So once again, thanks to my favouriters/followers:
Benji99, Seikimatsu Angel
And to my reviewers:
Therna Blakeheart: Thanks so much love! That means a lot to me! And yes, I will definitely incorporate Nico's POV here. I have an idea now! Thanks again!
I'm trying to update pretty fast 'cause I want to finish this before school starts/gets more serious, 'cause I'm starting a new school and I don't know anybody, so once it starts I'm not going to be able to write very often.
I think that's it. So. Yeah, thanks for reading!
Carpe tempore perfecto,
-stormthebirds37 x
Luke's POV
Love's a monster.
Love will make you do lovely and terrible things in it's name, and I'm afraid I did some of them.
Because I was in love with Annabeth.
She…she was just amazing. Her eyes sparkled, her hair was gorgeous, her entire being was just perfect.
I really, really loved her.
But…I was only a friend to her.
I was the only one she told about "Percy Jackson, her perfect boyfriend." I also knew that there was a Level Three called "Percy Jackson."
It wasn't hard to piece the puzzle together. But Annabeth didn't know anyone else on Level Three but me, until the meeting the doctor called us all to. As soon as Percy was introduced, she went straight into one of her trances.
And I knew all hope was lost for her ever loving me, now that she knew her fantasy could become a reality.
Didn't stop me from trying, did it?
Percy's POV
One thought crossed my mind. That's all - just one thought.
I gotta get out of here, I have to get out of here, gotta escape, have to escape…
But I didn't know how. Too many thoughts were clouding my brain, too much fog in front of my thoughts.
That was, until Annabeth walked up to me and said, "Are you real?"
How else do you respond? I said, "I think so…?"
And then she walked away, simple as that. Seemed strange. But everything seemed strange, right?
So I sat alone at breakfast, muttering under my breath, "Gotta escape, gotta get free…"
Nothing distracted me until the small, pale boy slid into the spot next to me, biting his lip nervously until he finally spoke.
Nico's POV
"Are you trying to escape?" I whispered to the Level Three, Percy. I didn't like to talk. But I did want out, and Percy seemed to want the same.
Well. I'd only guessed, but he was muttering under his breath the whole morning about escaping. Hey, I paid attention to detail.
Percy only stared at me and gave me a hasty nod. "Well then," I said leaning in closer, "Have I got an idea for you…"
And I whispered in his ear my idea, the one I'd been plotting for months, but I never quite had the right leverage until now.
I smiled with pure glee as Percy gave a quick nod and went back to staring at his oatmeal. That was all I needed - just a yes, and then I could tell everybody.
After all, I couldn't do this alone.
"And it's just you and Percy going?" Luke asked. I nodded quickly, waiting to hear his decision. He was a key factor in my plan, and I needed him to say "yes." I'd been told he was bipolar, but he told me it was more like extreme mood swings in his opinion. So I was careful at what I said.
"Okay," he finally said, shrugging, and I could tell he had an ulterior motive for agreeing but I really, really didn't care.
It would get me out of this hellhole.
I wasn't depressed. I wasn't suicidal. It was one night, one time, when I just got tired of all the crap I had to deal with and I wanted it over with. Just. One. Night.
And it landed me here.
Slowly, I approached everyone else, and they all agreed. I made sure Thalia (the scared, skittish girl. Apparently she had panic disorder) was upstairs in her room, because she would legitimately have a panic attack and probably ruin the entire plan.
And so the afternoon rolled around, and we were all sitting in the lounge area, when I nodded at Frank to begin the plan. He shrugged (obviously, he couldn't care less. Actually, nobody else said they wanted to escape, which I found kinda strange, but everyone had their reasons) and suddenly said, "Hey, Luke, what's your problem?"
I winked subtly at Percy to let him know it was starting and I shifted us over so we sat closer to the door.
I was clever, wasn't I?
Luke stared at Frank. "Why?" he asked sharply. He was a good actor, wasn't he?
Frank shrugged. "Well, you obviously have one, hmm? Everyone does. You, probably, more than others."
"Frank, cool it!" Piper yelled suddenly, and Jason snapped his neck over, staring at her, just like I'd told him to.
"Pipes," he whispered. "You…you never yell!"
"She has a right to!" Luke yelled, and I could see a couple nurses staring over at us. Perfect. "He's…argh!"
And then Luke stomped over to Frank and pushed him to the ground, anger blazing in his eyes. I knew Frank wasn't angry about it, and neither was Luke, but the Asian still leapt up and took a swing at Luke.
"Stop!" Jason yelled at the top of his lungs, curling up and having an "anxiety attack," breathing heavily and screaming as Luke and Frank went into a full blown fist fight. I had to laugh at how poorly aimed their punches were, and how the nurses who immediately rushed over couldn't see how they were faking.
And then Hazel, the last person I needed in my plan, stood up and attempted to act like she's just switched personalities, going to Angry Hazel. Stopping everyone else, she yelled out, "STOP! I HATE THIS!"
And then Luke jumped up and shook her shoulders roughly, yelling, "I don't care! I don't care!"
And then, of course, Hazel attempted to punch him, and so the fist fight went three ways.
"Percy," I whispered to him. He still seemed confused, like he wasn't totally aware of what was going on. "We gotta leave now. It's time to go, okay?"
He nodded. My words rang truth in his ears. While every single nurse dove at somebody else, trying to calm them down, Percy and I slipped out of the room, running faster than our feet would take us.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" I kept whispering to myself as all I could hear was my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
We crossed the front room, and nobody was there. Not a soul.
I yanked on the door handle to get out.
And it was locked, dead bolted in place.
Goddamnit.
"Percy, where do they keep the keys?" I whispered harshly, grabbing his shoulder. "Where?"
He just shook his head, lost in his own mind.
"No, no, no!" I said, finally giving up and just yelling it, letting my words echo around me.
"Looking for a key?"
I spun around, taking a step backwards out of impulse. Doctor Hades, of all people, stood there, holding a single silver key in his palm. Without saying a word, the Doctor walked to the door, unlocked it, and prepared to leave.
I knew I should go. I could hear people start to calm down and I knew they'd probably been sedated (sorry, guys) but I had to stay. What the hell had just happened?
"Why did you do that?" I exclaimed. I was grateful, but wasn't he supposed to be the doctor?
He shrugged, sliding the key back into his jacket pocket. "Maybe I'm just a nice person."
And with that, he left, and I had a feeling I'd never see him again.
I carefully tested the doorknob, making sure it didn't…I don't know, explode, and it didn't. The door made some painful creaking noises and then I was running outside, not even caring if Percy was behind me or not.
As far as I was concerned, he could fend for himself now.
I had escaped. And that was all that mattered.
Percy's POV
I didn't know where I was. Wind was buffeting my hair, and the sun was shining in my eyes. Colours kept meshing together and I couldn't tell where I was walking.
Something roared extremely loudly, and I jumped in surprise. I didn't know what it was, or where it was coming from. But I moved towards the sound because I didn't know what else to do.
More growls and roars came from in front of me and I began to run, feeling the force of my legs carrying me over the land.
Suddenly multiple lights were shining into my eyes, not just the sun's, and I couldn't even tell which way was up. I tried to walk a little more but then something blared a horn at me and -
And then I felt an impact in my side and all the lights suddenly went out.
I wanted them to come back.
But they didn't.
And they never would.