Here's the second chapter! Just wondering, for those who have read the HOH, is it goo? terrifying? I live on the other side of the world, so my country haven't got the book yet! SO enjoy this chapter! Read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO. It all belong to Rick Riordan
Annabeth shut herself out since then. She would not go out of her room, if it's not for going to Percy's room. The smell of sea are always on his bed, she thought. She could not sleep, for every dream is always about Percy, returning to Tartarus. She never shed a tear in front of the rest of the seven, but she's broken inside. Losing him for the second time is even worse than losing him the first time.
This time, even though she knew exactly why he did it, where he is right now, it didn't make her feel better. Because, at the first time he's been missing, she could still hope that he's okay, even though she didn't know where he is. She could still pretend that he isn't missing, that he would come home this night. Now, she couldn't pretend like that anymore. He's in Tartarus, the deepest part of the Underworld. With no backup, no medic, and no one there. If it's not Percy, her seaweed brain, she wouldn't dare have hope that he's even alive, or if he could make it out. But this is Percy for gods sake. He has slipped off death so many times, Annabeth couldn't count it. He's got to make it out this one, right?
A little voice already poisoned her mind so many times, that she couldn't think straight, she could plan ahead. Her mind is organized, but now, it's all chaos. She almost break, mentally and physically. What can you do, daughter of Athena? You had failed your mother, your family, your teacher, and your friends. You couldn't even prevent Percy from getting back to Tartarus. That voice again. Despair is killing her from the inside now. Fail to save what matter most in the end. To fail without friend, to fly home alone. One shall be lost in the land without rain. And lose a love to worse than death. A single choice shall end his days. The son of Neptune shall drown. Wisdom's daughter walks alone… All the lines of the prophecies that should show her, that this day would come. That she would stand alone, with Percy gone.
Annabeth broke, right there and then. She hold it together only because, with Percy back in Tartarus, the rest of the crew expected her to be the leader, the de facto leader to quote Hazel's words. But she was tired of keeping the mask of calm and strength. She just wanted to cry her heart out, to release all the pent up emotion inside her. But most of all, she was tired.
Annabeth drifted to sleep while crying. She was already expecting the nightmares that haunt her every time she closed her eyes. But instead, she found herself being in someplace, where it's all white, and appear to be make out of mist. There, stood the person responsible of all her pain, Percy Jackson.
Percy stood there, a small smile on that trouble maker face, and approach her. Annabeth could only stand there, speechless, so surprised that she couldn't even speak a word. Percy must have seen her disbelief eyes, because he touched her, a movement to show that this, this dream is real.
"Gosh, Annabeth, why do you look so depressed?"
Annabeth couldn't think of what to say except, "Depressed, Percy? I'm more than depressed. I'm suicidal by now."
"Suicidal? Really? That isn't the Annabeth I knew."
"I'm not the same person again, Percy. You've left me, and I don't know how to live without you. All I do each day, is putting on a mask, and dying inside. I've even started to hear voices in my head. I think I'm going crazy, Percy. I can't do this without you," Annabeth started to cry.
"Annabeth, you are a daughter of Athena. Stand up. They needed you. You got a war to fight!" Percy's tone suddenly became stern.
"They needed me, Percy? They need you as well. You are the leader of Camp Half-Blood, the preator of Camp Jupiter. You are the best swordsman in 300 years! They need you. I need you."
"No, Annabeth. Others could fight as well as I did. As for the leader position, I'm sure Jason could manage it. They could replace me easily. But they can't replace you, Annabeth. You are the master planer. Nobody could replace that."
"But, Percy…"
"No buts, Annabeth. Listen to me. You got a war to fight, a world to save. You are a daughter of Athena. Act like one," then his face softened, and he continued, " I got to go. I cannot stay asleep too long. Remember that I love you."
Then, just like that, the dream evaporated. Annabeth was left staring at the place where Percy vanished. The white mist started to consume her, and Annabeth found herself, awake, at Percy's bed. She wished she could cry, but she couldn't. Percy had told her that she is a daughter of Athena, a warrior, and that she got a war to fight. She's not going to dissapoint him.
So Annabeth rose from the bed, went to the bathroom, and washed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she chanted this, "I'm a daughter of Athena. I'm not going to let Percy down," as she swore to herself, that she will won this war.
And she went out of Percy's room, down to the hall way, and stood outside the door leading to the mess hall. There, Annabeth could hear Jason's words, "… we've lost Percy. Annabeth is in a broken state…". But, as soon as that word escaped Jason's lips, Annabeth enter the room, and she said with certainity, 'Not anymore, Jason. I'm a daughter of Athena. I'm going to fight this war, and win it, for Percy's sake. Are you with me or not?"
Jason lokked at her, obviously surprised, but he smiled. "Of course, Annabeth. Let's win this war." Annabeth saw at the corner of her eye, that Piper already has a determined look on her face, Nico already put his sword ready, and Annabeth thought, that they are going to win this war for sure, because everyone already know, that this is the way to repay Percy. Yet her heart was still broken, and scared.
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