Hello everyone! Yes, this is a new story I've been working on for the past four? five? maybe, months! This story is a bit different... I'd like to think so...
Now, I got the idea a long time ago when I read The Giver, when I saw the anime No. 6, when I saw the anime Psycho Pass (especially), when I read Divergent and The Hunger Games. All of it came to me to form this story... a society desperate for a utopian world, for an idealistic place in which crime can be prevented. In which there are no differences, a place where everything is accepted without a fuss. Without war, without hate, a place where we, as humans have come to an understanding and tolerance.
I know, heavy topic huh?
Can utopia really be reached?
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and The Olympians
Beautiful
Porcelain skin.
Ebony hair, as dark as night itself.
I watched him, from afar in this train made of metal.
Beautiful.
That one word, was the only word I could think of. He truly was beautiful. Looking at him, it was mesmerizing even. The way he captured my attention from the moment I was put in this train to be transported to hell, he was entrancing. He was hypnotizing. Never did I ever think with all of my bad luck, that I would ever find someone like him. Well, at least not again... I never thought I would get a second chance.
It was an anomaly in the grand scheme of things- because he did his best to blend in with us. Us being the prisoners- although we're not exactly called that yet. No, we're called latent criminals. That's what we are... criminals. We did things to warrant our arrest and to be transported to the place where no one in the comfy and lavish community knew about. A place where keeping your sanity is your priority. It was always something to be discussed, to keep in check your mind and emotions, because they were a dangerous thing.
But currently, my mind was focused on something else or rather someone else. I just couldn't keep my eyes off of him. What was it about him that made it so hard to ignore? The more I looked at him, the more I found myself wanting to get closer to him. To talk to him, get to know his story. What he did to get here. He was wearing normal clothing, so that ruled out my interest in his attire. Normal black pants, and a normal white t-shirt, with normal black shoes. Nothing about his clothes caught my attention. It was just him. I sighed once, and looked down. Trying to build up my courage to go over there and talk to him. Unfortunately, my nerves got the best of me and I stayed glued to my seat. I looked around the room and saw the guards, dressed in their black clothing, with their weapons in position to fire if someone stepped out of line.
They were stationed at the doors, blocking all forms of escape. It would've been idiotic if someone were to do that anyway. They would find you in less than a day, and by then, well you'd be less fortunate. We were allowed to move around so long as we didn't cause trouble. I saw a few criminals, a mix of both men and women all around the train. Some were sitting others were standing, some were chatting nervously while others sat quietly, you could see the fear in everyone's eyes.
My eyes flickered back up and I found myself staring straight into his dark brown eyes, that seemed abysmal. He stared at me, his face devoid of any emotion, eyes dull, and I felt my cheeks fill with color as he kept looking at me. Then he looked away, but I found myself unable to move, let alone breath.
"You're staring." I heard a feminine voice whisper lowly to me. I looked to my right and there was this girl sitting beside me, studying me intently. My mouth felt dry, and I found myself unable to speak. She smiled softly at me. "It's okay to stare. He is rather pretty looking- for a boy."
I felt myself blush as she bluntly stated what I had been thinking. But he was more than pretty.
"I'd say he is beautiful." My mouth moved of its own accord.
"Mm," her smile grew as she looked at me, her eyes sparkling. I couldn't exactly pinpoint their exact color, they kept changing. "My name is Piper McLean."
"I'm Percy Jackson." I introduced myself to the girl, Piper.
She had brown, chestnut hair, that was cut to look choppy with a stray braid or two done randomly and a blue feather stuck on her head. Her skin was tan maybe a bit darker than tan actually and her eyes were like a kaleidoscope, shifting from different colors depending on the light. She was extremely pretty I'll admit, but never as gorgeous as the boy with porcelain skin.
"What are you in for?" she asked me, polite enough so as not to make me feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I still made a face, not wanting to talk about it. "I see... you're not a talker, well I'm in here because a club was raided and they caught me. They also caught my friend there," she pointed to a Latino boy, with black curly hair, wild and untamed. He had light brown eyes that danced with mischief and a smirk that told anyone who gave him a glance that he was up to no good, but I already knew him. I had bought something off of him three years ago... something that helped me stay hidden for this long...
"Leo Valdez," we both said at the same time, and she looked over at me, an eyebrow raised up, surprise on her face. She quickly composed herself and merely gave me a shrug.
"Well, seems like you know him... but of course the Enforcers had been trying tirelessly to capture Leo for some time now." She shook her head as a small smile dared to play on her lips. "He's a fairly good friend of mine."
"Yes, I know him. He sells technology on the black market... well he used to sell technology on the black market, what with his capture. Why were you in a club?"
Her lips tilted up minutely as she looked at me, and I realized it was pretty daring of me to ask her that question. It was really me being nosy because I hadn't even answered her question.
Piper's lips quirked up as she answered my question anyway. "Well, I was part of a band of revolutionaries that had been trying to open the eyes of the public. My friends Silena Beauregard, Clarisse La Rue, and Adam Fernandez over there were also caught alongside me."
I looked to see where she had pointed. A girl, with long, straight, brunette hair and big blue eyes, peach skin and a slim figure was sitting. She was incredibly pretty, and I couldn't believe that she was part of a revolutionary group. She was sitting to next a girl, with red-brown wavy hair, mean looking brown eyes and a scowl that seemed permanently etched on her face. And then, behind the two girls sat a boy, about my age with light brown hair and dark brown eyes, he was lean yet with a bit of a muscular build. He looked at ease, almost a bit serene considering where we were all heading to. I looked back to the boy with eyes like dark chocolate as he looked outside the window with dull eyes, and I began to wonder what his name was, what he had done, what kind of story he had to tell. Was it possible to fall in love at first sight? Did that even exist anymore? Especially with the way things were run in Attica... Did I really just fall in love? Again? Was it possible to get a second chance at love?
I shook my head to get out of my musings and looked away, it would be best to do it now and not have him catch me looking at him. God, how embarrassing would that be. I briefly wondered how much time had passed... we had been riding this train for a good 30 minutes. We had been taken from the underground cell we had been placed in, all 150 of us prisoners being transported to a place called Attica Annex Correctional Facility. At least that was what the Enforcers told us when they captured us. I wondered how far this place was.
Slowly, my eyes started to droop, and I felt extremely tired. I figured a small nap wouldn't hurt.
"Hey, are you tired?" Piper's voice shook me awake just a bit.
"A bit, I haven't slept in since yesterday..." I trailed off. Yesterday... had been the day I was captured. The look of disgust on the Enforcer's face...
"You can sleep a bit if you want? From what I've found out, we're going to be on this train for another good three hours." Piper told me. "You can sleep, I'll wake you when we get near to our own little hell."
I looked at her for awhile, wondering why she was being so nice to me and how calm she was considering we were going to prison.
"Thank you," I settled for a smile. She returned it.
I sat lower in my seat, let my head fall against the window and slowly went to sleep.
...
"Mom! I'm home!" I called out to my mother.
Sally Jackson, a beautiful woman, married to Poseidon Jackson, a handsome man. People said I may have looked like my father, but I had gotten most of my mother's traits and personality. My mother was playful and kind. She was compassionate and a bit of a rebel. It wasn't a mystery that my father had fallen in love with her. She had dark brown-black hair, with blue eyes, a slim figure and a dazzling smile. My father was a bit of a mischievous man, a man who was playful and fun yet stern when need be. I hadn't always been the perfect child. Like my father I was a mischievous boy at heart, but like my mother I often thought of others. My father had black, windswept hair, tan skin that seemed to be bathed in sunlight on a daily basis, and a muscular build. But his most prominent and probably most memorable features were his eyes, which I had inherited. Sea green eyes that seemed to hold the ocean in them.
"Hey mom! I'm home and I'm super hungry!" I called out to my mother. I was 18 years old again, coming home from my first day at college. I walked through my old yet familiar house. The memories flooded back from the recesses of my mind.
The old house. Well, it was more modern than the houses from outside Attica, or so I was told before, but a bit dated compared to the ones inside the community. On the outside, it was brick, reddish brown brick. The door was oak with a small window in the center made of stained glass, of red, white and yellow. There was a huge window off to the side near the door, that had an amazing view of this park where a big lake lay. The house was three stories tall. Once the door opened up, you were greeted with the living room, that was painted orange and yellow and red, warm colors chosen by my mother who with my father's help decorated the room. There was a huge couch that was a light coffee brown color, and a love seat on one side of the room that matched, along with a single armchair. The TV was propped up against the wall, with the DVD and cable box underneath and off to the side on a shelf were movies.
My little brother, Tyson Jackson, had toys scattered here and there on the wooden floors. I walked on through the house, throwing my book bag on the armchair. My mother would scold me later. I came upon the dinning room next, where a huge wooden table with white chairs stood. I walked on, coming into the kitchen. With its granite counters and the island that stood in the middle. The stove was steel along with the fridge, and in the oven, I smelled cookies cooking. My mother's famous blue chocolate chip cookies that I loved so much. I went past the kitchen to the stairs that led to the bedrooms.
As I climbed the stairs, a feeling of dread worked it's way inside me. Somehow I felt uneasy and I finally realized my house hadn't greeted me when I first walked in through the door. I ran up the stairs and stopped near the touch screen panel off to the side that was put there so that every family member per household could touch the screen and out would pop an injection that would help one get through their day. I knew exactly what these injections did to a person... I saw the panel and saw that it was on but it hadn't greeted me at all. I found that strange and the uneasy feeling in my gut only got worse the closer I got to the bedrooms.
As I walked on, I looked down and my mother's beautiful wooden floors were stained in a dark red substance. A trail of this dark red substance kept going on into my brother's bedroom. I was confused as to why there was this... paint? On my mother's floor. It hadn't fully registered in my mind what this was exactly. The closer I got, the more of this I saw and suddenly I was at my brothers door. Slowly I opened it... on my brother's bed, I saw him. Tyson. Sweet, small Tyson. With big blue eyes and a kind smile. Who would always ask far too many questions and was a complete ball of sunshine. On his bed... his bloody bed... with his limbs chopped off. His head was ripped off his shoulders and propped on top of the bed post. A scream was ripped from my throat and before I knew it, I was running out of the room.
"Mom!"
I ran into my mother's bedroom and I saw my mother and father, nailed to the wall. A knife was embedded in my mother's head. My father's throat was slashed, blood flowing down.
"No. No. No! NO! NO!"
My knees bucked and I fell down.
My parent's bodies were mangled and bloody and twisted so horrifically. My beautiful mother, my strong father, my sweet, innocent brother... all dead.
"Percy Jackson," the robotic voice of my house spoke, although it sounded a bit different, "you have killed your family. My duty is to hold you here until the Enforcers arrive."
"What no, Anna, I didn't m-murder them! Someone else did! I didn't murder my family! Please Anna listen!"
"My duty is to hold you, until the Enforcers arrive. Murder is a serious crime in Attica. Attica is safe. Attica is secure. Attica is controlled." Anna spoke in her robotic, monotone voice.
"I-I... I gotta go... I gotta leave... I gotta hide... w-where am I... where am I gonna go?!" I turned around in a full circle, raking my hands through my hair. I ran to the door and tried to open it only to find I was locked on the inside. I ran to the window and found the same thing. The glass had been changed so that it was unbreakable now.
"Anna! Let me out! I didn't kill my mom, my dad, my little brother!" My voice cracked at the end.
Tyson would never be able to live out his life. He died at 8 years of age. My mother would never be with me. She was taken too early from me. My father was no longer the strong man he was. I would no longer see that mischievous smirk that would play on his face, so similar to mine own.
"You are to remain still Percy Jackson. Your psycho hue is well above 200. If it does not lower, I will have to use the Stinger. Percy Jackson, your hue is cloudy. A cloudy psycho stat could be dangerous to the outside world."
"Shut up! Anna shut up! Shut up! Shut the fuck up!"
"Your psycho hue is 247. And my scanner is picking up anger, confusion, frustration, sadness and hostility. Please stay put. The Enforcers are wel-we-well it- the- Enforcers-Enforc- on the way- wa-w-way..."
I looked back at Anna and realized the panel was short circuiting. Anna was slowly shutting down. And I didn't know why. Soon enough, I heard the door unlock and open just a crack.
'Should I run? Or should I stay put and see if I can try to convince them I hadn't murdered my family. What should I do? The Enforcers were well on their way... if I ran... I would be a wanted criminal... what should I do?'
I had money saved up from various jobs I had done from two years ago. I had close to $3,900 I could probably make it if I ran but... what if I stayed?
"If you stay, you're an even bigger fool than I thought," a sudden voice appeared. A voice I would come to know so well... a voice that would haunt me in my sleep, in my dreams, in every moment of my life. A voice that sounded smooth, so smooth and crystal clear. A voice that sounded cruel and... bored? It sounded bored, almost tired that it was doing this.
"Honestly, here I am giving you another chance to escape." The voice laughed, no, it mocked. "And you're being the ultimate idiot by staying!"
"W-who are you?!" I shouted.
His laughed turned more evil, if that was even possible. "I'm the man who killed your family. And you can't prove your innocence because I've made sure that your prints and DNA are all over the place. So it looks like you've killed them. You've got ten minutes to make up your mind."
I was frozen to the spot, my mind couldn't comprehend what he had just said. He killed... my family... and framed me? No. No. It wasn't possible. I- no! My mom, my dad, Tyson! Dead! And... he killed them.
Ten minutes. I had ten minutes to decide. Should I run? What would happen to me if I ran?
"James."
That name. And that voice. That sweet, melodious voice. I never thought I would ever hear it again. Yet here I heard it. Forever imprinted in my mind.
"James."
The light lilt, the small giggle, the breathy laugh. All from one beautiful girl.
"James."
Daniela. Danny.
"Percy!"
My eyes opened abruptly and the bright fluorescent light that streamed down shocked me, making me close my eyes fast.
"You're sweating. So much. Are you okay?" I heard Piper's voice, concern lacing her words.
A sharp intake of breath, I opened up my eyes, my chest heaving. I looked at the girl beside me and slowly nodded my head.
"Y-yeah..." my voice trembled and I hated it. "I'm- fine."
Piper studied me before she nodded once. "Well... we're almost there."
"Uh, okay... thanks for waking me up."
"Yeah."
The prison came into view then. A dull, gray building, made of concrete. The train started to slow down, and the guards started to order everyone to sit down in an orderly fashion. A big, huge iron gate, about 50 feet tall opened up to let the train through. Once we passed, I saw them close. Forever trapping us inside. I suddenly felt suffocated, claustrophobic. As if I were going to be trapped under a tomb. My heart sped up, my pulse quickening and I felt myself go into shock. Suddenly, for the first time, I felt the reality of my situation fully sink in. I would stay here, never to see the outside world again, never to feel the things I felt after I stopped taking those injections, never to... be free again.
"Everyone please stand up," Anna's voice filtered through the speakers of the train. "You will be given a set of numbers, all of you are to leave the train in two lines; one for men and one for women. Once You reach the front of the building, you will all be lead into a room where you will be asked to take a test."
My lips tilted down and my eyebrows furrowed. A test? What test? For what reason? Everyone got up as soon as the train came to a stop.
"Good luck." Piper whispered to me before being led out.
As we moved out of the train and across the walk-way to the dull building, I found myself frantically searching for the boy with pale skin, but I didn't see him anywhere.
"Keep it moving, scum!" I'm pushed forward roughly by a guard.
Biting my tongue I move along, but my eyes keep looking for skin that's pale white and beautiful brown eyes.
We come to a stop in front of a set of double doors made of glass. A woman with black hair and brown eyes stood next to a guy with blond, curly hair and blue eyes. The woman seems familiar... like I've seen her before but- where?
"Welcome prisoners. My name is Rose, I'm an Enforcer and this man next to me is Will. We are here to take you to the testing rooms, where you are to take a mandatory exam. I will take the men, Will will take the women."
We followed the two Enforcers inside, the double doors slid open and once in, there were even more guards, more Enforcers and prisoners going to and fro. We follow the Enforcers and turn a corner, going left where we reach a door. Same as the double doors, made of glass and it opens up. We walk through where we reach this white, sterile room. Sort of like a hospital room except it's possibly a lot more cleaner and there are no medical machines. There are chairs, so many chairs with a weird thing that seems big enough for a head to fit, hanging on in the back of the chair. The room itself is huge and wide and... just plain gigantic.
"Ladies! Follow me through his door!" The blond known as Will calls out. There seems to be more men than women. Out of the 150 people, since the women left, there are at least 100 men left, meaning there were only 50 women on that train. I look back at the woman, known as Rose and a memory starts to tug at the back of my mind. She looks way too familiar and it's bothering me that I can't seem to remember her.
"Excuse me, but what's this test for?" A blond with a scar running from the bottom of his left eye to just above his lip asks Rose, a scowl on his face.
"It's to see if... some of you have this special ability that we might use or need..."
"What ability? And how would you use it?" Leo asked Rose.
"Well, it's not exactly an ability more like... a way into seeing how your mind works..."
"Why?" The same blond guy with the scar asked once more.
"Well, those who pass... you'll find out soon enough. Now, get in the chairs."
I was amazed the Enforcer didn't snap at us for asking her questions, let alone she answered them. Enforcers weren't known to be kind to us criminals... so it was no wonder neither of us put up a fight when she told us to get in the chair.
"Now, you won't be harmed or anything of the sort. But you won't be awake for the test either." Once we sat down, the straps around the chair tightened around us, making it impossible to get out.
"What? But how would we take the test?" Another blond curly haired, blue eyed man asked. He reminded me of that Enforcer... Will... just a bit.
"As I said, this is to see how your mind works. The questions asked will make you question your motives, your sanity, what you've been taught to think is right and the ideals placed upon you. If you're aware of this, well, your answers would certainly differ so that in our eyes you would be perceived as good. But see, we're not exactly looking for that. And to get straight answers, you need to do things just a bit... differently." The white machines that were attached to the back of the chair moved forward until it covered our heads entirely.
"Good luck." That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.
The woman, Rose. I realized now she has a small mole, right under in the corner of her left eye... just like her...
...
"James."
Danny?
"I love you, my dear." My mind takes me back to my old apartment. There I see a head of beautiful pink hair. Pink hair. Peculiar isn't it? Pink hair and beautiful blue eyes. Daniela. Danny. My beautiful girl.
"James, once your birthday comes, we'll celebrate! Won't it be fun?!" Danny went in to the kitchen. "All of our friends and food and-"
I snuck up behind her and wound my arms around her curvy figure. She was short, standing at 5'5, but she was tough as nails sweet as sugar.
"Love?" I nuzzle my face in the back of her neck and I feel the small shiver that runs down her spine.
"James..." her voice is breathy, "you know what that does to me..."
"Come on, it's Sunday and it's 12 in the afternoon and I think it's far too early to be up."
"James!" Danny squeals as I drag her to the bedroom. Our bedroom.
I pin Danny to the wall and kiss her roughly. I bite her bottom lip softly and she opens her mouth, letting me in to explore her. She tastes like apples and cinnamon, and her smell is intoxicating. Slowly, I begin to undress her. I start to take off her yellow dress, and it falls down to the floor with a small thud. I cup her tender breasts and start to play with them. I pinch her softly and I hear a breathy moan escape her mouth.
"Mmm, Percy..."
My hands freeze. She's never called me Percy before. She never knew about Percy Jackson.
I look up and I see her face. Her once beautiful face, skinless. All I see is a skull with hollow sockets for eyes.
"What's the matter James? Don't you love me anymore? Why'd you kill me Percy? Why did you kill me? Why did you kill me? WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!"
My eyes fly open and a bright light is the first thing I see. Rose is standing over me, studying me intently and I have no idea what I did. I look around me and see I'm the only one with the machine over my head.
"W-what just happened?" I ask, I see my hand trembling slightly and Rose takes notice as well. I hide my hand and look at the Enforcer in the eyes.
Rose is so familiar to her... the one Enforcer who had a kind soul... the one who let me go...
Even the small mole in the corner of her left eye... she had that too.
"You're done taking the test." Rose finally speaks up. I can hear a bit of an accent lacing her words. "Here, put this on your shirt."
She hands me a green tag that I stick on my shirt. On it are a bunch of numbers saying 34519 and with a green bar across under the number.
"What's this for?" I ask and then bite my tongue. This Enforcer has been nice enough, I really shouldn't push it, especially with my luck.
"You'll find out soon enough once everyone finishes the test and we move to a different room. Don't worry, I think you'll like it once you find out." Rose smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back, all the while thinking of the Enforcer that let me escape, Marisol.
Soon, I heard a small beep and on this table that wasn't there before, was a machine. From that machine, out popped a slip of paper and three chairs down from my left the white machine attached to the chair lifted to reveal the blond with blue eyes and a scar running down his face. He moved his head, looking dazed and Rose took the slip of paper and told him to put it on his shirt. The tag had a set of numbers and a green bar underneath.
The process repeated until all of the men woke up and were given a tag. Some had green, but they were very few while the majority of the men had a black bar underneath.
"Okay criminals, we're moving out! Follow me!" Rose leads us all to a different room, three doors down. By the outside, you wouldn't think it would be big enough to hold us all but I was surprised because it held all of the men with Rose and the women that had gone with Will.
"Now then," the blond named Will spoke up, "the ones with the black bar underneath, all of you go with Enforcer Mike. The ones with green, stay put."
The people with the black bar all shuffled out, some of them looking weary while others thought that they probably hit the jackpot or something. It made me wonder what was going on. Out of the 50 girls there were only 13 with the green bars. Piper was among them, as were Clarisse and Silena, a certain blonde with blue eyes that I had seen talking with the blond with the scar. Out of the 100 men only 17 of us had the green bar. Among us were the two blondes, Leo, that guy named Adam and myself.
"The ones in green," Will continued, "are the ones that have passed the test. That number that was given to you will lead you to your partner, an Enforcer. What is this, you ask. It's a second chance at redemption. A second chance to come back in to the community. The test you took to see how your mind worked around a problem helped us decide whether or not you would become a hound. Surely, you all know who they are?"
Will waited for us to nod our heads.
The hounds were criminals who had been given a second chance to work under the AECPC. They lived under the building and they worked alongside Enforcers but they could never marry and could never fully be part of Attica as before. They were in the system but they were below those that handled garbage. To be a hound... that meant you were expected to kill criminals that had gone off the deep end...
Could I really do that?
"What if we don't want to be hounds?" The blond with the scar asked out loud. He sure had a mouth on him didn't he? Then again, so did I.
"Well, you go to prison, take your injections, take medications to dull you so you become nothing more than a mindless person. Of course the course of action in which we handle you in prison goes according to the crime you did..." Rose lets that hang in the air. "But think of it this way Luke, if you chose to become a hound, you can still play your guitar no problem. And you get to drink actual alcohol..."
So that ruled out my option to not become a hound. If I didn't forget ever thinking ever again.
"Now then, Rose will take 15 of you and I'll take the other 15. Fifteen of you will be going to Tribeka, our sister community and train to become hounds over there, the other half, Rose will take you outside where you will meet most of your partners and then be put on a train where you'll be transported not far from here to train for one month and become a hound. Good luck." With that, Will gathered his fifteen people that had an extra bar with a purple color I hadn't noticed before and led them out.
"Okay, let's go." Rose turned and let us out the way we came in.
We passed by many doors, some of which were glass and I could see through them but others were pitch black. Everything was metal and shiny. Metal stairs that spiraled and led up to probably offices, had Enforcers and then normal looking people going up and down. I saw two people wearing lab coats carrying lunch go through a pitch black door. I wondered if they were doctors.
"Now then, once outside, I will call out your name and number and you will meet your partner." Rose spoke.
The more I heard her voice, the more it sounded like Marisol to me. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to that girl... she helped me escape and I still don't what happened. Did she get caught? Did she not? If it became known what she did, what happened to her? All of these questions swimming through my head and I just... I couldn't get her out because I saw Rose and then I saw Marisol.
I ran. I ran like hell. I grabbed my book bag.
Ten minutes he said. He said.
I stuffed two pairs of pants, three pairs of shirts and four pairs of underwear. I looked at my clock.
Now I had five minutes.
I had stayed down on my knees like an idiot and wasted two minutes that I needed to get out.
There was now way now I would ever be able to prove my innocence.
I had to run.
I opened my safe and grabbed the rolls of cash I had been saving and put it inside my bag. I went past my parent's room and closed the door. I stopped by Tyson's room.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry little bro but... I gotta leave."
Tears ran down my face as I bolted down the stairs and out through the back door.
I crossed the road, not caring that it was a green light but unfortunately I didn't see that it was the Enforcer's cars.
"Stop! Percy Jackson stop where you're going and put your hands up!"
I ran across the side walk as they gave chase on both foot and car. I looked behind me to see three guys in suits with their guns pointed at me.
The hounds.
I turned a corner and ran down until I came upon an alley way. I jogged down the alley and came across an opening for a sewer pipe. Slowly I opened it, it seemed like it took forever because the lid was so heavy but once it came out I went down the steps and put the lid back on. I climbed down until I hit the floor, making a splash and wetting my feet and the bottom of my jeans.
This was it. I was a wanted criminal on the run. All because they thought I killed my family.
I ran, not knowing where I was going. Not knowing what I was going to do. How I was going to survive, to hide. I felt hopeless and I felt angry. I felt sorrow. My family was taken from me by a man who's face was unidentifiable and the blame was put on me.
"You there! Stop!" I heard a voice behind me.
I turned around and saw a girl with black hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing the uniform of an Enforcer and held her gun in position.
"P-please... don't shoot." I plead with her.
"T-they're looking for you... Percy Jackson. Stay put, more Enforcers are on their way!" The girl seemed terrified.
"Wait! Please wait! Just- just wait! I'm innocent! I swear! I didn't kill my family... I- I didn't kill them- I..." my voice cracked as more tears flowed down my face, my legs gave out and I fell on my knees.
This was it. I would be captured and probably killed. I would die and everyone would think I was responsible for the deaths of my mom, my dad, and my little brother.
I guess she must've seen how pathetic I looked because she lowered her gun.
"I- I don't know why... or how... but somehow I feel that you're telling the truth..."
I look at her, shock evident on my face.
"Go. Run!"
I stay glued to my spot until she comes closer and shakes me. I look her right in the eyes. And there's a small mole on the corner under her left eye.
"W-what?"
"Run! Go! Leave! Address 215 Palisade Avenue right next to this deli, Gio's Deli, there's a boy named Leo Valdez. He can help you hide and create a new life but you must go now! Run!"
I get up on shaky legs and turn to leave only to look back.
"Wait! Wh-what's your name? I gotta know your name please! You saved me, I can't forget you."
The Enforcer looked unsure and hesitated.
"Please." I plead with her.
"M-Marisol."
"Hey," I tap Rose's shoulder and hope I didn't just step out of line. But Rose just looks back at me, a single eyebrow raised.
"Yes?"
"I-is there a girl... an Enforcer named... Marisol?"
Rose's eyes widen for one second before she composes herself.
"No. There was never an Enforcer named Marisol."
"A-are you sure? I mean... it's just..."
"Percy, Marisol isn't in the system. She doesn't exist."
I ponder what Rose has just said to me and I can't help but feel that something is rather odd about her answer. I look to my right and see Adam studying me intently, as if my conversation with Rose interested him but... why?
We're outside of the building and a train like the one that transported us before, except this one is smaller waits for us.
"Now then," Rose speaks up, "I'll call out your name and number and the Enforcer that recognizes the number will step forward and that's your partner. Apollo Solace; number 98762 you're with Enforcer Thalia Grace."
A girl with bright, electric blue eyes, black hair cut in a pixie style with a single blue streak going down her side bangs, fair skin with a bit of freckles and short of height steps up. The blond named Apollo steps up and walks towards her. He's got blond curly hair, a muscular build and bright blue eyes. He was the one that reminded me of Will.
"Piper McLean; number 14568, you're with Annabeth Chase."
A blonde, pretty girl with long, bouncy curls and stormy gray eyes steps up and Piper makes her way to her.
"Clarisse La Rue; number 13986, you're with Chris Rodriguez."
A guy with a lean frame, brown hair and light brown eyes steps forward and Clarisse makes her way towards him, a scowl on her face.
"Leo Valdez; number 13894, you're with Jason Grace."
Grace, the same name as the other girl, were they siblings? A blond with blue eyes and tan skin and a small scar on his upper lip stepped up. Leo made his way over to him and I noticed how small Leo looked compared to Jason, especially since Jason was muscular.
"Silena Beauregard; number 16345, you're with Charles Beckendorf."
"Call me Beckendorf though." A guy who was African American with light brown hair and light brown eyes, a very muscular build, as if he played football and tall stature stepped up.
"Amber Lockser; number 21346, you're with Will Solace."
"And I'm here." Will suddenly appeared behind us and Amber followed.
Amber was a girl with straight long, golden blonde hair, it showered her back like a curtain and baby blue eyes with peach skin.
"Adam Fernandez; number 23681, you're with Reyna Avila Rameriz-Arellano."
"Quite the reunion huh, sis?" Adam said as he passed by Rose and walked towards a girl with dark chestnut brown hair, dark brown eyes and a fit build.
"Luke Castellan; number 13418, you're with me." Rose said. "And finally, Percy Jackson; number 34519, you're with Nico di Angelo."
I looked up and saw the beautiful boy I had fallen in love with in the train. At first I was relieved... to see he was fine, alright and not hurt. But then, it sunk in that he was an Enforcer.
His dark brown eyes that had been so dull on the train looked at me, in disgust. A horrible scowl marred his beautiful features. He looked down at me and his brown eyes regarded me coldly.
No, it couldn't be. This couldn't be the beautiful boy I fell in love with, right? This man in front of me was a double... he had to be. How could that beautiful face make such a horrible look of pure disgust. Those dark brown eyes that had seemed warm made me want to look away.
He didn't even know me and here he was judging me. And I hated him. I hated him because in his eyes, I was seen as nothing other than scum.
His dark brown eyes that I had found so beautiful and now were nothing but ugly pools of mud, looked down on me.
The message was clear as day.
Welcome to hell you sea green eyed killer.
AACF- Attica Annex Correctional Facility
Criminals are transported through a special train with Enforcers on board, some disguised as criminals.
ACE- Attica Crime Enforcers
They're the police, the ones who keep everything in order with the help of the hounds.
AECPC- Attica Enforcer Corporation & Patrol Center
The building where Enforcers and Patrols work, take on missions, work on cases, sort of like a police station in our world.
AATO System or Anna- Attica Alpha Tribeka Omega
The system that was placed in both the community of Attica and Tribeka when these two communities were given the go. These communities were founded by Gaea, 30 years ago and are still in testing mode. People across America were invited, welcomed to come in and start life anew in this community where everything was tolerated and everyone was accepted. Anna was created by Gaea and a group of scientist, she works all around Attica and Tribeka, acting as the command system that powers the community. Anna chooses a list of jobs to present to a person after they graduate high school so that a person could narrow down their focus into certain categories while attending college. Once out of a college, Anna has a job space open for the graduate.
Tribeka
The sister community run by Atlas, Gaea's right hand man. Just like Attica, Tribeka is run peacefully, worry-free.
In both Attica and Tribeka, everything is safe!
Let's learn about the Enforcers...
Enforcers and Hounds have a bracelet or wristband that can read a person's psycho stat or hue.
Hounds are the criminals or latent criminals who work under the Enforcers. They were caught doing something illegal or were charged, they took a test before entering the AACF and based on that test were sent to the branch of the AACF where they train for a month to become hounds. Hounds do the dirty work; i.e killing a person instead of making the Enforcer do it since their psycho hue is already damaged. They live with the Enforcer they are partnered up with for three years until they are deemed trustworthy enough to live on their under own under the AECPC building.
TG- Transform Gun
It's connected to the bracelet/wristband and whatever number of a person's hue/stat the wristband/bracelet reads, the TG will transform to the appropriate mode to take down the person, who is a danger to the community.
Stun- to stun a person who's psycho stat is between 100-200 for 30 minutes until they can be detained and brought to therapy as recommended by Anna.
Sting- shoots an electric sting so strong a person blacks out because of the pain. Only to be used on a person with the psycho hue of 200-300
Doom- only to be used for a person who is beyond help, with the psycho stat of 300 and up. It will kill the person, a blue orb that once contact with a person's body will blow up the body. Only the hounds use this mode.