Mid-October of Percy and Annabeth's second year together. Post-TLO, w/out the HoO series. Percy and Annabeth are trying to figure out life as children of both mythological and mortal worlds.
The evening breeze is warm and soft against his skin, ruffling his untidy black hair. Fall nights in NYC were some of the best, and it didn't get any better than being able to walk his girlfriend back to her dorm after a memorable day of trailer food, walking in the part, and visiting the Natural History Museum. Percy had really only wanted to go after seeing the recent movie, but Annabeth naturally had been all too excited to drag him through every other exhibit before they finally made it to the T-Rex skeleton. Which, honestly had been anti-climactic. He had been half hoping that it would be an hidden automaton, or at least a mortal animatronic structure.
But as such, he had bored with it and the other fossils within minutes of exploring the exhibiting. Instead he contented himself with watching Annabeth geek out over the architecture of the building and stealing kisses from her whenever he got the chance. Days alone with her were so rare, what with their different school schedules and proximal separation. So he took full advantage of the time he did get with her.
Somehow he missed her transition from the enthusiastic banter about past to questions about the future. Before he knew it, she is staring at him expectantly and he has no idea why. His blank stare must clue her in about how lost he is, because she rolls her eyes and thumps him once on the arm.
She asks her question again. Has he looked at the pre-SAT prep materials that she gave him? If he wanted to try for the same college as her, he ought to start doing basic prep now. Truth be told, he hadn't given any thought at all to college yet. After all, they were only juniors in high school. Couldn't this wait until next year? He tells her so.
Annabeth huffs and doesn't continue. But he can tell that she's going to stew about this. Most likely jump him again with it later, once it has sufficiently broiled in her overactive mind into a full-blown retort.
It's late though, and the museum is closing down when they finally decide to leave. As they walk down the street towards the subway entrance, he decides to head her off before she gets a full head of steam.
He reaches an arm around her waist and asks her if she enjoyed herself today. When she doesn't respond, he sighs and asks what is bothering her. He has an idea, but with her, he sometimes doesn't always have a total comprehension of the problem (Man, talk about SAT prep, she would be proud to hear him use these words in his head).
She shrugs her shoulders sharply, then regards him with stormy eyes for a second before responding. "It's just that, you never plan ahead."
He snorts, "You just now figured that out?" Probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.
Her forehead knits itself into several lines and she glares at him. "Please Seaweed Brain, I've known that you prefer to leap headlong and blind at problems since you challenged Ares back when we were 12. I just would have thought that you would give more forethought to something you care about."
He sighs, "Yeah, cause things always turn out exactly like how I plan. Throwing a water bomb at Thalia for example, seemed like such a good idea at the time..."
"I'm being serious Percy."
He looks at her, eyebrows raised. "What for? We haven't even finished junior year of high school yet. There's plenty of time."
She rolls her eyes, "Most people take the SAT during their junior year, so they can start applying for colleges over the summer."
"I did take the SAT Annabeth."
"And you flunked it. You can't fly by the seat of your pants in a standardized test oh dyslexic one. You need to prepare for it, practice."
He scowls. "Yeah, well that's boring. I'd much rather practice my sparring. Or spending time with you." He leans in towards her, but she pushes him away.
"That's the thing Percy. Do you want this relationship to last?"
He stares at her, startled by the slight edge in her voice, the raised tones. "Why would you ask that?"
"What do you think will happen then, in a year from now, when I'm going off to university somewhere? What will you be doing Seaweed Brain?"
He pauses, "Going with you I guess."
She shakes her head, "You won't be able to go with me Percy, not unless we're at the same university. Freshmen usually have to stay in the dorms. Can you honestly tell me that you'll be able to afford an apartment on your own fresh out of high school? Will you be able to get a job? When will we have time to spend together?"
He puts his hands on her shoulders to slow her down. "Woah there, Wise Girl. Slow down. This is all stuff we can figure out later."
She draws her lips into a thin line. "And what if I don't want to figure it out later Percy? What is so hard about studying for this test and at least trying to do well?"
He scratches his head, as she seems to be jumping between three, or four, different subjects at once. "Ok wait, are you mad at me because I won't retake the SAT? Or because I don't plan ahead? Or because you don't want me to go follow you to college next year?"
She groans. "No Seaweed Brain, I'm angry because you don't seem to give a flying fuck about making this, us, last past high school and our years at Camp."
Annabeth doesn't normally cuss, and that coupled with her tone leaves Percy speechless. Their train has arrived anyway.
He starts towards the doors, but she pulls her hand from his and steps back. "You know what, I'd like to walk back. I need some fresh air." And without another word she turns on her heel and heads back out of the station.
Percy watches her for a ways before shaking his head and jogging to catch up with her. As he steps in pace with her, she rolls her eyes and growls at him, annoyance pouring through her words. "Aren't you going to miss your train?"
He's angry now too. Things were going so well this afternoon, they had been having such a good time. Why did she have to go and ruin their day with her overactive, strategizing mind? "I'm sticking with you Annabeth, even when you decide to walk halfway across the city in the dark." And then he lets his anger take over and he says something stupid. "Even when you go and ruin a perfectly good afternoon."
She turns and punches him in the arm, hard. Then, she shoves him up against the wall and seizes his lips with hers, kissing him into oblivion. She breaks away and glares at him. Dazed, and more than a little befuddled, he can only manage "Wha-"
"That, Percy, is what I'm ruining your afternoon for. I don't know about you, but I want more out of this relationship. Unless you get your act together, and try to make some effort at mortal life, this is all you're going to get."
With that, she turns to storm away. But he grabs her arm. Now his voice sounds out, louder than he intends, sharper. "Effort at mortal life Annabeth? Last year I saved this city! I gave up living on Olympus to have a chance at a mortal life! This stuff is harder for me! I'm not you, I'm not brilliant and good at books and school and shit. What I'm good at, most mortals would lock me away for! What am I supposed to do, write in my admissions essay that I spent my summer killing a Titan? How much of a chance do you think I'll have next to a kid who volunteered at a hospital, or had a job? Even if I get into the same college as you, or near you, what makes you think I'll be able to stay there? Do you know how many schools I've been kicked out of in 17 years?! I've lost track! Was it because I misbehaved, or flunked out? No! IT'S BECAUSE I'M A FUCKING SON OF THE GREEK GOD OF THE OCEAN."
He didn't realize he was yelling until a cop taps him on the shoulder. "Is everything ok here?" He's directing the question to Annabeth, of course.
She takes his hand and pulls him to her side. "Yes officer, everything is fine. My boyfriend is just stressed about his Classical mythology final."
The officer nods, and then walks back to his squad car.
She doesn't let go of his hand, and together they continue walking down the street. They walk in silence for several blocks, each fuming in their own thoughts.
Finally, she breaks the silence. "Look, I know how hard school can be, living with one foot in each the world of mortals and Olympians all the time. Dis immortalis, I understand Percy. Especially for you."
He grunts in response, still not meeting her eyes.
"You have to understand. When you decided to stay mortal, you chose all the challenges that would come with it. Whether you knew it or not, when you decided to stay mortal–"
"–mortal with you." He mutters.
She stops and turns to face him, placing a hand on his chest. "And if you want to stay with me, you..." she sighs "we will have to work on some things. College isn't just some monster to can charge and parry with. There's some inherent preparation involved. You have to study for the SAT."
He looks straight into her eyes. He knows she's right, but he's stubborn and doens't want to give in yet. "And what if I don't want to go to college Annabeth? What if I want to do something else?"
She seriously considers it for a second. After all, she has known what she wants to do with her life ever since she first walked into a vaulted cathedral. "Alright, Seaweed Brain. I'll bite. What do you want to do?"
She's trying not to smile, as if she knows that he has no idea. She's still making things hard for him. His mind casts around wildly for a second, and then lands on an idea so obvious, he seizes to it immediately. "I'll be a firefighter."
She cocks an eyebrow at him, then her features knit into her familiar thoughtful face. "Huh, that could totally work for you." Then her eyes widen and she glares at him reproachfully. "Damnit, you pulled that out of your ass didn't you?"
He grins at her, "Yup."
Just like that, she's annoyed with him again. "Well, you'll still need college hours for that you know. They won't take just any guy off the street. So guess what Seaweed Brain, you'll still have to take the SAT."
He throws his hands in the air, "Gods, that stupid test again! I'm telling you Annabeth, I'm not studying for that thing! Five hours in the same seat, staring at a computer screen? It's torture!"
She snorts. "Don't be so dramatic."
She loops an arm through his and lays her head against his shoulder, steering him down the street again. "Luckily for you, your girlfriend is a daughter of Athena and can make a strategy for anything. Including some big bad test."
He groans. "You're not letting this go, are you?"
"Oh hell no"
They walk arm in arm for a while. Percy's enjoying the evening breeze again, but he can still tell that Annabeth is annoyed with him. Oh well, he'll deal with that trouble when it arises again.
They cross a street and he starts to recognize some buildings. They're only a few blocks from her school's dormitory now, but they have to go through a less than welcoming series of streets. He wonders how she knows this route, as there's a subway entrance just across from her school.
She answers his unvoiced question. "Sometimes I like to go for walks during the day. It's not as bad in the daytime, and there's some beautiful old brownstone buildings near here."
He doesn't answer, as something else has caught his attention. Ahead, he senses a threat. They're standing just beyond the yellow flickering ring of light from a street lamp, catty-corner from the crosswalk he and Annabeth will be passing through in a few hundred feet. A small gang of grungy looking boys. They had been talking loudly amongst themselves, joking and passing around a few cigarettes. Then, one of them had nudged the bulkiest one, said something and guffawed. Almost as one, they all had turned their gazes hungrily towards Annabeth.
Percy felt Annabeth stiffen next to him, curl her arm tighter around his. Immediately all his senses were on high alert.
The closer they got, the more Percy decided he didn't like the way they were visually feasting on Annabeth. Like a group of empousai would do to a boy, he thinks.
One of the shorter boys says something again, making his companions snigger. He then calls out something incredibly lewd to Annabeth, eliciting another round of snorts.
She mutters to Percy, "Don't think about it. Don't make contact."
But the boy continues to catcall as they approach, and to Percy his leer deepens to one of malevolent desire. When he decides to voice in detail the things he would do to Annabeth in bed, Percy snaps.
He doesn't think, doesn't even remember what he said later. But it was something decidedly unfriendly. And it must have been sincere enough of a threat to the gang that they straightened, their pack tightening. Their leers turned into ugly snarls. Keeping his eyes on Percy, the short one (who Percy decided must be the alpha) directed a comment towards Annabeth. Something about not being with someone who would satisfy her like he could.
Percy didn't like anything about what his words or tone implied, and he tried to disengage himself from Annabeth in order to let the older guy know so. But Annabeth clung more firmly to his arm and caught his eye. Her eyes ordered him firmly Don't even think about it, Seaweed Brain. It was one thing to kill monsters left and right, but it wouldn't do for him to get arrested for assault and battery.
But can't she hear those guys? He ought to slice their tongues out for what they're saying. But no, she's telling him firmly with those intelligent steel eyes that she's heard every syllable, but under no circumstance does she want him to engage a group of hoodlum mortals just for some stupid insults.
The boys continue to catcall Annabeth as Percy and her pass their corner and continue walking away. Anger bubbles so fiercely in Percy's ears that he can't help but lobby back a few jabs of his own.
When they finally got to the front doors of her dorm building, she whirls on Percy. "This is exactly what I was talking about earlier. Not every threat is a monster that you can slice into dust with Riptide Percy. There's more diplomatic, peaceful ways of dealing with scum like those guys. Now I probably won't be able to walk that way again. At least not on my own."
He knows she's right, but at the same time, he's riled and combative. He counters that those guys deserve to be treated as monsters. He takes the opportunity to bring up the SAT subject again. That test deserves to be shredded into dust also, after all.
Of course that doesn't pass with Annabeth. She's right, but he's stubborn and pissed. And so the argument goes round and round until, exasperated and chilled, Annabeth turns and marches inside. At the last moment, she had lobbed over her shoulder that he ought to be careful getting home. Those boys will likely still be raw at some of the things he said. He responds that he's invulnerable, remember? She slams the door behind her.
She ended with Seaweed Brain though, so he knows she can't be too mad at him. Still, she's very upset with him for not seeming to care about his future more. He mulls this over as he starts the long walk back.
It's not that he doesn't think about their future. Gods, at this point there's nothing he wants more than to stay with her forever. But the thought of college for someone like him, with ADHD and dyslexia and the propensity to attract every sort of vicious monster, is daunting to say the least. Honestly, with his grades and record, he doubts he would be able to get in anywhere.
A voice nags at the back of his mind, naturally in Annabeth's voice. That's where the SAT comes in Seaweed Brain, get a good enough score and you'll get the attention of some schools. Especially with how well you've done on the swim team. Gods, even when she wasn't here, she was right. She's always right. Including learning how to deal with problems in the mortal world. He's so used to charging at obstacles head-on (a method that had only intensified since he'd gotten the curse of Achilles), that he doesn't usually stop to consider other options. Later, he'd call Annabeth and apologize.
At some point, lost in thought, he turns down an alley he knows to be a shortcut back to his mom's apartment. He doesn't realize how poor of a decision this is until the shadows descend to form solid figures in front and behind him.
It's the leering boys from earlier. And they brought friends. The leader, the one who had been lobbying the less than flattering insults at Annabeth earlier, smirks maliciously at him. He says something about them not taking kindly to people trespassing on their turf. And even less kindly to people who insult them and bring girls they don't intend to share.
Percy's hand automatically reaches for Riptide, before remembering that it won't do him any good against mortals. He curses under his breath. He'll have to fistfight his way out. He throws another cutting remark at the short kid, something about their turf not being worth the ground Annabeth walked on, he's not really paying attention to what he's saying at this point.
Suddenly, several hands converge on him at once. He struggles, but they overwhelm him and in his initial confusion someone kicks out the back of his knees so that he's forced to a kneeling position. Two hands grab his hair and pull back, holding him fast. The leader strides right up to his face, says something about paying proper respect on their turf. And then he spits in Percy's face. That does it. Percy rolls in one direction, taking several of his 'captors' with him. When did it get to be 8 on 1? Blows rain on him from all sides, but he's invulnerable. He can hear their curses and outcries of disbelief as their fists seem bounce off. He punches and kicks and tackles bodies left and right. At some point a bottle is brought down on his head, but to no affect. He throws the offender into some garbage cans and bellows madly.
Percy has almost fought his way to the end of the alley when a sharp thwack brings him to his knees, gasping and retching with pain.
One of the boys must have taken a lucky shot as the small of his back and connected. Thank the gods it was a glancing blow, but still, it brings him down long enough for the boys to regroup into a circle around him.
He tries to stand, but his body is still trembling too mightily. He can't take too many more hits like that. Gotta try to protect my back more. Why don't I wear armor everywhere?
His assailants close in closely around him once more, but they seem more wary.
The leader steps forward, this time holding a thick discarded piece of wood. At the back of his mind, Percy wonders where he picked up the weapon. But then again, there are plenty of construction sites around here, it would have been easy. Nothing like randomly discarded two by fours to keep the streets safe.
The punk wonders aloud about Percy. He can sure take a punch, they'll give him that. But he doesn't seem to have the guts –one of the minions decides to punctuate the words with swift kicks to Percy's abdomen, which cause him to gasp in pain– to hold them all off forever. Vaguely at the back of his mind it registers that he shouldn't be able to feel the blows to anywhere but his back, but he can barely think through the pain still coursing through him.
Percy receives another kick from the other side, but it doesn't hurt quite as bad and he can feel his invulnerability returning. The random hit to his back might have him temporarily incapacitated, but if he can just hold them off for a few moments...
But then, as he's about to try and stand again, the leader brings down the two-by-four across Percy's back. Part of it manages to dig into the small of his back with the impact. Once again he's immobilized by all-consuming pain. He can't see straight, can't breathe, can't even think through the agony radiating from that cursed spot.
He loses track of time after that.
He also loses track of how many times the he is struck, kicked, and beat with that damn stick. They stay mostly on his back and sides, but then one connects a foot with his face and the blood flowing from his nose excites them further.
He blacks out twice. The first time he is awoken by a couple of them pissing on his face. The second time is after he is vaguely aware that they have taken his shirt, pants, and shoes, leaving him practically naked and shaking in the puddle of his own blood and their piss.
As he lays shivering and broken in the alley, he just hopes that Annabeth will forgive him. Killed by mortals, what kind of worthless demigod is he? Perhaps he deserves this, in retrospect. He had been rather stupid and careless. He knows what she would say to him. Of course, she might say nothing, given how annoyed she was with him when they had parted ways for the evening...he drifts into blackness.
From the depths of the blackness, he thinks he vaguely hears Annabeth's voice, calling his name in panicked tones. He wants to crawl towards her, but he still feels paralyzed from hurt and shame. Then her voice is gone, and his consciousness fades once more.
The next thing he knows, someone is cradling him in warm, familiar arms. He manages to open his eyes, and Annabeth's wide, worried grey eyes are there to greet him.
She sobs, "Oh thank gods! Percy! Percy, what happened?"
He tries to answer her, but his body aches too badly and all he can manage is an incomprehensible moan.
She pulls a canteen from her backpack, unscrews the lid, and tilts it to his lips. Pleasantly warm liquid dribbles into his mouth and he can taste his mom's blue brownies. The warmth spreads throughout his body once he feels it hit his stomach. Nectar.
He notices that Annabeth has him propped against the brick wall, away from the pool of darkening blood and urine. She has a blanket up around his torso, and he can see a pile of clothes next to her backpack.
He groans, shifts himself to a better sitting position, and beckons to her for another swig of the nectar. She hesitates, then tilts the bottle to his lips again. "Alright, but this is the last of it that you can have for a while. I've already given you quite a bit."
After swallowing back the nectar. He blinks groggily at her and tries to explain. "Got jumped...outnumbered...hit my back." She nods and waits for him to continue. He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall, waiting for the nectar to kick in fully. His head still feels heavy and clouded.
He starts again after a minute. "It was pretty much game over after that. After that lucky strike, it was like someone had hit reset on the Achilles curse. I could feel everything, multiplied. They were pretty pissed, because I had given them, all 8 of them, a run for the their money before that. They took turns hitting me with a goddamned two-by-four."
He feels her hand squeeze his, and then he opens one eye to her. "How did you find me anyway?"
Annabeth bites her lip, and then gestures to the pile of clothes. "When my IM message didn't get through, I came looking for you. Then I uh," she pauses, looks at him for a moment, then continues, "I spotted your shirt in the entrance to this alley, and then found the rest of your clothes scattered around. You were pretty easy to spot after that."
He scowls. "Ugh, I can't believe I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of mortal punks!"
"Hey" she kisses his forehead, which is saying something considering he knows he doesn't smell good, "it was a chance, against the odds hit. Lesson learned, right?"
He doesn't answer, just glowers into the space above the alley.
She kisses him again, then picks up his clothes. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
The nectar has done wonders, but his body is still very stiff and she has to help him pull on his jeans and shirt. When she tries to help him stand however, her hand brushes his back and he yelps.
She withdraws her hand, mortified. "Oh sorry Percy! I didn't realize how tender you are still."
He squeezes his eyes shut, as if to keep out the pain and vertigo. But when she tentatively asks to take a look under his shirt, he nods.
Her hands lift the back of his shirt as lightly as she can manage, but he still sucks in a breath. Once she gets a good look at his back, she can see why.
Blossoming from where she can only assume must be the exact epicenter of his invulnerability is the most gruesome, fantastically colored bruise she's ever seen. It's a swollen knot of damaged tissue, hematoma, and frayed nerve endings, moldy black in the middle and ranging to mottled green and purple at the fringes of the contusion. The color extends almost all the way across his back. A couple superficial lacerations towards the middle leak a thin pus.
Her face must reflect the severity of the wound, because Percy doesn't bother asking her how it looks. It's difficult to even stand up straight.
Annabeth's lips pull into a tight line across her face, and Percy catches a glimpse of the whirlwind that flashes behind her calm demeanor. She's remaining tranquil for his sake, but he can almost feel the rolling waves of fury. He almost wishes those punks would wander back this way...
She slowly rolls his shirt back down over the contusion. She comes around to his front and grasps his shoulder. "I'm going to call your mom and Paul, there's no way you're walking all the way back to your apartment." He nods grimly. As much as he doesn't want to worry his mom, and he cringes at the thought of how she'll react to the bruise, he doesn't have the strength or will to argue.
Still, he manages to tease her. "Sure we just can't go back to your dorm? Always wanted to get into those all-girl community showers..."
She rolls her eyes and doesn't answer as the call connects. "Hey, Mrs. Blofis? It's Annabeth. Sorry to wake you, but could you or Paul please come pick us up in the Prius? Yeah, we're fine. We'll explain when you get here. Thanks. We're wait for you at the McDonalds on..."
Percy loses concentration as another wave of vertigo sweeps through him. Normally his invulnerability should have kicked in by now, but those boys must have hit it enough times to knock it out of commission for now.
Annabeth puts her blanket back in her backpack and throws it on before ducking under one of Percy's shoulders. He hesitates, because he knows that he's covered with all kinds of nasty fluids that aren't all his. But she kisses the side of his head again, and says, "I can shower later Percy. Come on." He leans into her weight. Together, they start trudging towards the end of the alleyway. He can just make out the yellow glow of the arches Annabeth had described to his mother.
It takes another 10 minutes after they collapse into a window booth at the McDonalds for the blue Prius to pull up outside. Sally helps Annabeth half-carry Percy to the backseat of the car, where Paul is waiting for them with idling engine.
Annabeth climbs in first, and then Percy, groaning, pulls himself in after her. He can barely stand to have his back touched, so instead he curls into her and she wraps her arms around him so that his back is facing the front seats. Hardly the proper way to sit, but hey, screw the police.
He's feeling better by the time they pull up in front of their apartment building, but he's so tired he barely remembers the elevator ride. As exhaustion sets in to replace the pain, he numbly registers as Sally and Annabeth get him into the shower and help him get cleaned up, dressed in fresh boxers, and into bed. (something tells him he should be more squeamish about this, but he's too far gone too care). He lays prone on his bed, covers pulled down so as to not brush his back.
Annabeth and his mother have a quick exchange, and then his door is closed, the lights switched off, and Annabeth climbs under the covers to cuddle next to him.
He is almost asleep, but he turns his face to her and pulls her warmth in tighter to him. She kisses him softly on the cheek, and then once on the lips. She murmurs into his lips, "If you ever try to get yourself killed again Percy, at least give me the satisfaction of kicking your Seaweed butt for being so stupid." He grins into her lips. "Always"
After a moment, he says her name, "Annabeth?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll start studying for the SAT tomorrow."