Hey there! This is my 1st chapter of On The Run. Just a slight warning: I'm really sorry that I portrayed Piper as such a bad character. I think she's a great character, but I had to include her this way. If you don't like Piper being portrayed like this, please don't post mean reviews. Thank you!

Also, I'm SUPER sorry if it absolutely stinks. I tried my best, but I still think it's garbage XD

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from PJO aren't mine ;(((

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Betrayed

The birds were chirping as Piper and Annabeth walked through the mysterious forest, hoping that they won't run into anyone that day. They were a little tired; they ran out of food a few days ago.

Even though they were hungry, it didn't stop them from enjoying the scenery around them. With the luscious green evergreens, and the little flowers sporting up from the soil, it was hard not to enjoy it.

Annabeth, however, thought it was too perfect. She grew uncomfortable as the mosquitoes bit at her ankles, and needles from the trees poking her every time she walked too close to one. I guess its peaceful enough, She thought to herself, at least it's as peaceful as it gets, she added a little bitterly.

Piper was looking at the ground beneath her, walking side by side with Annabeth. She was thinking about the risks she takes every day. Being on the run, trying to find enough food, and a place to stay the night. She wondered what it would be like if she had a permanent home, enough food so that she wouldn't have to worry about it all the time, and not having to worry about getting caught every time she walked around a corner.

She almost let out a sigh, but didn't want to give any hints to Annabeth about what she was pondering, so she stopped herself. When she looked up ahead of her, she realized that they arrived in a clearing.

Annabeth, wrinkling her forehead, looked around, confused. "How did we get here?"

Piper didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Annabeth with wide eyes, turning a little pale. "Do you hear that?" She barely whispered.

"Hear what?" Annabeth asked, still confused.

"Shhh!" Piper said, "Listen."

They both stood still, Piper really scared, and Annabeth curious, both not daring to move. And that's when Annabeth heard it, and Piper turned even paler.

They heard footsteps.

—

Annabeth and Piper looked at each other with wide eyes. They knew who and what they were here for, but they didn't want to ask the other, not wanting their suspicions confirmed.

Annabeth grabbed Piper by the arm and they ran to the edge of the clearing. "It's going to be okay." Annabeth whispered in Piper's ear, trying also to comfort herself. All Piper could offer was a feeble nod.

Piper and Annabeth both took a deep breath to calm their selves down. "Okay." Annabeth started, "we're going to have to see if there's a tree that we can hide in to hide us from….. From them." She decided with a nod.

All Piper could do was nod again. They jogged around, looking for a tree that would hide them, but it was almost impossible. They were at a part of the forest where almost all the trees lost their leaves, preparing for winter. Annabeth couldn't believe their bad luck. In frustration, she kicked the tree nearest to her.

The tree wobbled a bit, and Annabeth thought that it was lucky they didn't try climbing that; they would've at least twisted or maybe even broken some of their bones if they did.

This time the footsteps were closer. Now, it didn't sound only like footsteps. It sounded like thunder, hammering in their ears. They could now tell that there weren't only footsteps, but also thundering horse hooves, hitting the ground at great speed. They were coming.

Annabeth tried to determine which side the people and horses were coming from by blocking one of her ears, and turning around in a circle. It sounded all the same from the different angles. "They're surrounding us."

Piper bit her lip, not knowing what else to do.

—

They noise became louder and louder by every second. Knowing that they couldn't do anything about their situation, Annabeth paced back and forth, and Piper drummed her fingers repeatedly on the tree trunk closest to her.

Annabeth took a deep breath, trying to remain in control of herself. "They're coming."

They couldn't see the horses or the people, but yet they could somehow… sense them. They could sense their presence, coming closer and closer.

Time seemed to slow down. It was almost like Annabeth could hear each second tick by, slowly, but surely, sealing their fate.

And when Piper saw them, instead of looking scared or intimidated, she had a determined look on her face. Her confidence was contagious, and Annabeth too wore an earnest face.

The horses and people finally arrived. Even though Piper and Annabeth both knew who was coming, they were still hoping they were wrong, but unfortunately, they were right. Right in front of them, riding on a horse as dark as night, was King Lamont.

King Lamont was a man about the age of 25, and, frankly, most people felt sorry for him. After all, his Mother died giving birth to him and his Father past away during war when he was only 12. After only a little training, he was forced to take on the role of king when he was just 15. He had sandy blond hair, and golden brown eyes. Driven by grief by his parents' death, he became cold-hearted - some even say that his heart is covered in a layer of ice because he doesn't want to embrace the grief, and instead, ignore it.

After the king's soldiers surrounded Annabeth and Piper, Annabeth looked at the ground beneath her, staring at her worn down sneakers. And yet another item we stole together, she thought, pitying herself. Piper, on the other hand, was trying to think of a plan. Something that could get her out….

The idea came to her; it was almost as if she could hear the light bulb above her head turn on with a ding! She smiled slyly to herself, but covered it up by pursing her lips.

"Annabeth Chase," One of the King's men stated grandly, looking down at his parchment. "And Piper McLean." He nodded his head to both of them. "You have been caught multiple times shoplifting and stealing, from peaches, to clothing items, to wealthy goods." He paused momentarily, taking a deep breath. "You stole these items from travelers, and because of that, the travelers are scared to go through our forest." He stopped again, pursing his lips. "That might not be a problem, but there is only one way enter Synomia, and that's through the forest."

Annabeth, wanting to tune out the boring man, looked towards the forest. She sighed, but caught herself, not wanting to get into anymore trouble. Piper still had a slight smirk on her face, excited to put her plan into action.

"And because the travelers aren't coming anymore, our economy has been slowly declining, with no one to sell our resources to." The soldier droned on, but that was the last sentence Annabeth caught before she tuned out completely and gazed off into space.

Annabeth looked up to meet King Lamont's hard golden brown eyes. It was like they were having a secret staring contest, trying to intimidate the other. Both were too stubborn to let the other win, but eventually, when the soldier who was reading finished, King Lamont looked at him.

"Thank you, General." The King said bleakly. He turned to the two girls: one determined not to go down without a fight, and one smiling grimly, not believing what she was about to do.

"Now… You two." The King gestured broadly in their direction. "Do you have anything to defend your cause? After a few seconds of silence, he continued. "Okay, that's what I thought so."

Annabeth glared at each soldier, challenging them. Piper, however, spoke up.

"Excuse me, Your Highness?" She spoke quietly, and even though she was talking to the King, Annabeth felt the urge that she was talking to her as well. "Everything your General said…." she turned and nodded at him politely, "it was all true, except Annabeth did all the stealing."

Annabeth stared at her with disbelief, and anger erupted inside of her. The King looked doubtful too, but he told her to go on.

Piper, scared to look at Annabeth, settled with looking at her shoes. "You see…. Annabeth forced me to come along with her, and help her. I never wanted to, but she threatened me." The last part came out in a rush.

Piper was so convincing, that Annabeth almost believed her. She always knew that Piper had a special way with words, but she never thought Piper would betray her.

The King tapped his chin, thinking to himself while Annabeth crossed her fingers that he wouldn't believe Piper's lies.

Unfortunately, the King believed every word that came out of Piper's mouth, just like Annabeth almost did. He smiled as he motioned to two of his soldiers to come to him.

"That Piper girl…" He whispered in their ears, "I think she's innocent. Whatever other people say, she's innocent." The soldiers nodded earnestly. "However…. Annabeth.." He continued to whisper in their ears.

The soldiers nodded earnestly again, and marched quickly towards Annabeth.

"You can't possibly believe her!" Annabeth cried, panicking now. "She's a liar! She stole just as many things as I did, and if anything you should punish her too!"

King Lamont just looked at Annabeth like she was one of his amusing little toys that he could play with and tease all day. He grinned coldly at her. "Take her." He whispered that, but Annabeth thought it could be heard all throughout Synomia. "Take her to The Jail House."

—

All Annabeth did was purse her lips so tightly that it was almost a thin, straight line. She was numb all over. Well, at least that's what she thought. It was as if her mind had separated from her body. She was watching herself fight the soldiers who were suppose to take her to prison, but she, her mind, wasn't thinking about that. It was like her body had a mind of its own.

Mind Annabeth was wondering why Piper would ever to that to her. Part of her didn't want to believe that she actually said it. The other part wanted so much revenge. But overall, she was bitter; bitter that Piper betrayed her, after all that she's done for her. Bitter that the King believed Piper, and didn't believe her. Bitter, and because of Piper, Annabeth will have to take the blame and get thrown in jail. Bitterness.

Body Annabeth, meanwhile, was not going down without a fight. She was kicking and slashing at all of the soldiers vulnerable areas. Where their armor didn't cover, their face, their hands. Body Annabeth, despite her being a little on the scrawny side, was an experienced fighter. She knew that she had to strike then bloke. Defend, then attack.

The soldiers got control of Annabeth eventually. She was still kicking and flaying her arms, but the soldiers held her arms behind her back and forced her on her knees in front of King Lamont. She cried out in pain, but no one seemed to care.

By now, most people would start to break down and cry. Annabeth was different. Instead, she grit her teeth hard, and looked up with eyes as hard as steel to the King, breathing hard, with sweat drenching her face.

The King looked down at her with merciless eyes. "You sure put on a fight," The King said with a wave of his hand, "but never mind that."

Annabeth still glared at him, not moving. The King shrugged. "Fine, you don't have to speak."

The soldiers who were keeping Annabeth under control took it as their cue to start the process of arresting her. They brought her to one of the steeds, and pushed her roughly onto it. Annabeth started to resist, but both of the men were stronger than her. They then hopped on horses of their own, and led Annabeth and the horse she was on, with King Lamont in the middle.

Before Piper disappeared from her sight, Annabeth turned to look behind her. Piper was staring at her with a small smirk on her face. She waved to Annabeth, but of course Annabeth didn't wave back. She just stared at her. Someone she called a friend.

—

Annabeth gripped the horse with her legs, afraid she was going to fall off. She was watching the forest speed by her, until she saw then jail.

The jail is where the worst criminals are kept. Almost everyone is scared of that place, and the jail keepers don't last long either. Some quit, some go missing and are never heard from again. The King himself "visits" every year to keep track of the criminals. Almost no criminal dares to escape, but some try, and fail. In all the years its been housing convicts, only one person escaped alive, but they soon shot and killed her.

Annabeth gulped apprehensively. She didn't know what to expect. I have to find a way to escape, without getting killed. She thought to herself. But I have to wait for the right moment.

Because she was deep in thought, she didn't notice that they arrived. The soldiers who were escorting her hoisted off the horse and hustled her towards the entrance.

"Annabeth Chase," One of the soldiers snapped at the prison keeper, "new prisoner."

Annabeth didn't have time to get a glimpse of the prison keeper, though, because he quietly handed the soldiers a key and left. The key read #7, and the guards dragged her to her filthy cell and painfully threw her in. Before she could even wince in protest, she blacked out.

Thank you so much for reading! Again, I'm really sorry if this made your barf. Anyways, constructive criticism is always welcome, just please don't be rude about it :D

I would appreciate it if you would review, but you don't have to XD

~SunSun