Hey everybody! This is just something I wrote quickly last night. I was rereading Blood Of Olympus when I realized that the Seven never really talked about what happened in the war with the Titans, or the Battle of Manhattan. This story takes place while Percy, Hazel, Leo and Frank are off subduing Nike/Victoria in Olympia. It's told from Annabeth's POV. Thanks, and enjoy! Will be posting Chapter 4 of PJ Senior Year tomorrow!
Annabeth was in her cabin, reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War, when Jason knocked on the door. She looked up, surprised to see him. With the rest of the Seven away trying to subdude Victory, she had expected him and Piper to take some quality time.
"Mind if I come in?" Jason asked politely.
"Of course, of course," Annabeth quickly said, clearing her bed of several diagrams and maps. Jason plucked a magazine from the mess.
"Hey I recognize that guy on the cover. That's -"
"Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist?" Annabeth eagerly responded. "He's one of the most brilliant-"
"Actually Annabeth, I was going to say that's the 'we've got a badass over here' guy. I recognized him from some pictures I've seen online. He's like-"
"A meme, I know," Annabeth finished. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Boys. She decided to change the subject. "What's Piper up to?"
"Just getting some rest," Jason replied. "She wanted to stay up and make sure I was ok, but I convinced her to get some sleep. She made me promise to come in here, so that I wouldn't be alone...because of the stab wound. She's still pretty worried."
"You should be to," Annabeth said with a critical tone. "Plenty of demigods have died after contact with magical weapons like that." Jason looked a tad put-down by what she said, but Annabeth didn't care. Piper was her best friend, and she couldn't bear to see her upset.
Jason finally took a seat near the foot of her bed. He had a strange look in his eye. He glanced at her, and when he spoke, his voice was almost squeaky with apprehension. "Annabeth...I wanted to ask you about something. If it's too personal, just say so."
Annabeth raised her head from the book. This was weird. She studied his body language. It wasn't like Jason to be so fidgety. "Well," said Annabeth, trying to lighten the mood, "I hope you haven't come to me for relationship advice. Me and Percy are about as dysfunctional as it gets."
They both laughed, but Jason shook his head. "No way, you two are awesome, really. I'm honestly jealous, you guys have had each other since you were kids. I barely even know Piper in comparison."
Annabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. She chuckled in disbelief. "Jason, do you realize what these five years have consisted of? When monsters weren't trying to kill us, we wanted to kill each other. We drove each other crazy."
"Really?" Jason asked. Annabeth noticed him giving her a wolfish grin, a smirk like he knew something she didn't. "That's not how Percy tells the story."
"That's 'caus he's an idiot," Annabeth snapped back. "I don't call him Seaweed Brain for nothing, Jason."
He erupted in spirited laughter. "Still, there must have been times where you felt something," he inquired.
"Well, there was a few rare instances. One time at a waterpark...that's a long story. Or when he saved me from the Sirens. That's...a bittersweet memory," she said, with a grim look on her face. "Or before we got separated at Mount , when we had our first…" she stopped herself, noting the ever-growing smile on Jason's face. "Alright, you've made your point, Dr. Phil," she said begrudgingly. "But I get the feeling you didn't come for relationship talk."
The smile melted off Jason's face so fast Annabeth wasn't sure it was ever there. "It was something you said on Ithaca," Jason recalled. "When I was talking about my mom...you mentioned someone...a guy named Luke? I've heard rumours, but…."
Annabeth's mood blackened, and her face changed as well, becoming more and more serious. She knew exactly what Jason was thinking as soon as he mentioned Ithaca. She always knew this day would come, when one of the Roman seven would ask about the Titan War. It wasn't something she had been looking forward to. She knew they would find out eventually, better to heard the whole story from her than bits and pieces from campers. "You deserve to know," she muttered.
So she told him. She told him all about her dear friend Luke. The years travelling with Thalia, his betrayal, fighting against him, and his anger with the gods, particularly Hermes. She surprised herself by keeping it together until describing his visit in San Francisco and transformation into the Titan Lord. Jason's reactions ranged from anger, to pity, sadness, and finally simple and utter surprise. His eyes betrayed an entire new understanding of everything that had happened last summer.
Annabeth managed to choke out a few lines to explain the Battle of Manhattan, but couldn't manage to talk about the final fight in the throne room. She was ashamed for being so emotional, so vulnerable, but the tears flowed all the same.
"I know the rest of the story," Jason said. "About Ethan...and the knife." There it was. What she'd been avoiding. Luke's knife, that she'd lost somewhere in Tartarus - his knife, a testament to his life, all he'd been through, the pain he'd endured. What look had stood for - fair and equal treatment of demigod children, no matter their parentage. And she'd just lost it. The sobs came deeper now, shaking her entire form. She hadn't had time to process the loss of her knife since coming back from Tartarus, but now the pain was as fresh as last summer. It didn't help that Jason even looked a bit like Luke, with his blond hair and blue eyes.
Jason seemed to realize only now how deeply Annabeth had been affected by Luke's death. He tried to comfort her, but didn't seem like he had much experience. She supposed that was the Roman in him. "I'm sorry for your loss, Annabeth, but...Luke's life..it meant something. The Olympians have changed, at least a little bit, haven't they?"
Annabeth stopped crying, pulling her hands away from her face. She gave Jason a smoldering look. "His life shouldn't have had to MEAN ANYTHING! The gods should just treat their kids well! Luke shouldn't have had to DIE to make that happen. In fact, if it wasn't for your sister, then…"
An awkward silence followed. Annabeth knew she'd said too much, but she didn't care. Jason's confusion played out on his face. "Wait..what does Thalia have to do with-"
"Mount Othrys," Annabeth cut in coldly. She kicked Luke over the edge. I think that's when he realized there would be no going back to Camp Half-Blood, even if he wanted to. If Thalia, one of his oldest friends, was willing to do that to him…" Her voice trailed off. He was entirely on Kronos' side after that. I think it's what convinced him to bathe in the Styx.
"So…" Jason began quietly, "you blame Thalia?"
"No, I blame the gods," Annabeth responded. "But Thalia had the chance to correct their mistake. She didn't. That's all there is to it."
"I know this probably doesn't mean much to you, but from what I've heard...I think Luke knew that at least one person understood. That one person cared about him. Before the end." Jason's comment was exactly what Annabeth needed to hear. She had been so worried that Luke had felt alone before he died.
What Jason said helped alleviate some of that stress. It helped her gain some closure. "Thank you," she muttered through the tears, doing her best to wipe them off her face. "You're alright, Grace," she said. "Bring it in," motioning for a hug. After she embraced him, she noticed Piper standing in the doorway. "Sorry," Annabeth said, pulling away from Jason.
Piper smiled sadly. "It's ok," she responded. I heard pretty much the whole thing. You're in real need of a hug." The two girls embraced each other for a few moments before Annabeth drew away again. Wiping away the last of the tears from her face and taking a deep breath, Annabeth looked over at the mess of work she had on her desk. "I'd better get back to work." Above deck, they heard a crash and what sounded like a struggle. The noise descended below decks, and Percy stuck his head in with a silly smile.
"Greetings, fellow crewmen and women! Would anyone like to see the secret of Nike's massive success as a sports company?" Annabeth smiled. "Such an idiot," she thought.
"Or perhaps," he continued, "why Adidas produces clearly better equipment?" The struggling began to rock the ship, and Annabeth could hear some sort of muffled whimpering. "C'mon guys," Percy said, "you gotta come see this." As the three demigods filtered out of Annabeth's cabin, Percy caught her eye. "Oh, no," Annabeth thought. He looked at her, seeing her puffy eyes.
"You feeling ok, girl?" Percy asked. Annabeth mustered her most determined look and looked up at him.
"We'll talk about it later," she said with steel in her voice. "We've got work to do."