Percy
Percy wished he was home. He wished desperately he was back at Camp Half Blood, back with Annabeth. Instead he was here: cramped in an elevator with three pig/lizard mutants. Worst of all Annabeth probably didn't even know where he was. She was probably still mad at him. He wondered if she would even look for him. He found his thoughts slowly drifting back to last night. He felt really stupid for saying those things. He just wanted, desperately, to tell Annabeth that he was sorry... that he was wrong!
His thoughts were interrupted by a Ding! from the elevator. The doors slid open onto the fifth floor. Percy's guards pushed him forward and they made their way down the hall. Halfway down they stopped abruptly. On the left side of the the hallway was a large golden door. It seemed really out of place and slightly overdone. The shortest piglizard took out a card and swiped it across a control panel at the side of the door. The door slid open to reveal, an office?
The room was tiny. It had enough room for a desk, a book shelf and two chairs in front of the desk. The weirdest part was that it looked exactly like one of Percy's (many) principles's office. He couldn't remember which one, mostly cause his head was still throbbing but also because he didn't have time. The piglizard shoved him into the chair and tied his arms to the armrests. He struggled against the rope but knew it was no use. Then the piglizards turned and left the room.
"Hey! Wait! What..." Percy yelled after them, but the door had already slid closed. Percy struggled once more but all it did was tire him out. He still felt terribly weak. He had developed two new bruises on his elbows from when the piglizard pushed him onto the ground. He was really getting tired of being pushed around but he knew there was nothing he could do about it! Percy jumped when the door slid open a second time. This time only one guard walked in and he looked even meaner than the others.
He was clad in golden armor. Unlike the other guards he carried an actual sword as well as the "electro-staffs" the others carried. Percy's side still hurt from getting one jabbed into his ribs by the other guard. That was another thing to add to the list of things that made Percy feel like roadkill!
The guard positioned himself behind the desk as one more person walked through the door. Percy clenched his fists.
"Hey Percy!" Thetis said with a smirk one his face "long time no see!" He walked to the desk and sat down. Percy just glared at him.
"Awww c'mon Perc! Lighten up!" He leaned forward toward Percy and gave him a bright smile which only made Percy angrier.
"What do you want?" He demanded. Thetis leaned back in his chair.
"That's a little better, but anyways I'll cut to the chase: I'm going to ask you a simple question and you are going to give me the simple answer!"
"What makes you think I'll do that?" Percy spat back. Thetis sighed and leaned back in his chair,already growing impatient. He rolled his eyes and thrust his hand out towards Percy. Intense pain shot through Percy's body as Thetis clenched his fist. Percy couldn't help but scream. It felt like his entire body was being compressed. Finally Thetis let his tight fist relax and the pain stopped. Percy slumped over like a sack of potatoes, or at least that's what he felt like. Thetis got out of his chair and paced in front of Percy.
"I think you forgot about the part where I have complete control over you!" Percy looked up pleadingly but Thetis didn't seem to care. He stopped in front of Percy and said:
"Now are you ready to behave?" Percy nodded helplessly. Thetis smiled cruelly.
"That's my boy!" He patted Percy on the top of his head like a dog and returned to his desk.
"Now, you're going to tell me the truth and nothing but it!"
Annabeth
Annabeth crumpled to her knees. Tears began streaming down her cheeks.
How could she have let this happen? How could she have left Percy alone on that pier? This was all her fault! She took a deep breath and cleared her head.
"Get it together Annabeth!" She said aloud "Percy needs you!" Suddenly she heard a voice from a nearby cell.
"H-h-hello?" The shaky voice came from the cell next to the one Percy was in. Annabeth got up and crept to the cell. She peered in and saw a helpless nymph laying on the ground near the door. The nymph got up slowly looking around the hall wildly. "I-is anybody there?" She was wearing a short tattered dress. She had long messy hair and purplish skin. She was very skinny and looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She called out once more until Annabeth quieted her.
"Shhhhhh" she whispered. "Before they hear you!"
"Who are you!? Where are you?" The nymph whispered back.
Annabeth thought for a bit and then replied: "I'm invisible you can't see me, and my name is Annabeth!"
The nymph acted surprised at that name.
"Wait... Annabeth? Like the Annabeth? The one Percy was mumbling about in his sleep" she asked.
Annabeth almost began to cry again. "Yeah..." She managed "probably!"
"I'm Celia!" The nymph replied "I'm a sea nymph!"
"It's great to meet you... I guess" Annabeth said. "Hey uh... Celia, where were they taking him... And... How did he end up like... Like that?"
Celia sighed and told Annabeth everything she heard.
"So just his presence has this affect on him!?" Annabeth questioned.
"Yup..." Replied Celia "I- I guess so!" She looked down sadly at the stone floor "I just wish there was something I could do to help him!" She sighed. Annabeth felt a tear roll down her cheek and she wiped it away hurriedly.
"Yeah..." She muttered "me too!". Suddenly, the elevator doors clanged open and two piglizards walked into the hallway dragging a limp body behind them. It was Percy. He had a ugly black eye and his lip was split. The guards drug him into his cell and plopped him onto the ground. As soon as they left Annabeth ran up to his cell.
"Percy?" She pleaded "Percy? Oh gods please don't be dead!" Percy's eyes fluttered open.
"A-annabeth?" he whispered weakly.
"Yeah, Percy! It's me! You're gonna be ok!" She said gently. He sat up shakily and leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry, Annabeth, about everything!"
Annabeth gave him a puzzled look, even though she was invisible and he couldn't see it.
"What?" She questioned "about what?"
"Last night... I shouldn't have said those things... I'm sorry, I hope you aren't mad!" He stammered.
"Mad?" She said in disbelief "Gods Percy, how can I stay mad at you! Look at you!" Percy laughed as best he could and that smile curled across his lips.
"Leave it to me to get caught in a mess like this!" His smile disappeared quickly as he reached up to touch his black eye.
"What happened?" asked Annabeth.
"Oh... This..." He sighed and continued "I guess this is what you get for calling a god a no good bag of dirt" he laughed weakly "He's got a good punch..."
Annabeth reached through the bars of the cell door and stroked Percy's hair, which made him jump at first. Annabeth slid off her yankees cap so he could see her face. He began to relax a little as Annabeth continued to stroke him soothingly.
"He- he said he wanted my help" Percy mumbled "he wanted me...to help him ... help him take down Poseidon by answering his question..."
"What?" Annabeth prodded "what was his question?" But she was too late
Percy's head had already lolled against his chest and he began to snore. Annabeth couldn't help but smile. She ruffled Percy's hair and whispered:
"You're gonna be fine as long as I'm here! I'm not going to let anybody hurt you, Seaweed Brain!" She stood up and began to pace in front of his cell trying to think of a plan. When suddenly it came to her.
"I got it!" She said aloud. She turned to Celia and said : "I'm going to need your help, Celia! How well can you flirt?"
