Hey guys! It's been a while huh? Well, I'm here to make up for it with another chapter! I hope you enjoy it :)
Disclaimer: I really hate this thing. I'm thinking I should stop doing it, but I have this paranoia that the cops will come into my room one day and arrest me if I don't so... I do not own Percy Jackson. There. Happy now?
Percy POV
My brain felt like it was going to explode.
This trip has revealed some things about myself that I never would have known before. First of all, I find out that I have this freaking water power that just randomly decided to show up. Second, I find out that Thalia and Nico are my cousins.
WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL US?!
How the hell were we supposed to know we were related?! I didn't have any relatives from my Mom's side and I never met anyone on my Dad's. For all I knew, my Mom was the only family I had left. Looking at Thalia and Nico as my cousins was definitely going to get some getting used to. Well, we've been best friends for so long so I guess we kind of already considered ourselves as family. I suppose that if I should just suddenly receive a few new relatives, I'm glad it's them.
Speaking of family, let's get back to the moment at hand shall we?
After discovering who my new cousins were, a woman came into the room. She had medium length dark black hair that curled naturally. She was tall and looked in her forties, but she had a body figure of an Olympian athlete. Her grey eyes stood out and that's when I realized that this woman was an exact replica of Annabeth, except older and brunette. Although they basically looked identical, Annabeth's eyes were definitely prettier. The woman's eyes were dull and hollow. It was almost as if she had the life sucked out of her. While Annabeth's eyes, although filled with sadness and anger most of the time, still had a certain sparkle to them. I really hoped that Annabeth didn't lose that, or else she'd end up like that woman.
"Mom?"
Wait what?! This woman was Annabeth's Mom?!
What gave it away? Was it the way they look exactly alike or...?
Ok shut up brain... I know I'm a little, well, slow but there's no need to rub it in my face. Wow... I'm talking to myself again. What were we talking about? Oh right, Annabeth.
Annabeth's Mom went up to her and gave her a large hug, which Annabeth didn't return. The shock in her face made it clear that she hasn't seen her Mom in a very long time. Her face was beginning to pale and her grey eyes looked almost black.
Oh crap.
I knew that look. It was the same look that Thalia had on the plane to New Orleans, except a million times scarier. Annabeth was losing control of her abilities, but that wasn't possible right? She told me herself that she hasn't had an episode in years. Just then, Annabeth let out an ear piercing scream.
HOLY SHIT!
Annabeth's Mom flew across the room and hit the wall hard. She slowly got up from the ground and looked at Annabeth with a sad face.
"Now sweetheart, I know you're upset-"
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
The way Annabeth yelled at her Mom gave me goosebumps. Instead of her usual strong, confident, and (don't tell her I said this) melodious voice, out came a voice that sounded just downright evil. It was deep and murderous, plus it made her sound like she was possessed. If I was a five year old witnessing this, I probably would have pissed my pants.
Annabeth's Mom took a cautious step forward "Annabeth, please try to calm down."
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" The machines and desks that surrounded us started shaking violently. If Annabeth started throwing those things around at us, we would all die from the impact or from an exploding mechanism.
"Annabeth you're stronger than this" Chiron said in a soothing voice "Remember what I've taught you." Suddenly, Annabeth's eyes started to clear back to her natural colour. She slumped to the floor and grabbed her hair in her hands. She looked completely broken.
"I-It's too strong" she whispered "I don't think-"
The evil voice growled and Annabeth's eyes turned black again. Chiron tried to approach her, but he was flung across the room. His head hit against a large metal machine and he was immediately knocked out. Annabeth's Mom tried to tackle her from the back, but Annabeth just swiftly turned around and mentally trapped her against two large contraptions with no way of escape. Thalia, Nico, and I looked at each other with panicked expressions.
"What the fuck are we going to do?!" Nico exclaimed "She's going to kill us all if she can't control her stupid powers!"
Thalia had her thinking face on "Remember what you guys did to help me get back to normal? You had to pin me down and make me think about something important to me. We're going to have to do the same for Annabeth." Nico and I nodded in understanding.
"Ok, we'll each approach her from a side and then when we're close enough, we'll lunge at her and take her down" I said.
I could tell Annabeth was using all of her strength to overcome her abilities, but nothing was working. She kept screaming and pulling her hair as her eyes were now showing shimmers of red in them. From what Annabeth has told me about episodes, if we didn't act soon, her powers could kill her. Once she was crouching on the floor, Thalia, Nico, and I took the opportunity to execute our plan.
We slowly walked up to her as quietly as we could. I became more cautious the closer we got. As soon as we were about to pin her down, Annabeth abruptly stood up and extended both arms towards Thalia and Nico. I stood behind her and watched as Thalia and Nico were lifted off of the ground, desperately trying to breathe while clawing at an invisible force that was holding them by their necks.
"IDIOTS!" the evil voice howled "Did you actually think you could stop me?! I could hear your thoughts from a mile away! And now you will suffer the consequences!"
She could hear their thoughts... But she can't hear mine.
After that thought, I immediately lunged at Annabeth and pulled her down to the ground. She started thrashing around and Thalia and Nico fell to the floor with a hard thump. They were wheezing as they tried to take deep breaths, but I couldn't worry about them right now. I had to focus on getting Annabeth back.
I held Annabeth's wrists with my hands as I sat on top of her so she wouldn't move. She yelled in defiance, but I wouldn't budge. "ANNABETH! LISTEN TO ME!" Her eyes that looked like a black hole stared fiercely against mine.
"Think of something important!" I yelled "Fight against it! Just come back to us!" Her glare softened slightly and I could see a hint of grey in her eyes. She was still in there.
"I-I've tried" she whispered in her regular voice "It's t-too strong."
"You can do it" I assured her in my most confident tone "Just think of something Annabeth. Think of Chiron. Think of architecture. Think of owls. Think of Thalia and Nico... Think of me, Wise Girl. We all want you back."
Annabeth's forehead was sweating and she stopped thrashing against my grasp. Her body visibly relaxed, but it looked like she just ran around the world in less than a minute. Her face was still pale, but the blackness in her eyes started to diminish. She sighed and she looked like she was about to fall asleep.
"Percy" she said in a soft yet exhausted voice "Thank you." That was the last thing she said before she passed out completely.
~oOo~
"Have you been here all night?" I turn around in my chair to find Nico leaning against the door frame.
I look back at Annabeth and say "Yeah. I wanted to make sure she was alright when she woke up."
The colour in her cheeks was back. She didn't look so pale anymore and her breathing was regular, but I was still worried. That episode she had was pretty intense. Annabeth's Mom, whose name is Athena, helped us bring her to the infirmary. After making sure that Annabeth was comfortable on the white bed, Athena escorted Thalia and Nico to some spare rooms. I refused to leave though which only made Athena give me a nasty glare. There was no way I was going to leave Annabeth alone after what happened. She's my friend.
Yeah ok Percy... Friend.
Shut up brain!
Nico sighed and pulled up a chair to sit beside me. "You know, despite everything that's happened, I still can't get over the fact that we're cousins. I mean, in the past few days we've found out about our freakish abilities, been chased by Luke for some strange reason, and I was almost killed by your girlfriend-"
"She's not my girlfriend" I growled. Nico just rolled his eyes.
"Whatever Perce. But as I was saying, I have oddly come to terms with everything except the fact that you, Thalia, and I are related. How could we not have known? Do you think our Mom's knew?"
I shrugged "Maybe. We'll have to ask them when we get back. But one thing's for sure," I put my hand on Nico's shoulder "I'm glad to have my best friend as my cousin." Nico smiled a genuine smile, which was something I rarely see. His smiles are usually smug, mocking, or teasing, but this one was real. He looked a lot younger and less scary when he did that.
Just then, Thalia burst into the room. "Oh, there you guys are. Chiron wanted to talk to us in the conference room."
"This place has a conference room?" I asked "What the heck would they converse about? I thought only Chiron and Annabeth lived here."
Thalia let out an exasperated sigh "I don't know idiot! All I know is that Chiron needs to tell us something important, now come on!"
"But what about Annabeth?"
"She'll be fine Perce" Nico said while pushing me out the door "You don't have to be so freaking clingy." Wow... Nice cousins I have.
Thalia led Nico and I down a few hallways. This place might not look so big when you enter it, but damn, it's like you're in some sort of labyrinth. We would pass by a few doors that had labels at the front. It was a little hard to read them with my dyslexia, but I was able to make out 'Pool', 'Gym', 'Laboratory', 'Dojo', 'Dining Room', 'Kitchen', and 'Sumotrail'- Wait what? Oh, sorry... That last one said "Simulator'. Hmmm. I'm definitely going to have to check out that room later.
Once we reached the door that read 'Conference Room', we all stepped inside only to find Chiron and Athena speaking to each other in hushed tones. The conference room wasn't very big, but it had a table in the middle with at least twelve seats. There were some exotic plants in the corners of the room and a large screen at the front. Once Chiron and Athena noticed our presence, they immediately stopped talking and Chiron greeted us with a warm smile.
When I first heard about Chiron, I imagined him like some crazed scientist with white hair that stood out in all directions, round Harry Potter glasses, and a scrawny thin figure, but man was I way off. He was tall, taller than me, with dark brown hair and a slightly scruffy beard. He was on the older side, but he looked strong and intelligent, plus he gave off this friendly aura that just automatically made you more comfortable.
"Please come in children. Take any seat you'd like, we have much to discuss."
We did as we were told and each took a seat. Strangely, each seat was decorated differently. Thalia, Nico, and I each took one that was near the front of the table. Thalia sat in a seat that had different weather patterns painted all over it. Nico chose the seat that was dark and gloomy, with cracks painted all around it. I sat in the seat that was ocean blue with crashing waves painting all over the exterior. Athena was sitting across from me in a chair that seemed to fit her perfectly. I don't know how a chair could radiate power, but the fierce grey that this one had could make even my math teacher Ms. Dodds tremble in fear.
Chiron chuckled. "Ironic how you all chose your father's chairs." We all stared at him wide-eyed.
"You knew our fathers?" Nico asked.
"Knew them? I've worked with them before you all were even born. Actually, that is what we wanted to talk to you about." Chiron then pointed a remote at the screen and a logo that read 'Elysium' instantly appeared.
"What's Elysium?" I asked.
"We're getting to that" Athena snapped. I don't think she likes me very much...
The screen then switched to a picture of three men that resembled Nico, Thalia, and I. It didn't take a super genius to figure out that these three men were our Dads. Thalia's Dad was one the left with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face. He was blonde, but he had electric blue eyes just like Thalia. Nico's Dad was on the right with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face. He wore all black which matched his eyes and his slumped shoulders made it seem like he wished to be anywhere but with his brothers. My Dad was in the middle with his arms wrapped around each of them and a large smile on his face. My Mom was right when she said we looked exactly alike. The only difference was that he had a stubble and a lot more muscle than I did.
"Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were our top three agents in our organization-"
"Wait" Thalia interrupted "My Dad's name is not Zeus."
"Oh right" Chiron said while shaking his head "I'm sorry. I was so used to calling them by their code names that I forgot. Zachary, Patrick and Henry were our top three agents in our organization-"
"What do you mean were?" Nico asked.
"Will you kids stop interrupting?!" Athena exclaimed "You're almost as bad as your fathers!"
Chiron sighed and said "Why don't you explain the situation to them Athena."
Athena then got up from her chair and stood by the screen "Elysium is an organization created long ago for people like us. People with special abilities that need help controlling them. Our abilities were given to us through the years by our ancestors. No one knows how it all started, but we do know that our gifts are passed down genetically. Sometimes, we give our children the same gifts that we inherited. Other times, a new ability is created. Abilities can differentiate in strength, and trust me when I say that you three have some of the most powerful gifts on the planet."
"So what does this have to do with our fathers?" I asked.
Athena glared at me "I was not finished." I sunk lower in my chair as she continued "Your fathers all have the same abilities as you do, but of course, they have mastered their gifts. Zachary, or Zeus as we call him, can control weather patterns as well as manipulating the air around him so that he can send gusts of wind at his enemies."
"That's impressive" Thalia whispered under her breath.
"Henry, or Hades, is able to teleport anywhere he desires, as well as mentally moving the ground causing earthquakes."
"Damn!" Nico exclaimed "My Dad's a fucking badass!" Athena shot him a look and he quickly muttered "Sorry."
"Finally Patrick, also known as Poseidon," she spat his name out like she ate something bitter "can manipulate any liquid, not just water. He is known for his hurricanes and whirpools."
"I think it's time that we tell you about what happened to your fathers" Chiron said "The night that your fathers left you was so that they could go into hiding. There's been a threat against Elysium for years now and your fathers did not want to put you or your mothers into any harm with their presence. We're not quite sure about what this new organization wants, but we do know that they have found out about your fathers' abilities and have been trying to capture them for a long time now."
"That's why you were all together in Lakeshore," Athena explained "so that if one of them needed to check up on you, they could also see if the other children were alright as well. I have known your fathers almost as long as Chiron has and I have gone on many missions with them. That is why I had to leave Annabeth. The threat had found out about me and I could not have her in danger."
She sighed and sat down in her chair again. Her usual strong demeanor was gone and all was left was a tired, broken down mother. "It killed all of us to leave you, but we did what we thought was best. Eventually, we couldn't take it anymore. We set up to go on a mission to find the headquarters of the threat and finish them once and for all. Little did we know what lay before us." She then looked at Chiron so that he could continue the story.
"The threat completely ambushed them. Even with all of the power that they had, it wasn't enough to stop them. What Athena, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon did not realize was that the employees of the threat also had abilities like theirs. There were at least fifty to a hundred of them ready to attack. Athena was able to escape, but your fathers were not so lucky."
"I went back for them at nightfall," Athena said "but the building was completely emptied out. There was no trace of anyone."
"We've been searching for them ever since" Chiron finished "And since they were the only ones who knew about your whereabouts, we had no knowledge as to where you were either."
Silence filled the room as we let it all sink in. Our fathers have been watching over us this whole time. They've been kept in captivity for years and no one knows where they are. Are they even alive? Will we ever be able to see them again?
"So that's why you sent Annabeth out?" I asked "To look for us?"
Chiron nodded "Yes, that was the main objective of her mission."
Thalia looked at Athena "Then why didn't you help Annabeth? Why did you lead her to believe that you were gone for good?"
Athena sighed "Since I escaped, they have been looking for me. They still are actually, but I was able to disguise myself very well. I couldn't reunite with Annabeth only to have them find out about her and take her away from me. Besides, I had a mission of my own." Athena then took the remote from Chiron and the picture on the screen changed. It now showed this abandoned warehouse deep inside a forest.
"After years of tracking and searching I have finally found where they have been keeping your fathers. Initially, I would go there on my own, but Chiron advised against it. I'm leaving in a few days to contact our other members to launch an attack" Athena then stared at us with a serious expression "And you three, along with Annabeth, will meet us at this location to help us."
"What?!" we all exclaim in unison.
"How the hell are we supposed to fight against people who have better control of their abilities than we do?" Nico questioned.
Chiron then stood up from his seat and motioned towards the door "You will have to train, just like everyone else. Now come with me children."
We followed Chiron through the hallways. Eventually, we were in front of the simulator room and my curiosity just overflowed. Before he opened the door with his key, he turned back to face us.
"This simulator is extremely realistic. You will be able to touch, see, and smell everything as if it were truly there. Many of our agents have hurt themselves in this facility, so I am warning you now, be careful."
That wasn't very reassuring...
With that said, we entered the room. It wasn't as magnificent as I thought it would be. It was a small space with a medium sized window on one of the walls. Through the window, there was a much larger room that was completely white. Underneath the window was a large electrical board that I guessed was how Chiron would control the simulator. Chiron sat in one of the chairs beside the board and pointed to a metal door in the corner of the room.
"That is where you enter the simulator. You will each go in one at a time so that I can test your abilities and see how powerful they are. Now who's up first?"
Thalia bravely took a step forward "I'll go." She then went through the metal door and stood in the middle of the white room as we watched her through the window.
"Alright Thalia," Chiron said through a small microphone "I'm going to put you in a desert. It will be scorching hot and extremely humid. Now what I want you to do is create a cloud over your head and order it to rain. Understood?"
Thalia nodded and Chiron pressed a few buttons on the board, but nothing changed. The room was still white, but Thalia looked like she was sweating buckets. She took off her jacket and threw it to the floor as she closed her eyes to concentrate.
I gave Chiron a puzzled look "How come everything still looks the same?"
Chiron pressed a few more buttons and a screen appeared on the right wall "You can only see what is happening in the simulator if you are actually inside of it. I installed a camera so that I will be able to observe what the trainee is seeing instead of just seeing their reaction."
"Cool" Nico said appreciatively "It's almost like watching a movie."
As Chiron had said, Thalia was standing in a desert. The sky was cloudless and the sun shone brighter than I have ever seen. Thalia's short hair was sticking to her forehead and you could practically see the sweat dripping down her face. Her eyes were still closed and her fists were clenched. She stayed in that position for a few minutes until a small cloud started forming over top of her head. In seconds, the cloud grew larger and little droplets of rain fell down on Thalia. Once she felt the first raindrop, Thalia opened her eyes and grinned triumphantly.
"EXCELLENT!" Chiron yelled through the microphone "Well done Thalia! You may exit now. I do not want to strain your gifts too much today." Thalia left the simulator dripping wet, but she still held a smile on her face.
"That was incredible" she said "I can't wait to do it again."
Nico went next and Chiron put him in a gymnasium with ten bulky guys surrounding him. Apparently, the simulator can also conjure up people too. Each of the guys had three dodgeballs in their hands ready to throw. With Chiron's signal, all of them began throwing the dodgeballs at Nico, but they were all to slow. Nico teleported to different areas of the room just before any of the balls could hit him. Once Chiron was satisfied he told Nico to leave the simulator.
"Since you have not developed your earthquake ability yet, we'll practice it another day. But for now, well done." Chiron then turned to face me "Perseus, you're up next."
I cringed at the sound of my full name "It's just Percy."
Chiron nodded "Alright Percy. You'll be put in the middle of the ocean without a life vest so don't be alarmed if you suddenly can't breathe. Actually, I'd advise you to hold your breath once I give the signal."
I stood in the simulator and the scenery instantly changed. I did as I was told and held my breath, but all I could see was blue. I quickly swam up to the surface and breathed in the oxygen. Chiron then went on the microphone and told me to attempt to make a whirpool around me. I concentrated on the water as best as I could. I felt it moving slightly and the effort was already making me tired. The water made a few waves and it moved around me a bit, but my whirpool sucked.
"Percy," Chiron said "I'm taking you out of there, you're starting to look pale."
I went out of the simulator completely disappointed. How can I summon a massive wave that engulfs a ship, but I can't make a simple whirlpool? Thalia and Nico were able to use their powers without complaint... How come I can't? I'm so pissed...
"Don't worry about it Percy" Chiron said while patting me on the back "Some abilities need a lot more endurance than others. Your father had to exercise almost every day to master his water manipulation. You'll be leaving in two weeks, so I suggest that you go to the gym every once in a while, but don't strain yourself." I nodded in understanding and went to stand beside Thalia and Nico.
"I will give you three a schedule to follow" Chiron explained "You will need to follow it's instructions to be even remotely ready for this attack. You will have time in the simulator, endurance training, battle lessons, and some free time to work on what you wish. We'll start tomorrow, so for now, do as you please."
After that, we all went our separate ways. Thalia went to the gym, Nico went to the kitchen, and I went back to the infirmary to check on Annabeth. She must surely be awake now. Before I could even enter the infirmary though, Athena stopped me... Well, more like mentally pushed me against the wall. I kind of figured her and Annabeth shared the same abilities, but it still surprised me.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
"I was going to go see Annabeth."
Her mental grip on me disappeared "She's not there."
"Where is she?"
"I suggest you don't go searching for her right now. She's not in the best of moods at the moment." I had to agree with her on that. Annabeth would most probably still be pissed off at her Mom just showing up out of nowhere. I really wished I could talk to her though.
"What is your relationship with my daughter?"
The question caught me off guard. Where the heck did that come from? I didn't even know how to answer it at the moment so all that came out was "Uhh..."
Athena rolled her eyes "Please don't tell me you're as idiotic as your father... What is your relationship with Annabeth? Are you an acquaintance, a friend or-"
"Friend. Definitely friend."
Athena pursed her lips "Alright, I suppose that's acceptable. But your interaction with her will not grow more than that. Understood?"
The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them "How come?"
Athena's eyes darkened as she sent me a deadly glare "Let's just say my relationship with Poseidon isn't a friendly one. So I'd rather not have his son pursuing my daughter. Besides, the last thing Annabeth needs right now is a boy fawning over her. She has enough to deal with at the moment."
I could feel my face getting hot as Athena stomped away. I was not fawning over Annabeth! Gods, I know that I think she's beautiful and all, but that's not considered fawning is it? What the hell does fawning even mean?! Do people even use that word anymore?! I need to cool down...
I went to the swimming pool for a few hours and I instantly felt better. I cleared my mind of everything and just focused on the water. I even practiced forming waves for a little bit, but I didn't want to strain myself so I only did it for like twenty minutes. I mostly just did laps using different techniques. I did some front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, etc. I eventually just sank to the bottom of the pool for a while and thought.
I thought about how different my life would have been if my Dad was around. I probably would have mastered this stupid ability by now if he was there. I could have been summoning ten whirpools at once and fighting by his side, but nooo. He just had to leave for my family's protection, which I totally get, but it's still frustrating. He couldn't just stop by once and say "Hey guys! Just to let you know, I'm still alive!"
I checked the time on the clock that was hanging on the wall. 9:32. Shit, how did the day go by so fast? I quickly got out of the pool and washed myself up. I was so tired from all the exercise I did today, so I decided to just go to bed. As I trudged down the hallway, I noticed a figure walking into the simulator room.
I quietly ran after them and stopped the door from locking with my foot. I peeked inside and saw Annabeth pushing some buttons on the control panel. She then went into the simulator and lay down. I wondered what she was doing so I checked the screen. Annabeth was laying down in a meadow with a starry sky above her. The place looked extremely peaceful and calming and I could tell from Annabeth's face that she was deep in thought.
I haven't been able to talk to her since her episode and I really wanted to know how she was feeling, so I entered the simulator. As soon as I opened the door alarms started blaring and red lights starting flashing all over. The image of the peaceful meadow started flickering and Annabeth jolted up from her spot with a surprised expression. She turned towards me and her look soon changed to an angry one.
"PERCY!? What the fuck?! Close the damn door or else this thing's going to go haywire!"
I didn't need to be told twice. I closed the door as fast as I could and immediately, the alarms turned off and the meadow was crystal clear. Annabeth rolled her eyes and lay back down on the grass. I walked over to her and sat down beside her, but she didn't even acknowledge that I was there. I don't know how to explain it, but she seemed different. She wasn't the same Annabeth she was yesterday.
After a long silence, I just couldn't take it anymore "How are you feeling?"
"Like shit."
Okay... I guess she's still pissed off, but I still kept talking. "You know, you scared everyone yesterday. You almost killed Nico and Thalia too, not to mention yourself." Alright, I'll admit that I wasn't being very comforting, but give me a break. I've never really been in this situation before.
"I know" she said while stretching her arms a bit "My Mom explained everything that happened while I was, as you could say, 'possessed'. So I went to talk to them about it and apologized."
So she talked to Thalia and Nico, but not to me? Something churned in the pit of my stomach and it wasn't the extra spicy tacos that I just had. I couldn't actually be jealous could I? I mean, she probably went to go look for me, but couldn't find me... Right? I'm not jealous. Nope, I'm not.
I decided to change the subject "So how are you and your Mom now?"
She instantly tensed and her jaw clenched "She talked to me for a while and explained everything. Why she left, Elysium, your fathers, how we're going to be on a rescue mission, and a bunch of other fun stuff." She sighed as she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. It looks really soft, I wish I could just touch it and-
"We're still not on good terms." Her voice brought me back to reality. I mentally cursed myself for getting so distracted. "I mean, she knew that I was staying with Chiron, yet she never came by once to say hello. I don't care about the whole 'keeping me safe' bullshit. I needed her and she was never there. She knew that I had a crappy home life! She knew that I was abandoned at the park! SHE FUCKING KNEW EVERYTHING AND SHE STILL DIDN'T DO SHIT!"
Annabeth stood up and stomped across the meadow. I ran after her, grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. I knew she would probably kill me for this, but I pulled her in for a hug. She tried to wiggle herself free, but I held on tight. Eventually, her muscles loosened and she hugged me back. I felt something wet on my shoulder and that's when I knew she was crying.
"She knew Percy" she whispered while trying to hold back her sobs.
"Everything will be alright Annabeth" I said while patting her head "I promise."
"For years I thought that she didn't love me. That I was a mistake. That I was never wanted." She then pulled back a bit and I couldn't help but look into her eyes. Even though they were rimmed with red from her tears, they were still stunning. That's when I realized something.
She trusted me.
With anyone else she would have kept her sadness in. She wouldn't have openly cried in front of them, but she did with me. She knew that I wouldn't judge her because I knew her well enough not to. I was actually the only one besides Chiron that knew about her past. I knew how awful it was for her to not feel like she belonged. And now that I have abilities, I'm able to relate to her even more. Out of all the people in the world that she could have trusted, she chose me. Something else churned in my stomach, and this time it wasn't tacos or jealousy.
After a few seconds of just staring at each other she pulled away and wiped her face with her sleeve "Let's talk about something else." I nod and sit down next to her on the grass. After a minute, I look back at her and the old Annabeth is back. She still has something different in her eyes, but she's mostly all there. "I'm about 99.9 percent sure that Luke and his gang are working for the organization that has your Dad captive."
"What makes you say that?"
She rolls her eyes "Come on Seaweed Brain, it's pretty obvious. Why else would he be chasing you across the country? He couldn't have wanted your lunch money that badly."
I laugh for the first time that day and she smiles. Gods I missed her smile.
"I guess that's why I call you Wise Girl. You always know everything."
She shrugged "I try." Her face then turned serious "I actually need to tell you something important."
Without thinking, I grabbed her hand "What is it?" She stared at our joined hands and I felt my face burn like it was set on fire. Why am I such an idiot?
"Uhh" she shook her head as if dismissing something and regained her composure "It's about my dreams. I never told anyone this, not even Chiron, so I need you to keep this a secret no matter how bad it is."
"Ok, I promise I won't tell anyone."
She took a deep breath "As I told you before, my dreams are very vivid, but that's not the only thing. I know this may sound crazy, but sometimes they can tell me bits of the future."
Honestly, things like this don't even surprise me anymore. "So you're a psychic now too?"
"No. I don't usually know when it happens, but when it does, my dreams only show me like a minute or two of something that will be happening soon."
"Have you had any recent visions?"
She bit her lip "One that I'm sure of, but it's really bad Percy. I don't know if I should tell you just in case you try to change it and then it messes up the whole space time continuum thing that you hear in those sci-fi movies."
"From a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?"
She looked down at the grass "Ten."
Worry instantly started to build up inside of me "What?! Ten?! Annabeth, you have to tell me what happens. There has to be a way that we can fix-"
"No Percy. There's no way to fix this. I just needed to let you know that something bad is going to happen in the near future and no matter what you try, there will be no way to stop it from happening. I just wanted you to prepare yourself, because I feel that it's going to impact you hard."
I had no idea what she meant and it was frustrating me to no end. What's going to happen? Why won't she tell me? Does something happen to me? Will we not be able to save my Dad? There's just too many possibilities!
Annabeth checked her watch "We should go to bed. We'll have to wake up early for training tomorrow."
"How early?"
"We have to start eating breakfast by 9:30."
I groaned "Really? I usually sleep until noon!" Annabeth laughed and I couldn't stop the goofy smile that spread across my face.
"Well suck it up princess! You're just going to have to cut down on your beauty sleep."
I grumbled as we walked down the hallway to Annabeth's room. She opened her door slightly before turning around to face me. "I never thanked you for saving me yesterday."
I shrugged "It was no big deal."
She shook her head "It kind of was Percy. Without you, I would have died and I probably would have killed everyone else in the room too." She then did something I didn't expect; she hugged me. All too soon, she pulled back and looked shyly at the ground "Thank you Percy. For saving me and for being there for me today."
"Anytime."
She then looked up and smiled "You are one amazing friend Percy Jackson."
Friend.
The word sounded so bitter. What if I didn't just want to be her friend anymore? I've been telling everyone that Annabeth is just my friend and nothing more. But now, I'm not so sure. Actually, I am sure. I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life. The only thing is that there's no way that Annabeth could feel the same way. Why would she?
"Goodnight Percy." She was about to leave, but I quickly leaned down and kissed her cheek. I don't know who was blushing harder; me or Annabeth.
"Night Annabeth. And just so you know, you are wanted." I turned away before I could see her reaction because I didn't want her to see me blushing even more than I already am.
As I went inside of my room, I slumped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. Only one thought crossed through my mind the entire night.
I like Annabeth Chase.
Author's Note:
I hope this extra super long chapter made up for my absence because it took FOREVER to write.
Anyways, a lot has happened over the past month. Let's see, there was Halloween. I dressed up as a gladiator believe it or not. I was pretty badass if I do say so myself. I even had a dagger and everything :)
Ummm... what else? Oh, my high school basketball team is going to the provincial tournament next week, so that exciting.
Oh! Oh! Catching Fire comes out next week! EEEEEE! I'm so excited! Any Hunger Games fans out there? I bet that you're just as excited as I am!
Anywho, I think there was more but I swear I think my brain is just like Percy's. It is literally filled with seaweed, so I don't really remember much right now. So, on a final note, please comment/review about the story/chapter. I appreciate all the support that you guys are giving me! I love you all and tell your friends!
Yours in demigodishness and all that,
- Just Another Wise Girl