"I'm sorry about Thalia," Percy muttered briefly. Even with the exciting rediscovery of Nico, he was having a difficult time keeping his head up. He couldn't help but remember the past. What would Annabeth have looked like now, he wondered?
Nico shook his head nonchalantly.
"It's nothing compared to what happened to you, man."
The rain numbed all. He hadn't felt much emotion, especially not deep emotion lately. Just annoyance and sarcasm with his unsatisfying life and wife.
He remembered Annabeth, distinctly, and the impact she had had on him. He bit his lip when he remembered the beautiful blonde hair she had, and those piercing eyes. Smart, classy...It seemed so long ago, but Annabeth had been his first crush. He got jealous when he saw Percy getting close to her, and that combined with the death of his sister sent him into a dark depressing state, of which he never truly got out of.
He had found a new love, Thalia, pretty darn quick, and forgotten all about her. But now...now he was remembering.
"Is there any way she could be alive?"
Percy swallowed, beginning to choke up.
"No, you can't do this, not in front of Nico," he thought. "No, I thought there were no tears left to cry!"
He was thirty two. He had to compose himself for the young Nico DiAngelo. Even now, when they were so much older, he still remembered that dark fair haired ten year old boy, the timid one who lived in his sister's shadow.
He hadn't seen Annabeth in fifteen years.
"No, Nico. I don't think so."
He dejectedly parked in front of the bank he was directed to, dragging his feet out of the car while Nico waited behind.
He went in as instructed, and found the elevator.
In with him was a young Brit, fifteen perhaps, with fair hair and a sad smile.
"They trap you in their cage too?" he asked wearily. Percy raised an eyebrow. No way...
"You're...with..."
The boy nodded.
"MI6. That's me. Unfortunately. Alex Rider at your service."
Percy's jaw dropped.
"What are you, fifteen?" he asked in amazement.
Alex shook his head.
"Fourteen."
Percy was silent as Alex mumbled wearily.
"They use me like I'm an object, threaten me, abuse me..."
Percy smiled.
"I know how you feel, lad."
"Do you really?"
"I've been used since I was twelve. By a different set of...beings, however."
Alex got out on a different floor. Percy just shook his head. He knew what it felt like.
As the elevator dinged, Percy stepped out onto the top floor, and was greeted by a frenzy of panicked motion. People were rushing to and fro, holding up papers, screaming into telephones, and huddling around computer screens. He could smell burnt coffee. This place reminded him more of The Daily Planet than the MI6 headquarters he had pictured from the movies. The movies were disappointing, he had found. The E ring of the Pentagon had no holographic screens, metal barricades, or high tech computers. It was mainly white. White tile, white walls. And offices. The windows were green and there was easy listening muzak. Very disappointing.
He was greeted by a curly blonde with a serious look if he ever saw one. She was the closest thing to a secret agent he had seen all day. She wore a pair of sunglasses despite the fact that they were indoors, and Percy almost wondered if she was blind. But from the way she walked, he could tell that she knew exactly where she was going.
"Anna Price, at your service. Follow me, please."
She walked between the rows of crowded cubicles, not glancing back at him.
"Where did we meet, again? You've escaped my memory," muttered a tired Percy.
She stopped for a moment.
"Lancashire."
"For the La Roux case?"
"Yes."
She kept walking, but Percy stopped.
"Hold up. You weren't my briefing agent that case, were you?"
There was a pause.
"No."
"It was Brewster, wasn't it?"
"I don't know."
"Then...how do you remember me?"
"I was assigned to the team."
"But you don't even remember who your head agent was...yet you remember me, and you didn't even talk to me?"
She turned around, looking impatient. Her eyebrows were knit in fury. It was a familiar look to Percy, yet he couldn't remember where he had seen it.
"Are you implying anything, Mr. Jackson?"
"No..."
"Good."
She turned and continued to walk, quickly, with her secret agent swagger, when she tripped and fell in her high heeled boots.
Percy opened his mouth in shock, and lent down a hand to help her. As soon as she had gotten up, flustered, and dusted herself off, Percy started to laugh. He hadn't laughed in ages. But he laughed now.
The girl now looked so furious he was surprised she didn't take off her leather gloves and slap him.
"That was hilarious!"
She just bit her lip angrily and muttered under her breath, "Your head is full of kelp."
Percy stopped laughing.
"W-what did you say?"
"Nothing. We're late, just hurry up and follow me."
"Stop. Stop right now."
"Mr. Jackson, are you going to follow me or not?"
He stood and folded his arms.
"How do you know me? Why did you pay special attention to me back in La Roux?" Percy demanded.
She sighed.
"If you must know..."
It was now that Percy realized she had an American accent. He hadn't heard one in a while.
"La Roux. The name. It reminded me...of a friend. And then I saw you. You reminded me...of another..."
here she paused. She hesitated before saying the next word, and when she said it, you knew there was a hidden meaning.
"...friend."
Percy was trembling. Anna. Annabeth. La Roux. Larue. Clarisse Larue. No, way, not now...After fifteen years.
"Mr. Jackson, are you all right? Why are you crying?"
"Annabeth!"
Agent Price looked confused.
"What?"
"Annabeth!"
The blonde agent was dumbfounded.
"H-How do you know my real name? Who are you? What are you doing!" She exclaimed, alarmed, as Percy reached for her sunglasses.
"Get your hands away from me!"
Percy smiled, incredulously, tears streaming down his face by now.
"Annabeth...my sweet Annabeth...let me see your beautiful gray eyes...let me see them again."
She slapped his hand away.
"How on earth do you know what color my eyes are? Who are you? What's your problem?-!"
Percy looked a bit confused.
"Annabeth...Wise girl...don't you remember me, sweetheart? It's me! Percy...Percy Jackson! Don't you remember?"
He tried to touch her but she screamed, and heads turned.
"Get away from me! Security!"
Guards rushed over, and now Percy was very alarmed.
"Annabeth? What-"
"Security!"
(0-0 Ohh...I don't know what to do next. That was sort of ad-libbed. We'll see what happens. And how I feel tomorrow. Wow...lots of reunions. Sorry about the OOC Alex part. I haven't read Alex Rider in about three years. Except I started on Crocodile Tears but I gave up. Sorry, I have a lot of homework nowadays, but I haven't forgotten FanFiction. Keep on reading.)
