A/N: Hello everyone! This one was a struggle to write, but I like the way it came out.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Two figures ran into an empty room in an abandoned warehouse and slammed the door behind them. Exhausted, they slid down against the door and panted heavily, attempting to catch all the breath they had lost.
Annabeth looked over at Percy. "We can't hide. They know we're here. We won't be able to escape."
Percy staggered to his feet, before offering a hand to Annabeth. He looked at her and smiled. His face glistened with sweat and was covered in grime, but confidence and determination shined through his expression.
"Then we fight with everything we have," He said, pulling her up by his side. They raised their weapons for a final time and attacked as one.
On the west coast, in San Francisco, a young man walked out of the waters of the Pacific Ocean. He headed straight out of the sea and into the city without glancing at his surroundings. A mortal boy stared for a moment, open-mouthed. A second passed before he shook his head and looked away,
The Mist had worked its magic, as always.
Percy wandered through the streets of the city, walking without direction. He passed countless shops and restaurants, and several other people. Normally, he would be watching everything he could, enjoying the sights of people living their lives. But now, he couldn't bring himself to care.
As time went on, he slowly became aware that he was following a certain path, although he couldn't tell what was guiding him. It could have been the influence of the fates, or his own instincts, or an old memory he had long forgotten. Either way, it didn't matter to him.
He glanced up at the sky as he walked, observing the colorful shades that painted the evening sky.
He would miss this.
Eventually, he arrived at a small home in the suburbs of the city. From outside the front door, he could hear the sounds of people inside. Laughter and the sounds of voices reached his ears, along with the muted sound of a television blaring the news. The smell of warm garlic bread drifted through the air. The aura of peacefulness was enough to bring a small smile to his face.
He tried not to think about how he was about to ruin all of this.
He rang the doorbell.
A middle-aged man, seeming to be in his early forties, opened the door. His face lit up when he saw who it was.
"Percy!" He said, welcoming him in. "How have you been?"
Percy smiled softly, before cutting right to the point. "Not very well. I need to speak with you about something, in private," He said.
Dr. Chase's face fell immediately, and a deep concern grew in his eyes. He knew what this was going to be about.
"This way then," He said, starting down the main hallway. "We can talk in my study."
Percy avoided looking at the pictures on the wall as he passed through the house. He tried to ignore the playful voices of the twins teasing each other in the living room. This was Annabeth's home. She was everywhere here.
"Sorry about all the mess," Dr. Chase said, opening the door to the study.
Percy stepped in, glancing around at all of the maps and plane models on the walls. The soft glow of a single desk light reflected around the room.
"It's about Annabeth," Percy began, taking the offered chair. Dr. Chase took a seat behind his desk and pushed a row of toy soldiers out of the way. He folded his hands on the table and watched Percy intently.
Percy swallowed a lump in his throat. He really didn't want to talk about this, but Dr. Chase needed to know.
"Tell me," Dr. Chase said. His face was slightly pale.
Percy let out a deep breath and began to speak.
"A couple of days ago, we set out on a mission to rescue an undetermined demigod from their school. A couple of monsters had been watching them, and they were starting to act out. It was supposed to be a simple mission, just grab them and get out. But in the process, Annabeth and I were cornered," Percy said.
He took in another deep breath, steeling himself for the next couple words. He just had to say fast, like a band-aid. Just get it over with.
"Annabeth didn't make it out alive."
Dr. Chase stared at Percy in complete silence, unable to comprehend. A crease appeared in his brow.
"Was… Was she alone?" He asked, voice cracking slightly.
"No," Percy whispered. "I was with her."
Dr. Chase picked up a photo frame from his desk and stared at it.
"You know," He started, a couple of tears appearing in the corners of his eyes. "Athena once told me that demigods never lived long. That was before Annabeth was born. Once she had been given to me, I thought the best way to avoid getting hurt was to not get myself involved. I thought that if I didn't get close to her, it wouldn't hurt as much when she... "
He swallowed.
"I tried so hard to prepare myself for this day, and I did so many things wrong. I isolated myself from her and stayed long hours at work. I started another family. I ignored her. I was horrible."
Tears streamed down his face.
"That will always be my biggest regret. I wish I had always taken care of her, no matter what. I wish that I had actually been there for her when she was growing up. I wish I could take all of that back."
Percy said nothing. He only listened.
"And then," He was whispering now. "When I finally got over my stupidity and started to get to know my daughter, I thought she would be the exception to the rule. She's my brilliant, capable, stubborn, wonderful, daughter. I really thought she'd make it. I really thought she'd survive. I was beginning to believe that this day would never come."
He put his head down on his desk.
There was only silence.
"Thank you," Dr. Chase said, looking up at Percy. "For giving her what I couldn't."
Percy lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry," He said.
Dr. Chase said nothing in reply, only staring at the photo in front of him.
A voice shattered the quiet, coming from outside the room. "Frederick!" They called. "It's dinner time! Get out of that study!"
Dr. Chase looked up at the noise, before glancing back over at Percy. "Please excuse me," He murmured. "I'll be back in a moment."
Percy shook his head. "No," He said. "It's okay. I have to get going anyways."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Dr. Chase asked. "We wouldn't mind at all."
Percy shook his head again. "I'm sorry for dropping all of this on you and leaving, but I really can't stay." He didn't want to be here to watch the happy mood of the house crumble into pieces. He wouldn't be able to stand that.
Dr. Chase nodded. "Okay," He said. "I'll see you out."
He opened the door, warm light spilling into the room from the brightly lit hallway. Both men exited the room.
Slowly, they moved back towards the front of the house. This time, Percy glanced at the photos, smiling softly. She looked so happy. He hadn't really known this side of Annabeth's life very well. At least, not in the way that she knew his family. Now he would never know.
He wrenched his gaze away from the photos and back to the ground.
They arrived in the main foyer, and Dr. Chase pulled open the door. "I'm sorry," He repeated again.
Percy smiled sadly, and waved goodbye. He walked out into the darkness without replying.
"Don't be a stranger!" Dr. Chase called out after him. "If you're ever in the area, don't be afraid to stop by!"
The door closed, and Percy was left alone in the night. He glanced back up at the stars one last time, trying to memorize the feeling of the sky above him. He didn't want to forget this feeling.
And then, at exactly 7 pm on the western coast, Percy Jackson dissolved into shadows.
On the east coast, in New York City, a young woman walked up out of a subway station and onto the streets of Manhattan. She paused for a moment, looking up at the dark night sky above her. There weren't any stars out.
Another moment passed before she set off at a brisk pace, easily keeping up with the bustle of the city. She walked through various streets and shops, soaking in the feeling of millions of people living in harmony.
Her mind was unusually blank, the thoughts that normally raced through her head at every moment of the day finally silent. But that was okay. She didn't really want to think of anything right now. Instead, she just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, following the path to Percy's apartment. It didn't require much thought anyway. She already knew the way by heart, after spending all those hours there with people she could almost call family.
Slowly, as she disappeared into the residential parts of the city, the crowds began to thin out. Soon it was just her and a couple other people making their way down the roads.
She shivered slightly in the November chill and wrapped her jacket tighter around her.
Before she knew it, the apartment building stood in front of her. She looked up at the structure, mentally counting the windows until she found the one that led to Percy's bedroom. The moonlace from Calypso's island glowed softly in the window garden box.
She stepped inside the building and nodded at the doorman before heading towards the stairwell. She counted them as she climbed up, attempting to use the numbers to distract herself from what she was about to do.
But the stairs didn't last forever, and soon she was standing in front of the door to Percy's apartment.
She paused, knocked three times, and waited for a moment.
Paul opened the door.
"Hey, Annabeth!" Paul said, stepping aside to let her in. "What's up?"
She smiled sadly and shook her head. "Nothing good."
Paul immediately deflated. "Oh," He said. "I'll get Sally. Make yourself at home in the living room. We'll be out in a moment."
He closed the door behind them and disappeared further into the apartment. Annabeth turned towards a chair in the living room. Before she sat, however, a couple of photos on the small bookshelf in the corner caught her eyes. She moved towards them, picking up one of the smaller photo frames.
A younger Percy, maybe three or four years old, ginned back toothily at her. He was holding a plastic bag with a fish swimming around inside. The fish was looking straight at Percy, as if in awe that the son of Poseidon had chosen him. Annabeth swallowed thickly and put the photo back down.
She sat in the chair just as Sally and Paul walked into the room.
"Hello Annabeth," Sally said. "It's nice to see you again." Her smile was slightly pained, as if she could sense what this conversation was going to be about.
She hugged Annabeth in greeting and sat down on the sofa, next to Paul.
They watched her, expectantly. Annabeth took a deep breath and began to talk.
"A couple of days ago," She started. "Percy and I headed out on a small mission to rescue a demigod from their school. The satyr watching over them had picked up on the scent of the monsters and asked us for help in getting them out of there. We came as soon as we could."
Sally nodded slowly. "I remember," She said. "Percy told me it would only take a couple of days."
Annabeth could see the prayer in Sally's eyes. She looked back down at her hands, and continued to tell the story. No one said she had to hold eye contact when she crushed their hope.
"We were cornered by monsters towards the end. The demigod got to camp safely, but Percy was injured. I tried to save him, but it was too late. He lost too much blood."
Silence.
"I'm sorry Sally. I'm so sorry," Annabeth said, wiping away some of the rebellious tears that were running down her cheeks.
Sally dropped her head into her palms. Paul put an arm around her and stared at a point on the wall with an unreadable expression.
"No, no, no," Sally whispered. Her shoulders were shaking
"Were you with him when he…" Paul asked. His face had aged ten years in the space of ten minutes.
Annabeth nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him," She said, softly.
"Oh no, sweetheart," Sally said. She moved over to the next chair and hugged Annabeth again. "None of this is your fault! I'm sure that you did everything you could and more. Percy would have never wanted you to blame yourself."
Annabeth swallowed another lump in her throat. Sally, mourning the loss of her only son, was comforting her. The person who had failed her son so terribly.
She leaned into the hug, and held on for all she was worth.
An eternity passed in an instant, but Sally eventually drew away.
She glanced back at the hallway. "Wait here," she said. "I'll be back in a second."
She turned back into the apartment. A door creaked open gently, and Annabeth pushed back another wave of tears. There was only one door in the apartment that creaked like that when opened. Sally had gone into Percy's room.
She reappeared after a few moments, bringing back a small item in her hands. Annabeth watched her as she sat down again.
Paul saw what she was holding and smiled softly.
"This isn't how we expected to give this to you, but I think that now is the right time," she said.
She glanced down at the object and wiped a couple of tears. She put her eyes back on Annabeth.
"About three weeks ago, Percy showed me something," Sally said. "I'm sorry that this wasn't able to happen the way he planned it."
She presented Annabeth with a small ring box.
"He was waiting to do it during the Fourth of July fireworks at Camp. He was so excited."
This time, Annabeth couldn't hold back the tears. She opened the box slowly and pulled out the small silver band.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth," Sally said. She was crying too.
"No," Annabeth said. "Don't be sorry for anything. Thank you for giving me this."
She slipped the band onto her finger. Hopefully, she would be able to keep it with her when she left.
Speaking of which… She glanced up at the clock hanging above the television, and then at the cloudy dark sky outside.
"I'm sorry to leave so suddenly, but I have to go," she said. "I didn't mean to stay this long."
Sally watched her. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night? It's no problem for us."
Annabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Sally said as everyone stood up. "It's okay."
Annabeth pulled the front door open and stepped outside.
Paul put a hand on her shoulder. "Come back and visit, okay? We're here for you."
Annabeth smiled. "Thank you," She whispered.
Sally wrapped Annabeth up in another hug. "It's going to be okay," She whispered.
They stood outside the apartment, watching Annabeth walk to the stairs. Just before she headed down, she turned and gave a small wave of farewell.
She walked outside. The other buildings on the street all stood tall around her, stretching far up into the night sky above. Annabeth couldn't help but notice the hum of the city that never slept. Even so late in the night, people were still out and about.
She stood on a street corner, watching the people rush through their lives, each and every one on their way to accomplish great things. She closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling of human life and presence around her. She would miss this.
And then, at exactly 10 pm on the western coast, Annabeth Chase disappeared into the darkness.
They both appeared in front of the Gates of Elysium, still looking up at a sky that was now miles above them. The darkness was almost overwhelming, compared to the lights of a city at night. Two torches attached to the metal gates were the only source of light, acting as beacons in a sea of black.
Percy and Annabeth looked down at each other and crashed into a hug. They held each other like a lifeline, their grip tight.
"It's done," Annabeth murmured quietly. "I think that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
Percy nodded. "Yeah," He said. "Did my mom take it okay?"
Annabeth shook her head. "Not very well," she said. "But your mom's one of the strongest people I know. And she has Paul and Estelle. She'll be okay."
"I know," Percy said, looking back up at the rocky cavern above them. "Did she give it to you?"
He was being deliberately vague, and Annabeth couldn't help but smile. She held up her hand and the ring glittered softly in the firelight.
Percy turned away. "I wish I could have given it to you in person," He said. "You should have seen all of my plans. You would have been so proud."
"I already am," Annabeth said. "Sally told me everything."
Percy smiled, although it seemed a bit forced.
"How did my parents take it?" Annabeth asked after a moment.
"I only told your dad," Percy said. "I thought it would be better to just tell him, but it didn't work. He almost fell apart."
"But he has Helen and the twins," Annabeth added, trying to convince herself. "He'll be fine."
Percy nodded slowly. A couple of tears started to roll down his cheeks.
"I wasn't ready for this. I didn't want to go this early," He whispered. "I know that heroes never got happy endings, but I was still hoping."
Annabeth put her hand up to his face and kissed him lightly. "I know," she said.
He hugged her tight. "There was still so much I wanted to do," He murmured into her hair.
"I know, Percy," She said, tears of her own starting to fall. "But it's going to be okay. We're going to be okay."
They stood together, in silence. They had been a pair for most of their lives. They had done so much together as a team. They were lucky to have experienced death together.
But that didn't make it any less painful to kiss all of their futures goodbye.
A/N: Thank you for reading, and please review!
~DreamingCerulean
Published: September 23rd, 2018