A Percy Jackson & The Olympians story.
Always.
by: bubble drizzles
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.
A/N: Hi everyone. Not really in the mood to greet you all warmly. It is 9/11, you see. And I've been watching specials about it all day, and it's all just so sad. I was thinking about writing this earlier, I've been thinking about it all week. I really wanted something to remember 9/11. A day everyone will forever remember. But I didn't wanna get emotional (I knew I'd start crying as soon as I started writing,) so I just kind of left it for the last minute. Sorry if it seems rushed, it kinda is. This is AU, by the way.
This is dedicated to all the people who lost someone on this day in 2001. I hope your loved ones are safe and happy, wherever they are now.
UPDATE: Hey. So it took a little more than I expected . . . that's why I'm only posting this now, on September 13th. It's the thought that counts, hehe.
September 11, 2011
Annabeth Chase, now 27 years old, can't help but feel the sadness consuming her as she walks through the World Trade Center Memorial. So many victims. So many innocent people, dead. Gone. And to think she would have been one of them. To think she would have ended up like some of her friends, like her mother.
September 11, 2001
8:OO A.M
South Tower of The World Trade Center
Athena Chase had just got off the phone with her only daughter when she arrived at the South Tower of The World Trade Center. Annabeth was in Boston, about to get on a flight to Los Angeles with her friends.
"Good morning, Mrs. Chase," greeted her secretary Aphrodite McLean, "You have a meeting in 45 minutes with Mr. Zeus Grace."
"Thanks Aphrodite. Glad to see you're back! How was your vacation in England?"
"Oh, it was amazing! Hepheastus proposed!"
"Really? Congratulations! You're a young girl, you deserve love. I hope you two are very happy!"
"Aw thank you Mrs. Chase! We're going to my parents' place tonight to tell them."
"Well, good luck! Now let's get back to work, still have to work on some papers for the meeting . . . "
"Good morning, Mrs. Chase!" A young man with curly brown hair greeted.
"Oh hello Hermes! How are you today?"
Logan International Airport, Boston
8:1O A.M
"Hurry up, Thals!" Katie Gardner yelled to her blue eyed friend.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Thalia Grace said, "I was on the phone with my dad. He has a meeting soon, with the boys' dad. I think your mom's going too, Anna."
"Yeah, I just talked to her," Annabeth Chase told the two girls, "She wants me to call her when we get to LA. She is so overprotective sometimes."
"Like my mom isn't! Where's Travis, Connor and Clarisse?" Katie asked.
"Dunno," Annabeth replied and Thalia shrugged. "I think they're grabbing something to eat - Oh, there they are!" She pointed over to three teenagers; two boys and one girl. The girl was big and had brown hair and brown eyes , while the boys , who were brothers , had curly brown hair and blue eyes.
"Yo," greeted Connor.
"Where have you guys been? We're about to board!" Katie scolded.
Travis put his arms around her, "Relax Katie dearest. We're here now aren't we?"
The green eyed girl smiled, "I guess..." and gave her boyfriend and small peck.
Clarisse made gagging noises, "You both sicken me."
"I'm with you," agreed Thalia. "C'mon, we're already boarding."
"Umm . . . guys? This wouldn't be a good time to tell you that I really have to pee would it?" Annabeth asked.
"Now?"
"Can't hold my pee, Thals!"
"Go quick, blondie!" Clarisse threatened, "Or God knows what I'll do to you."
"Oh you know you love me." Annabeth teased while running towards the bathroom.
United Airlines Flight 175
8:42 A.M
"I still can't believe Annabeth missed the plane!"
"Calm down, Kates. She already said she's gonna board another one tomorrow."
"I know that, Trav. I just . . . why'd she have to go to the bathroom?"
Thalia shrugged, "Like she said, she can't hold her pee."
Clarisse laughed, but suddenly stopped, "Guys . . . ? Do these two men over there look suspicious to you ?"
The group looked over to two middle-aged men, with black hair, tanned skin, and moustaches. One of the men caught their eyes and smirked. He got up and traveled all the way to the front of the plane. He kicked the pilot's cabin's door open, got a knife out of his pocket and held it against the pilot's throat. Soon came four more men, with guns and bigger knifes. The one who was holding the knife against the pilot, stabbed him, killing the pilot instantly. Another man did the same with the second pilot, and they took control of the plane. Soon, the people in the seats in the front started screaming, terrified.
A voice came from the cabin, through the speakers, "Please, everyone remain seated. We have taken control of the plane. We have a bomb. Anyone try to make a move, we blow this shit up, got it? So stay seated and shut your mouth."
Clarisse started crying silently, a shock to all of the teenagers, "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. We're going to die. Die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die guys, I'm too young for this. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"
Thalia wrapped her arms around the girl, "Shh, it's ok Clar. It's gonna be ok."
"No it's not!" Clarisse said, wiping her tears, "I've heard and seen enough of this on TV to know that it's not gonna be ok! They're just saying that! They're always just saying that!"
A creepy hush fell over the planes, and all that could be heard were people sobbing silently on their shirts.
"If we die," Travis said, "At least we'll die together."
"Thanks for being so optimistic," said Connor.
"Just being realistic here."
South Tower of the World Trade Center
8:46 A.M
"And the problems don't stop there!" Athena exclaimed, "That's why we need the - " The meeting was interrupted by an extremely loud crashing noise, so loud it was as if the noise had been inside their sound-proof room. "What was that?"
"Probably nothing," Zeus shrugged, "Continue, if you may."
"Right. As I was saying - " Athena continued, only to be interrupted once again, this time by Aphrodite coming in the room,
"Um, excuse me," the secretary said, "Mrs. Chase . . . "
"I'm kind of . . . busy right now, Aphrodite. Whatever it is, I'll take care of it as soon as I'm done . . ."
"A plane just hit the North Tower."
All the jaws in the room dropped, "What?"
"How? When? Did anyone die? Was it an accident?" Hermes asked, desperately.
"I'm not sure how. I-I was looking out the window right now, and the plane just . . . crashed into the building. There was that- that huge noise and everyone looked out to see what was happening. It's on fire, I think around floor 95. It's - It's horrible. It's horrible!"
"Then we better evacuate this tower immediately!" Zeus exclaimed.
"No, no, no, sir," Aphrodite stopped him, "We can't. They're telling everyone to stay here. Course, some aren't listening, but they told us to stay here. They're gonna try to evacuate the people in the North Tower quickly, only those below the crash, the ones above seem trapped. The tower has chances of collapsing, it's too dangerous."
United Airlines Flight 175
9:O1 A.M
"Finally got access," Travis explained, "I'm gonna try to warn someone about the hijacking. Maybe they can help us..." His face paled, "Oh. My. Gosh."
"What? What?" Katie asked, "What's wrong?"
"The World Trade Center."
"What about it?" Thalia demanded.
"It was hit by a plane. People are trapped because of a fire that started on the upper floors. They don't know how many deaths so far," Travis whispered.
The color drained out of Thalia's face and her eyes filled with tears, "Dad. Mrs. Chase."
"Don't worry," Travis soothed her, "It was only the North Tower."
"GUYS! Look out the window!" Clarisse exclaimed. "We're in NYC. Near the World Trade Center."
Everyone gasped as they saw the damage done to the North Tower.
"Wait!" Connor said, "What are we doing here? We're not supposed to go through New York. We're too low. Way too low. We're - " His expression turned into a shocked one, he stopped talking and Katie continued his thoughts, saying what everyone was already thinking,
"We're turning around. We're gonna hit the South Tower," her voice was barely a whisper.
Thalia shook her head and closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face, "This can't be happening."
South Tower of The World Trade Center
9:O3
Athena Chase never felt so sad, watching all those people who were trapped jump to their deaths. Knowing she couldn't do anything to help them. Not even leave this building to catch them. Her cellphone suddenly started ringing, with Annabeth's ringtone,
"Annie?"
"Mom! Are you ok?"
"Yes, yes dear, I'm fine. I'm fine. Aren't you in the plane?"
"No. I missed it. I was going to call you, but you had a meeting."
"Oh, yes, yes, yes."
"I was so worried. God, I'm glad to hear you're ok. Have you evacuated yet?"
"No honey, they told us to stay in our offices. It's too dangerous. The building might collap-" Athena gasped as she saw the plane heading towards the South Tower. She dropped the phone, knowing what was about to happen. That hadn't been no accident; the plane crashing on the North Tower. And only know did she realize it.
"Mom? What? What's wrong?" she heard Annabeth screaming on the other end of the line.
"I love you Annabeth," was the only thing she had time to say. It all happened so fast. The plane crashed through the windows in her floor, the 81st. It also tore through some floors up and some down. The last thing she saw before she died . . . she could swear she saw Thalia, Katie, Connor, Clarisse, and Travis, with horrified expressions and dying. She didn't know, but for a fraction of a second, they saw her too. Then they blacked out for good.
The last thing on Athena's mind before her life ended like the rest, as she was gasping for her last breaths, was how she was glad Annabeth missed the plane.
September 11, 2011
World Trade Center Memorial
She walked around the South Pool, looking for the section of the victims in flight 175. Near the corner of the pool, she found them.
Thalia Lani Grace;
Katie Demetria Gardner;
Clarisse Wyetta La Rue;
Travis Deacon Stoll;
Connor Bedell Stoll;
She bowed her head and found herself crying. She silently walked over to the other corner, with the names of the South Tower victims.
Aphrodite Belita McLean;
Hermes Nestor Stoll;
Zeus Borak Grace;
And then she saw it. And it made sob even more. She had no idea how much Annabeth missed her,
Athena Minerva Chase.
"You ready to go?" called a voice behind her, and she turned to see her boyfriend Percy Jackson, who had also lost his father, Poseidon, in the 9/11, on flight 93. Annabeth nodded, and Percy gave her a hug, kissing her head, "I'm here for you, okay? You don't have to go through this alone."
Annabeth opened her eyes and asked, still hugging him, "You'll stay with me?"
He let go and cupped her face, "Always."
This is it. I hope you guys liked it. It was a sad fic to write, honestly. I cried about 4 times.
This is, again, to remember all of those innocent people who lost their lives on that tragical day.
And yes, that last part was Harry Potter-based, hehe. OH! Speaking of HP, if you have a Pottermore account already, leave your Pottermore name and house on your review and add me. I'm OwlSpell6 , A RAVENCLAW! WOO!
~bubble drizzles
P.S. All their middle names had something to do with them. Like, Minerva is Athena's Roman name, Borak means lightning, Nestor is traveler, Lani is sky, etc.