a thing.

My fingers furiously tapped on the wooden table I was sitting at in my small but organised lounge. Another frustrated growl ripped through my throat. I ran a hand through my blonde curls as my eyes scanned the paper. Nothing was adding up, the marks on the girl's corpse had been from an animal, so it couldn't be from a human. But it couldn't be from an animal because they can't travel across the states to kill someone then get another kill from another state entirely.

Sadly enough, that was not the only thing glued to my mind. Luke's mum had died, or more specifically been murdered. The thought curled in my stomach and sent an unpleasant sense of uncertainty up my throat. I had only met her once or twice; she was rather weird to say the least. She'd make me wonder how Luke had kept so sane when she was clearly off her rocker. Hypothetically, if it had been Luke behind the murders, that would mean he killed his mum…

My eyes widened with horror. All my thoughts were scaring me. Had I really grown up with a sociopath who had the talent of disguise? He couldn't possibly be the man behind all this tragedy, could he? No, it was impossible. I knew those soft icy blue eyes ever since I was young. They would watch over me as I climbed the monkey bars; they were always steadily resting on my back to catch me if I fell.

My teary gaze which I hadn't noticed until now, landed on the picture. I sniffed because my nose had that familiar stuffy feeling. I was getting emotional just thinking about my past. It certainly hadn't been a walk in the park and I knew that for a fact. How desperately I wanted to dodge my emotions and lock them up in a vault to never be seen again. I despised Luke; I can't stand anything about him anymore. Yet here I am willing to think of nonsense to prove the suspicions wrong. Why I'm trying to protect him? I'm not too sure myself… Maybe my stubborn nature was blinding me from the truth? Who could bear the thought that they were raised by a psychotic being? A possible psychotic being, I reassure myself. If he was, wouldn't I be raised like that too?

I forced my vision on the document, trying and failing at focusing. Collections of words formed sentences, a collection of sentences formed paragraphs and yet I wasn't absorbing any it's contents. I tried, I really did but my mind just couldn't fixate on it. My curls were delicately falling to rest against my cheek. My finger came up to twist a strand, a nervous and stupid habit I had adapted to over the years. I subconsciously nibbled gently on the inside of my cheek.

I slam the pen I was fidgeting with firmly against the wooden table. I rose from my cushioned chair and promptly marched into my kitchen to grab a glass of water. I drank hoping that the cool water would somewhat relieve my frustration and upcoming headache. A small trail of liquid fell onto my orange T-shirt. I grabbed a fistful of the fabric in my hand and pulled it closer to my face to inspect it. I scowled at the small damp patch. I moved the glass around in my hand, not one drop had leaked out of the cup. Another drop found its way into my mouth, it tasted salty. My vision was blurring and then I noticed I was crying, or on the brink of it to be more specific.

Cursing at myself, I hastily wiped the tears away. I hadn't even noticed I was getting emotional. I guess it was because of all the pressure and aggravation building up inside of me. This was what I meant when I had the meeting with Chiron and Percy, the thought of Luke is heart wrenching and tears me apart. Not being able to control the feelings just make it harder. But alas, I knew I wasn't blessed enough to have that ability, I doubt anyone is.

Long deep breaths brought me back to reality. My hands curled into fists by my sides. This would not be my fall, I will not let it. I will fight these feelings, my doubts, my insecurities. I shall conquer them and leave no survivors. I will and must learn to get along with my new, partner, Percy Jackson. My jaw tightened. Maybe he wasn't as obnoxious as I thought. There was always the possibility of misjudgement. We'll go with that…

I wasn't sure if I could trust Percy, anyone would be after just meeting someone. It would not even be a chance to just waltz up to him and come clean with my past relations with Luke. Could I? I'll have to tell him at some point, however right now is not the time. A time will come when I will tell him, just not now. I need time to recollect myself to move on to the point I don't shiver each time I hear his name.

A/N: This is chapter is a rewrite that has gone through MAJOR editing, such as adding new scenes, changing some details, removing some things, all that good stuff. The first version of this chapter was terrible so I made this.

There are probably still some mistakes in here that I can't see. So if you are a beta willing to help me, just send me a private message. I'm serious. Please, I don't have a beta at all. I need one…

Be sure to favourite, follow, recommend, review and all that good stuff. Thank you so much!

-GiftFromTheSkies