A/N: Hey! This is the first chapter of Give Warning to the World. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson, I would be writing real books, not fanfics. I also wouldn't be broke and my grammar would be ten times better.
1. There was a Subway… and then there wasn't
"Sir, I've boarded." Sea-green eyes scanned their surroundings suspiciously from beneath a dark fringe. "Chiron!" the green-eyed man hissed into his phone. No response. He scowled and slipped the phone into his pocket before glancing furtively around the subway again.
No, no, no, n- there! A black bag, no labels, no brand, one zipper. That was it! All he had to do was grab it and get it off the bus. Simple, right? Of course not. Scrawny arms encircled it protectively as a little boy who looked about eight or nine clutched it to his chest.
Sighing, the sable-haired man plastered a smile onto his face and strode stealthily closer to the kid holding the bag.
"Hey," he started nonchalantly, "What's up?"
Frightened eyes looked up at him and he groaned internally but continued talking. "You okay? You look a little worried," he pointed out cautiously.
Thankfully, the little boy responded. A small hand released its stranglehold on the bag and pointed shakily towards a group of mean-looking boys on the opposite side of the bus. "They keep tryina steal my stuff," he whispered. "The man with sunglasses gave it to me an' not them so they're mad. I wish it was like a backpack or somethin' so I could use my hands."
The man brightened. "Say," he exclaimed, "I've actually got a strap from a bag that broke earlier today. Maybe I can hook it onto your bag! Pass it here." He mentally cringed at the lame excuse to take the bag but kept a grin plastered on his face all the same. After studying him suspiciously, the child seemed to deem him trustworthy and passed the bag over.
With deft hands, he unhooked the strap from some guy's briefcase and accepted the bag from the boy. Turning away slightly, he surreptitiously checked inside the bag and, sure enough, there was the canister that he was supposed to get off the bus. He glanced at the boy to be sure he wasn't paying attention and slid the canister up the sleeve of his thick overcoat. He then hooked the strap onto the bag and returned it to the kid. "There ya go!"
After the boy had thanked him the man slipped away to check the canister and remove it from the bus. Standing near the doors, he slid it from his sleeve and gingerly held it up to examine it. Everything seemed to be in order… except… stickers. His heart sank. A fake. The thing was a fake. He stashed it under a seat and glanced around frantically until, to his horror, his ears were met with a sharp clatter and the hissing sound of escaping air.
Grey eyes widened as the news flashed across the screen. A gas attack in a New York subway… and no survivors.
It was too much of a coincidence. An attack today, when Percy was… no it had to be a coincidence. Besides, she would have gotten a call if he had… if he was…
Annabeth's thoughts were cut off by the shrill sound of the phone ringing. She would have gotten a call… and here was a call… but no. She couldn't think like that. Percy was fine. He would be back the day after tomorrow and he would laugh at her worries… he was fine. The call was probably from Piper, her best friend from high school. Just Piper.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon." Not Piper then… "We regret to inform you that your husband, Perseus Jackson was killed in action today at…"
A wave crashed over Annabeth's mind, muting the monotonous voice still speaking through the phone. Percy couldn't be dead. He was very much alive the day before, when she had talked to him over the phone, and the day before when had kissed her goodbye and promised to take a picture with the Empire State Building for her, as if she had never seen it before. He had been alive the day before that and the day before that and the day before that and he couldn't just be… gone.
The line went dead and she sank down onto the sofa. Chiron. She had to talk to Chiron, who was Percy's boss and like a father to both of them. Chiron would be able to tell her that it was all a misunderstanding. That she was so worried about Percy that she had misheard. Yes, if anyone could do that, it would be Chiron.
Snatching up her coat and apartment key, Annabeth was out the door within a minute. She hailed a taxi and soon found herself striding briskly through the doors of C.A.M.P, the top secret agency both she and Percy worked for.
"Is Chiron here?" Annabeth stepped over to the front desk and addressed Juniper, the receptionist.
"Yes, he said you might come and to send you right up."
Thanking her, Annabeth hurried over to the elevator and pressed the button to floor seven, where Chiron's private office was. She rapped smartly on the door twice, then opened the door to reveal a weary looking Chiron sitting mournfully at his desk.
"Chiron?" She began, "I got a call a couple minutes ago… about Percy. It said he was killed… but it was a mistake right? Percy's fine… isn't he?"
Chiron gazed at her sadly and shook his head. "No child, I'm sorry to say that young Perseus is not fine."
Annabeth swallowed down an overwhelming wave of grief. "How did it happen?" She choked out.
Her mentor sighed. "Kronos," he nodded at the flash of recognition in Annabeth's eyes, "We found out that the man who calls himself Kronos created a poisonous gas capable of killing a football stadium full of people in under ten seconds. He planted a canister of poisonous gas on the subway and Perseus was sent to secure and remove it from the subway. Ideally, bring it back to C.A.M.P. headquarters. However, Kronos seems to have anticipated this and planted a fake to distract us while the real canister was hidden amongst a passenger's belongings. Unfortunately, it fell out of their bag and came open, killing everyone in the vicinity."
Grey eyes narrowed. "I want a mission Chiron. Before the trail goes cold. I'll find Kronos."
A/N: Hopefully you all enjoyed the first chapter! Please don't hate me for killing Percy off. I promise I'm not going to be pairing Annabeth with someone else (unless a lot of people want me to I guess). Please review and tell me what you thought! Did you like it? Hate it? I'd love to hear from you!
