A/N: Hello everyone!
This is all written in Annabeth's POV, and most of the italicized dialogue was taken directly from the books.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Annabeth's POV
The light from the window lit up the dust in the air. It was the perfect day outside, besides the fact that it was below freezing. I smiled, looking outside. I would be just fine with observing the outside world from the inside today.
I glanced down at the dishes in the sink as I passed through the kitchen. Sighing, I knew what needed to be done. I really wanted to leave them for tomorrow, but I knew deep down that tomorrow would never come if I didn't get it over with now.
I stepped up to the sink, pushing up my sleeves and slipping the simple gold wedding band off of my finger. I carefully placed it a distance away from the pile of dishes.
The tap squeaked quietly as I turned it, and the water quickly streamed out. I watched it for a second, admiring it's sparkle in the light. The widow above the sink looked down on the street, and I watched the people move below while cleaning up.
It was nice. I made up stories for them, coming up with places for them to be going and leaving. A man rushed through the streets, moving fast even for the normally fast pace of the people below.
Maybe his wife's in the hospital, and he's about to be a father. My mind whispered. I smiled softly, looking up at the sky. It was a lovely deep blue, not a single cloud in the sky as far as I could see.
The chore passed quickly, and I drifted into memories.
It had been raining in the mortal world, but not at Camp. I had always found the sound of thunder comforting, and within the barriers of the camp one didn't have to worry about the dangers of such weather either. I had considered it a winning situation.
It was dark outside, and with a start, I realized that it was past the bed time call for the campers. I had been too busy in my discussion with Chiron to hear it. I had been attempting to get him to let me go on a quest.
I had been getting a bit desperate. I needed to see the outside world. I was tired of being cooped up here with nothing to do but train and train. I was already one of the best in my cabin, if not one of the best in the entire camp. And despite being one of the youngest, I had also been here for the longest time. Most demigods came when they were twelve. I was twelve, and I had already been here for five years.
If the senior campers got to go on quests, why couldn't I? I knew I was ready enough, but Chiron always answered the same way.
"Not yet, Annabeth," He said. "There will be a time for that when you are older. For now, keep training."
I sighed in exasperation. "That's all I've been doing for years though. I have to be ready. I am ready."
Chiron shook his head. "I told you before, not yet. And that is the final answer." He almost sounded like a parent, and eventually, I supposed he was. Chiron was the closest thing I had as a parental figure.
"I shouldn't have told you that you were fated to travel with the prophesied demigod," He murmured quietly, turning around to look over some of the paperwork. He swished his tail.
I crossed my arms, slightly glaring at him. Even though he wouldn't budge on me taking a quest, I didn't have it in my heart to be mad at him. He was only looking out for me.
We were both interrupted by someone shouting outside. They sounded to be in complete panic. Chiron and I made eye contact before both rushing to the door. I got out first, observing the scene in front of me from the deck.
A boy was struggling to climb up the stairs. He looked completely exhausted. I look downwards at his hands, and sucked in a breath.
He was holding a Minotaur horn. "No way," I whispered. He couldn't have just been fighting a Minotaur, could he? Those kinds of monsters only chased down children of the big three. It was normal for a kid to be running in with a hellhound on their backs, but the Minotaur? How had he killed it?
There were tear tracks streaming down his face as he dragged something along behind him.
Chiron appeared by my side in the doorway. "Grover," He muttered. His brow furrowed in concern.
I raced off of the deck, dropping down on my knees next to the kid, who appeared to be going unconscious. I checked him over quickly. Nothing seemed to be terribly injured. He was just completely exhausted and drained.
Who was this kid? How could they survive an attack like that? He was new, he had never trained with a sword. I didn't even think he had one on him. Yet he held the horn of the Minotaur and was covered in golden dust. I didn't see any other conclusion, but it seemed completely impossible.
Was he the demigod I was supposed to fight with? I wouldn't be surprised if he was. This was either an extreme case of good luck or a demonstration of pure talent.
I looked up at Chiron. "He's the one. He must be," I said.
Chiron frowned, staring down at the boy. "Silence, Annabeth," He said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."
I flopped down on the couch, and curled up against the arm rest. Argos, our old black cat, jumped up beside me. I stroked his fur softly, and reached forward to the book on the coffee table. It was one that I had started yesterday, but I was already two thirds of the way through it. If I had been given a full day to do nothing, I probably would have finished it by now, but unfortunately, I had responsibilities.
I flipped to my spot in the novel, and began reading. Time passed by quickly, and I soon found myself lost in the pages.
The room was quiet. It was almost like an oasis, where nothing terrible could reach me. I knew that it was completely possible for a monster to find me, but I ignored that for now. It was quiet.
I glanced up from the book, and looked down at Argos, who had fallen asleep. I had suggested that we get a dog instead, but Percy had really wanted a cat. I still didn't know exactly why, but he was fascinated with them.
He had used his seal eyes to win me over. In the end, I ended up loving the cat just as much as he did.
I rubbed his ears, and my mind drifted off again.
It was dark when I finally woke up. The boat rocked the hammock that I was lying in slightly, and I got the feeling that we were moving incredibly fast through the water.
Percy's new found powers over ships themselves never ceased to amaze me. He could control the entire boat by himself. I felt a bit useless. He was doing everything. Then again, we were in the middle of the Sea of Monsters. There wasn't much for a child of Athena to do out here to help.
The very least I could do was attempt to make the load less.
I swung me legs over the side of the hammock, and climbed the stairs to the top deck. I paused in the doorway and glanced up. The stars were beautiful out here. There wasn't much light pollution out in the middle of the ocean. That wasn't something that you could see in New York City.
Percy was standing at the prow of the ship, gazing ahead. The wind whipped through his hair. I approached him from behind and stood by his side. If he noticed me, he didn't say anything. I followed his eyes to a large smoking volcano that was passing by. I could feel the heat from here, and we were still several miles from the shore line.
"One of the forges of Hephaestus," I said. He probably already knew, but I felt the need to break the silence a bit. "Where he makes his metal monsters." I doubted that Hephaestus was currently in that specific forge. He had hundreds of them, all scattered throughout the globe. Nevertheless, most of his forges were still active regardless of whether he was there or not.
"Like the bronze bulls?" He asked. I was sure that he was remembering the bronze bulls that we had encountered when we first arrived at camp for this summer. Had that only been a few days ago? It felt like years.
I nodded. "Go around. Far around." He accepted this without question and I felt the slight shift in direction of the ship.
I watched it slowly disappear behind us. This time, there was just silence. It was comfortable, compared to the earlier silence before. I watched the stars on the horizon for a bit longer.
This time, it was Percy who spoke first. "The reason you hate Cyclops so much… the story about how Thalia really died. What happened?" He asked.
I almost told him that it wasn't his business, but I didn't. He had been by my side for a while, and while I knew a lot about him, he didn't know as much about me. And this was Percy. There was nothing to lose by telling him.
After a couple of moments, I replied. "I guess you deserve to know," I said. "The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You remember he told you that once?" I asked.
He nodded, eyes focused on mine. I paused for another moment, considering the best way to word the story.
"Well, the worst wrong turn was into a Cyclop's layer in Brooklyn."
"They've got Cyclopes in Brooklyn?" He asked. I smiled lightly, a bit peeved that he had interrupted me. But for this once, I would humor it. He did deserve to know, and I would answer any question, provided that it wasn't too far off the point.
"You wouldn't believe how many, but that's not the point. This Cyclopes, he tricked us. He managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. And he could sound like anyone, Percy. Just the way Tyson did aboard the Princess Andromeda. He lured us, one at a time. Thalia thought she was running to save Luke. Luke thought he heard me scream for help. And me… I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn't even find the exit."
I paused for a minute, feeling a chunk of emotion in my throat. I swallowed hard and brushed some hair out of my face. "I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Thalia and Luke and Grover, all ties up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams. The Cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my knife, but he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke, and somehow he knew my dad's voice. I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, 'Now Annabeth, don't you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever.'"
Next to me, Percy shuddered. I could only imagine what he was thinking. "What did you do?" He asked,
"I stabbed him in the foot." I almost laughed. After all these years, it could have been funny. But only if the story didn't end as badly as it did.
Meanwhile, Percy was watching me, eyes wide. "Are you kidding? You were seven years old and you stabbed a grown Cyclops in the foot?" I smiled.
"Oh, he would've killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. She took it from there." I remembered the fear. I had been absolutely sure back then that I wouldn't make it out. I was terrified that everyone that mattered to me would die.
And I had been angry. I had felt the rage that the Cyclops try and imitate my father, and I also felt the rage at my father for essentially forcing me to leave. Back then, I had had enough. I didn't want to take anymore.
Percy was speaking again. "Yeah, but still… that was pretty brave, Annabeth."
I shook me head, blushing slightly. "We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy. The way that Cyclops talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thalia died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, she's still be alive today."
After that, Percy didn't say anything. I gazed at the horizon and watched the stars once more. Hercules' constellation had almost risen above the horizon.
Percy sighed next to me, and I turned my head to watch him. His eyes were drooping, and he seemed to sway with the ship. I suddenly realized exactly how long Percy had been using his powers. Demigods had their limits, and I was pretty sure Percy was reaching his.
He needed to sleep.
"Go below," I said. "You need some rest." He nodded slowly, and stumbled his way over to the stairs. I watched, a small smile on my face.
Even though he was asleep, the ship continued to move at a fast pace. Occasionally, the winds would shift and the boat would adjust, but for the most part, I wasn't needed to do anything.
Until I noticed the ship wrecks. There were almost too many to be coincidental, so I watched it a bit closer.
Sirens, my mind whispered.
I raced downstairs to grab Percy, and found him twitching in his sleep, a frown on his face. Nightmare. I shook him slightly, attempting to rush before we were caught in the Siren's trap.
Percy might not be able to adjust around them if we weren't quick enough.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Wh-what is it?" He asked. "What's wrong.
"Land," I said. "We're approaching the island of the Sirens."
When we got back onto the top deck, a fog had rolled over the boat. Just minutes before I had been able to see it clearly, but as we had drawn closer the islands magic had began to capture us.
Suddenly, I had an idea.
"Percy," I said. "I want you to do me a favor. The Sirens… we'll be in their range of their singing soon."
"No problem," He interrupted. "We can just stop up our ears. There's a big tub of candle wax below deck-"
This time I interrupted him. "I want to hear them."
He blinked, a bit taken aback. "Why?"
"They say the Sirens sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things about yourself you didn't even realize. That's what's so enchanting. If you survive… you become wiser. I want to hear them. How often will I get that chance?" I said.
I could tell that he didn't approve. I probably would have said no if we were in a swapped position, but Percy agreed.
He helped me get ready, even though I could sense his reluctance.
"Don't untie me," I said. That was key. If that happened, I was as good as dead. I was putting my life in Percy's hands, but it was a risk that was worth taking. "No matter what happens or how much I plead. I'll want to do straight over the edge and drown myself."
Percy smirked. "Are you trying to tempt me?" He asked.
I glared at him lightly. "Ha-ha."
He turned back and jammed some wax into his ears. I giggled quietly. He looked ridiculous. He saw me and made a face before turning to the wheel. We sailed in silence for a couple of minutes before I heard it.
"Annabeth!" Someone shouted. I glanced behind me, and we were no longer on a boat. The skyline of a beautiful city loomed over us, but we were in a beautiful park. The grass was the perfect shade of green and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Further back, there was a picnic blanket. Sitting down, I could make out the figures of Luke, and my mom and dad. They were waving at me.
I tried to get up to go to them, but something was stopping me. A rope. I was tied to a boat. And suddenly, we were in the middle of a lake. Percy was in front of me, and he was sailing us away.
"Percy stop!" I shouted at him. "Let me go!" A tear rolled down my face. I had to get to them. We were getting farther away.
"Please!" I shouted. He glanced back at me, saw my face, and immediately turned away. I couldn't expect any help from him.
My knife. It was in my back pocket. I wiggled against the rope, attempting to draw my knife out of its scabbard. It was a bit of a struggle, but I eventually fished it out.
I sawed at the ropes, glancing back at Percy every once in a while. He still had his back turned.
Luke and my parents were still calling for me to join them. I wanted to, more than anything in the world. Everything would be fine over there. The world was perfect there, and I had done it all by myself.
I had created a perfect universe, but I wasn't going to be there to enjoy it.
The ropes fell, and I dashed to the side of the boat and dived overboard. The water was cool against my skin, and I paddled my way towards land.
Off in the distance, I heard someone shout my name, but I didn't look. I was too focused on getting to my family.
The water started getting rougher. It was harder to swim. There were more obstacles in the way. But they didn't matter. All that mattered was that I make it to shore. Then everything would be okay.
Someone grabbed my ankle. They pulled me back. I screamed and kicked hard. We were pulled away from the shore. I was sobbing and fighting as hard as I could.
I needed to be over there.
Suddenly, I was underwater. Everything was quiet. I only saw blue as I was dragged down into the depths of the ocean.
I couldn't breathe. I kicked harder, struggling to make it to the surface.
And then, I was in a bubble. I gasped for air, hacking my lungs out at the same time. Percy pounded my back.
I looked up at Percy. He stared back with a concerned expression.
A deep sense of longing filled my chest, and tears rolled down my face. I leaned into Percy's shoulder and sobbed. He didn't say anything, but hugged me tighter.
I wanted that world so bad. Everything was perfect there. My parents were together, Luke wasn't evil, the world was perfect.
That world would never exist.
It never would. This world was not meant to be perfect. There would always be struggles.
But that didn't make it hurt any less.
After a couple of moments, Percy whispered in my ear. "I'll get us back to the ship," He said. "Just hang on."
I nodded. "Thank you," I said, even knowing that he wouldn't hear it because of the wax.
We climbed aboard the ship, and collapsed on the deck.
"You okay?" He said, pulling the plugs out of his ears.
There was no good answer to that. "I didn't realize," I said.
"What?" He asked.
"How powerful temptation would be," I said. I wondered what Percy would have seen. But still, I wouldn't take back this experience. I had come out a bit wiser.
I knew my flaw now, and it all started to make sense.
Percy brought me out of my thoughts. "I saw the way you rebuilt Manhattan," He said. "And Luke and your parents."
I blushed slightly. There was nothing too terrible about Percy seeing it, but it did feel as if I had shared part of my soul with him. That was my innermost desire.
"You say that?" I said.
:What Luke told you back on the Princess Andromeda, about starting the world from scratch… that really got to you, huh?"
I clutched the blanket around me. "My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris."
"That brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?" Percy said.
I rolled my eyes, almost laughing. "No, Seaweed Brain," I said. "That's hummus. Hubris is worse."
"What could be worse than hummus?" Percy said. His eyes were mischievous, and I appreciated his attempts to make the mood lighter.
"Hubris means deadly pride, Percy. Thinking you can do things better than anyone else… even the gods." I said.
"You feel that way?" He asked.
I glanced down at my lap. This conversation felt too personal, but I continued. "Don't you ever feel like, what if the world really is messed up? What id we could do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework."
"I'm listening," He said.
"I mean, the West represents a lot of the best things mankind ever did- that's why the fire is still burning. That's why Olympus is still around. But sometime you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Luke does: 'If I could tear this all down, I would do it better.' Don't you ever feel that way? Like you could do a better job if you ran the world?" I said, desperate to get him to understand.
"Um… no," He said. "Me running the world would kind of be a nightmare." He said.
"Then you're lucky," I said. "Hubris isn't your fatal flaw."
"What is?" He asked. I wished I could tell him.
"I don't know, Percy, but every hero has one. If you don't find it and learn to control it… well, they don't call it 'fatal' for nothing." I said.
Hours passed before I eventually finished the book. The plot twist still fresh on my mind, I got up to do some chores. The break was over.
There was a small office that we had made out of our second bedroom in the apartment. I stepped inside and noticed the half painted green walls. It had a calming atmosphere, even though the room was half put together.
We were converting it into a bedroom. But for now, I would enjoy having a seperate room as an office. I pushed the pile of bills to the side and opened up some of the letters from Camp Half-Blood.
Even though Percy and I didn't live there anymore, we still tried to help out as much as we could. Camp participation had grown exponentially and Chiron had been struggling to keep up with all the paperwork.
We had volunteered almost immediately. Chiron had been a bit hesitant, especially since we both had our own careers, but he eventually agreed.
I flipped through a couple of letters from satyrs about the demigods they were currently watching over. None of them appeared to be Big Three material, but demigods did appear to be growing more powerful over time.
I wrote a quick summary of the reports and slipped it into an envelope, addressing it to camp.
I would send it later.
With that, I turned to the pile of bills, sighing as pulled them closer.
The night was cold. I stood at the end of the cliff and watched Zoe's new constellation twinkle softly in the night. I didn't know her very well, in fact, I hadn't spent more than an hour with her, but I would never be able to thank her. She had come from the east to save Artemis, and even though I wasn't the person she intended to save as well, I couldn't help but be grateful. Percy was huddled on the ground near where she had passed on.
He didn't cry, but I could see the emotion in his eyes.
Artemis, with tear tracks still visible on her cheeks, stood up.
"I must go to Olympus immediately," She said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."
There was regret in her voice. I knew that she must have been torn up that her closest friend had passed on because of her. I didn't know what I would have done if Percy had died attempting to rescue me.
She rested a hand on my shoulder, before looking into my eyes. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right." I swallowed thickly.
Artemis turned to Thalia, watching her carefully. After a moment, Artemis smiled and looked away. Thalia turned her head to the ground once more, but she didn't seem as tense as before.
Finally, she turned towards Percy. "You did well," She said. "For a man."
I could see the protest on his face, but it suddenly died away. He had a bit of wonder in his expression. I wondered what he was thinking.
Artemis then boarded her chariot, warning us to look away. A flash of silver lit up the area, and she was gone.
Dad spoke. "Well," He said. "She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena."
I smiled. In some ways, I could still see the influence Athena left on him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and for once, I didn't push him away.
"Dad," I said. "I… I'm sorry that-" I needed to apologize. He had come out here to save me, even though I had run away from home. I had forced him to experience battle. He could have died.
"Shhh," He said interrupting me. He pulled me into a tight hug. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you." His voice quivered slightly.
"Blackjack!" Percy said in the distance. I pulled out of the hug, watching three pegasi descend through the sky. Percy walked over to them, engaging in conversation.
I wondered what they were saying.
I turned back to dad. He was staring at the Pergasi. He stepped away from me and marched up to them. I watched him and smiled lightly. Of course he would be fascinated by them. He was a scientist. I headed over as well.
"-such maneuverability!" Dad was saying. "How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?" Blackjack tilted his head in confusion, and Percy withheld a laugh. "Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea, the charge of the light brigade-"
I interrupted him this time. "Dad!" If I didn't, he would have been talking all day. Percy watched me, and I realized how similar I was to my dad. I could do the same thing.
Dad smiled at me. "I'm sorry, my dear. I know you must go."
That wasn't what I meant.
I didn't want to leave so soon, and Dad sensed that. He stepped towards me and wrapped me up in another hug. I didn't want to let go either. There was something about his hugs. They felt truly safe. But I had to leave eventually.
I pulled away, and turned to climb aboard one of the Pegasi.
"Annabeth," Dad said. I turned to him. "I know… I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."
I felt tears rise up to my face. I wanted that more than anything, but I couldn't. He opened his mouth again, before closing it. He waved goodbye and headed back to his plane.
I watched quietly, before we lifted off and the field faded away into the dark.
The pegasi flew next to Percy, and he leaned over to speak. "Your dad seems pretty cool," He said.
I bit my lip, and glanced back at California, even though it was miles behind us. "I guess so," I said. "We've been arguing for so many years."
"Yeah, you said." His voice was a bit guarded.
"You think I was lying about that?" I almost felt angry, but I wasn't even sure if I was telling myself the truth either.
I didn't know, anymore than Percy did, about my relationship with my nortal family. I didn't want to go back to a terrible relationship, but people changed. Should I give them a second chance?
"I didn't say you were lying," Percy said. "It's just… he seems okay. Your stepmom too. Maybe they've, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last."
I wouldn't deny that I really wanted to try it again. "They're still in San Francisco, Percy, I can't live so far from camp."
It felt like a weak excuse, and it probably was, but Percy didn't question it.
"So what are you going to do now?" He asked.
"I don't know," I said. "But thank you for rescuing me." I meant it.
"Hey, no big deal. We're friends." He said.
It was a big deal. He had traveled across the country and faced certain death to save me. And then he wrote it off as if it was nothing.
"You didn't believe I was dead?" I asked.
"Never," He said. I smiled, although I doubted he saw it in the dark.
We spoke some more about Luke after that, but my mind was elsewhere. I had left back in California, with my dad and his family. Maybe one day, I would be able to call themselves my family as well.
Dawn broke as we flew over the eastern states. We were closer. It was hard to imagine how fast were traveling. The United States was huge, and yet we were zipping across it like nothing.
Soon, we were standing in front of the council of the gods. There was something unnerving about being in a room with such powerful beings. The room seemed to hum with their combined power.
That didn't seem to faze Percy. Despite the fact that only a couple of minutes previously they had argued about putting him and Thalia to death, he still challenged their decisions.
Their courage inspired me, and I stood up to speak as well.
"You have to trust them," I said. "Sir, you have to trust them." Zeus couldn't kill them because of what they would do.
Zeus frowned. "Trust a hero?"
Artemis spoke up. "Annabeth is right," She said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."
She leaned over and whispered to Zeus. Beside me, Percy shuddered. I turned to look at him and realized that he had gone dangerously pale.
"Annabeth," he said quietly. "Don't."
I frowned at him. What was he talking about? "What?" I asked.
He was shaking, and his eyes were darting around the room. I didn't know what was wrong with him. He rubbed his palms against his jeans. I didn't even know if he was aware of the action. "Look, I need to tell you something," He said. He stuttered a bit, and rubbed the back of his neck. I stared at him. "I couldn't stand it if… I don't want you to-"
I interrupted him. He looked as if he was about to faint. "Percy?" I said. "You look like you're going to be sick."
He stared at me, opening his mouth a couple of times before closing it again. His face was flushed.
Artemis returned to her throne and began speaking. "I shall have a new lieutenant," She said. "If she will accept it."
"No,' Percy muttered from beside me. I glanced over at him.
"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the hunt?" She asked.
I smiled, grabbing Thalia's hand and squeezing it slightly. She deserved this, and I could see her being in the Hunt. I knew she'd be happy there. But any decision she made I would support. Percy let out a deep breath, relaxing.
"I will," Thalia said.
Zeus stood. "My daughter, consider well-"
Thalia pushed his concern aside. "Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."
I watched her proudly as she kneeled at the throne of Artemis and pledged her oath.
After her oath, she came over and hugged us. When she came over to me, I was blinking back tears.
"I'm proud of you," I whispered into her ear.
"And I'm proud of you," She replied. I squeezed her tight before letting go.
Eventually, we received everything we argued for before. Thalia and Percy had their lives, as well as the Ophiotaurus.
There was a party, and while I normally wouldn't participate, I allowed myself to relax a bit. The godly parties were very different from mortal ones. It was actually a nice party. I wandered through the crowds, occasionally speaking to some of the demigods.
I actually attempted to dance, and while I miserably failed, it was pretty fun. Exhausted, I made my way over to the side of the party where I could watch the action in peace.
Maybe I would go find Percy. Last I had seen him, he was speaking to Hermes. I wandered around before I caught sight of him.
"Percy!" I shouted, running towards him. I froze when i saw who he was talking to. "Oh… Mom," I said.
"I will leave you," Mom said. "For now." She turned and strode through the crowd. I watched her leave before turning back to Percy.
"Was she giving you a hard time?" I asked. Hopefully she wasn't, but you couldn't be too sure with the Olympians.
"No," He said. "It's fine…" He glanced over at the party while I watched him. The grey streak in his hair stood out against the black.
The silence began to feel awkward.
"So…" I said. "What did you want to tell me earlier?" He blushed, although the lights made it seem to blend in with his skin.
"I, uh, was thinking we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And… I think I owe you a dance," He said.
This time, it was my turn to blush. I smiled at him.
"Alright, Seaweed Brain," I said.
He grabbed me by the hand and lead me to a emptier space of the room.
And we danced.
I turned my phone on, watching the notifications light up on the screen. It was common knowledge that demigods and technology didn't mix, but when it came to mortal jobs, it was a risk that I was willing to make.
Some emails from my architecture firm popped up, and I sighed in exasperation. I turned the phone off again to minimize the attraction of monsters and opened my laptop, setting a timer for thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes was our limit, between Percy and I. Years ago, we both agreed that any longer than that would be too risky. Percy often preferred to ignore electronics in general, but when it came to my job, electronic communication was unavoidable.
I hit the timer for thirty minutes, and switched tabs to my email, quickly writing replies. I suggested a few alterations to a design, and approved a couple others before heading over to the management part. There were a couple of clients who were emailing us. I set up a meeting a couple of weeks in advance.
I sent the last email only seconds before the timer went off. I breathed a sigh of relief and hit the power button.
Just to be careful, I went around and double checked the locks and windows. You could never be too cautious, especially when it came to monsters.
I walked past the mantle on the fireplace, before pausing and backing up. There were a couple of photos that Percy had decided to frame, and I picked one of them up.
Percy and I stood on a rock ridge on the inside of a volcano. I could feel the heat blasting up into my face. Below us, lava bubbled quietly. Strange creatures hurried across a series of metal bridges, working on creating something. We needed to know what.
"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," Percy said.
He was right, but I had my hat. It wouldn't work on both of us, but we only needed to figure out what was happening. Then we could work on figuring out how to stop it, and report back to Hephaestus.
"I can," I said, pulling out my hat. "Wait here."
"Hold it!" Percy said, but I was already halfway down the first bridge.
I sneaked closer to the big cauldron in the middle of the cavern. They had to be forging something godly. There was no way that they would be forging ordinary objects in the forge of a god.
A creature rushed by me, and I jumped out if it's way, almost losing my footing and falling off the bridge.
I followed it quietly, rushing a little to keep up with it.
"-only a couple more days," It was saying. "We just need to fuse the metals."
I inched forward a bit, kneeling behind a cart.
"He wants it to be perfect. It must be the strongest weapon to exist" They were talking again. I glanced behind me at where Percy was supposed to be.
That was more than enough information. We just had to bring it back to Hephaestus and then we would be on our way.
I turned back and headed to where Percy was. I ran lightly, attempting to make no sound. But something was wrong when I got there.
Percy wasn't there. I called out his name a couple of times, hoping that he might have gone further back into the tunnel, or was maybe behind one of the rocks.
No luck.
"Where did he go?" I whispered to myself. We needed to get out. We shouldn't be here any longer.
I glanced back at the cauldron. He must have gone closer. I walked back towards the cauldron, this time slowly. I scanned my surroundings carefully, looking for any sign of him.
Then, I saw him. He slammed a door shut behind him and sprinted towards the center. I ran towards the center as well. Our cover was mostly gone, but I would do my best to attempt to save it.
Percy stopped in the middle of the platform, glancing around wildly. "Annabeth!" He yelled.
I lurched forward, pressing a hand against his mouth and pulling him behind the cauldron. Did he have a death wish?
"Shh!" I said. "You want to get us killed?"
He reached up and yanked the Yankees cap off my head. He was still looking around, as if he was waiting for something to happen.
"Percy, what is your problem?"
"We're going to have company," He said, explaining what had happened.
"So that's what they are," I said. "Telkhines. I should've known." They worked the forge, creating weapons powerful beyond belief. "And they're making… Well, look."
I pulled him up a little bit, and we peeked over the top of the cauldron. They were hammering at a long piece of metal, with their backs turned.
"The blade is almost complete. It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metal," One said.
"Aye," Another replied. "It shall be even sharper than before."
Percy ducked back down and I followed suit. "What is that?" He asked.
I shook my head. "They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder-"
"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy said. "And they… they said they made my father's trident."
"The telkhines betrayed the gods. They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what, exactly, but Seus banished them to Tartarus," I said.
"With Kronos."
I nodded. "We have to get out-"
A door slammed open in front of us, and a dozen telkhines poured out.
Percy grabbed my arm. "Put your cap on," He said. "Get out!"
"What?" I asked. Out of all things I was expecting to say, that didn't make the top one hundred. "No! I'm not leaving you."
Percy swallowed heavily. "I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider- maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on," He said.
I couldn't believe this.
"But you'll be killed!" I protested.
"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice," He said.
I wanted to argue. There had to be something else we could do. But he was right. The best way for us to both tell Hephaestus and survive would be to split up like this. There was a terribly low survival chance of this for Percy, and I didn't want to leave him, but at least he'd have a chance.
A thousand scenarios flickered through my mind as I attempted to figure out some sort of plan.
Nothing else seemed to work out in our favor.
I stared at him. I would have to leave him behind. But if I was going to leave him to fight all on his own, I would not go without telling him how I felt first.
I grabbed his shirt and kissed him.
"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," I whispered, before putting on my hat and disappearing. I stayed for an extra second, watching his dazed expression, before I got up and ran for the exit.
Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't stop, not even when I head his screams of agony, and not even when the entire mountain exploded behind me.
I stood out on the balcony, watching the sun set in the west. If I squinted, i swear I could have seen Apollo's chariot, but I was more focused on the colors in the clouds. They were beautiful and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by them.
I glanced back towards the east and saw the beginning of the huntress constellation peak over the horizon.
I rested a hand on my stomach and stared out over the city. We had been lucky to get an apartment with this fantastic of a view. When we first got the place, Percy and I had spent every second sitting out here watching everything.
A couple of the lights flickered on in the streets, even though the place was already well lit. I could also see the bright light shining upwards from Times Square.
Behind me, I heard a door open. I drew my knife and spun around. It was too soon after I had used an electronic device, and it could possibly be a monster. Opening doors weren't really their style though. They tended to break them down without regard.
I crept inside, and stepped into the living room, before lowering my arm and resisting the urge to slap a palm against my face.
Percy was lying facedown on the couch.
"Hey Seaweed Brain," I said. He grunted in response. He was covered in monster dust and had a nasty cut on his shoulder, but beyond that, he didn't look to be in much harm.
"Get off the couch. You'll stain it," I said.
He groaned, but got up before shuffling over and collapsing against me. I almost fell over before I regained my balance.
"I take it the mission went well, then," I said. He nodded.
"Are you going to say anything?" I asked. He shook his head.
I sighed before pushing him back on the couch, despite the possibility of stains. He leaned back and closed his eyes, exhausted.
"Stay here, I'll grab some ambrosia," I said, even though it fell on deaf ears.
I walked to the kitchen, opening up a cabinet and grabbing one of the emergency bags. I quickly noted that it was the last one in the stock, and that it needed to be refilled soon.
Percy hadn't moved.
"Hey," I said, poking him in the face. He opened one eye and glared at me lightheartedly. "Open up."
He grabbed the ambrosia from my hand and shoved it in his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing. The cut slowly closed up.
Percy flopped over and immediately fell asleep.
I put my hands on my hips and watched him. He was an idiot, but he was my idiot.
"Hey," I said, sliding onto one of the picnic tables in the Dining Pavilion next to Percy. "Happy Birthday."
He stared at the cake in my hands, and looked back up at me. "What?" He said.
"It's August 18th" I said. I felt a sudden sliver of doubt, even though I knew it was his birthday. "Your birthday, right?"
He looked taken aback, as if he had forgotten. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him. And especially with everything that had happened. I probably would have forgotten too if I was in his shoes.
I pushed the cake towards him. "Make a wish," I said.
"Did you bake this yourself?" He asked.
"Tyson helped," I said. He knew more about baking than I did, but it turned out better than expected.
"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," He said, a smile tugging at his lips. "With extra blue cement."
I laughed. He paused for a moment, and blew out the candle. I wondered what he wished for. I couldn't tell.
I broke the cake into pieces and handed Percy a chunk. We watched the water together, enjoying the comfortable silence and the taste of the chocolate.
It suddenly struck me how bizarre this was. We had stopped Kronos. There wasn't such a huge threat in the foreseeable future. I almost didn't know what to do with myself. It had been such a while since we didn't have such a large threat hanging over us.
"You saved the world," I said.
Percy corrected me. "We saved the world."
"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody," I said.
"You don't sound disappointed," Percy said.
I shrugged. "Oh, I don't care."
"Uh-huh."
I raised an eyebrow at what he was implying. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?" I asked, challenging him.
"You'd probably kick my butt," He said.
"You know I'd kick your butt," I said, smirking.
He brushed the cake off of his hands and laid them in his lap. He fidgeted a little bit. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable… Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."
I didn't dare turn to look at him. "Yeah?" I said. I didn't want to get my hopes up.
"Then up on Olympus," He said. "When they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking-"
I interrupted him. "Oh you so wanted to."
"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought- I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking…" he trailed off.
I didn't want to believe this moment was happening, but I silenced the voice and focused on the conversation. "Anyone in particular?" I asked.
Percy looked over at me, and saw my smile.
"You're laughing at me," He whined.
"I am not!" I protested.
"You are so not making this easy," He said.
I laughed, the first real one in a long while. I swung my arms around his neck and looked him in the eyes. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."
I leaned in, kissing him softly. He melted into the kiss against me, and I couldn't think clearly.
And even when the campers carried us to the lake, even though we were blushing like crazy, and even when we kissed at the bottom of the lake, I never stopped smiling.
"Hey," Percy said. He had finally woken up after passing out on the couch. He walked over to where I was and wrapped his arms around me.
"Sorry for passing out on you earlier," He said.
I smiled. "It's no big deal. You were tired. How did the quest go?" I asked.
"Oh, good, I guess," He said. "Nothing too terrible happened, and we got the demigod to camp without anyone being injured."
"Besides you?" I asked.
"Besides me." He confirmed.
He rested one hand on my stomach, where the baby bump was just starting to show, and another on my cheek. "You know I love you right?" He said.
"Of course I do," I said. "And this baby will love you just as much as I do." I placed my hand on top of Percy's.
He smiled. "We're going to spoil this kid rotten, huh?" I nodded, and he leaned his forehead against mine.
And as we stood there, pale moonlight spilling across the floor, I couldn't help but think that this was true happiness.
A/N: Thank you for reading, and please review!
Published: February 26th, 2018