"What are you doing?"
There was a jerking sound and a crash and a bang and several curse words that tumbled from Danny's mouth as he fell to the floor.
"Dammit Percy!" He swore again, rubbing his head where he had hit it. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"
Percy chuckled, "I did, you just didn't hear me." Danny muttered something under his breath as he picked up a dirty towel from the floor and crouched in front of his motorcycle, returning to the position Percy found him in. "Again, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to understand how cleaning one's motorcycle could take up so much of one's attention.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Danny responded irritably, not looking up from where he was vigorously scrubbing his bike with the towel. "We leave for Egypt tomorrow, if I'm gonna crash into a battle with a thousand angry Oompa Loompas I'm going to do so with a clean bike."
"Oompa Loompas?" Percy echoed.
"That's the name Alice and I gave Lucious' followers. Kind of because it makes them seem less intimidating, mostly because we want them to start singing that song in unison while doing the little dance."
Percy couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "So does that make Lucious Willy Wonka?"
"No." Danny shook his head, "It just makes him a really big Oompa Loompa." He stood up slowly and wiped his hands with a towel. "But Alice thinks he looks more like a starved Teletubie."
A shudder make Percy's shoulders shake. "That just makes him all the more terrifying."
"That's what I thought." Danny agreed "I guess Alice doesn't have a fear of Teletubies. She was born before that horrifying TV show came around."
"I'm pretty sure she was born before the idea of TV came around." Percy tried, and failed, to hide his laughter. "How's she doing by the way?"
Danny frowned a bit. "I dunno man, I'm kinda worried. She just… doesn't seem like herself. She hasn't slept in days."
"None of us have." Percy replied, looking at Danny knowingly.
The blond shrugged off his stare. "True enough. Is Hanna talking yet?"
"No…." Percy trailed off, not knowing what else to say on the matter. Looking for a way to change the subject he glanced at Danny's motorcycle. "Jesus…" He found himself muttering as he rested one hand on the soft leather seat. The motorbike was all black and simple looking, but it was still really cool.
"No you cannot ride it." Danny read his mind, his lips tilted up in a smirk.
"Awe come on." Percy tried to widen his eyes in a pleading way. "Please?"
"No." Came the imitate response. "I've seen the way you drive your sailboat, there's no way I'm letting you touch Precious."
"Precious?"
"Oh yes." Danny's voice became high-pitched as he gave the motorcycle an awkward looking hug. "The prreeeeccciiooouuuusss."
"You're insane." Percy said, though he couldn't help but laugh.
"I know." Was all Danny said in reply, not looking up from some spot he had noticed on his bike; it looked like dried blood.
Percy took a moment to look around the cabin, noticing that the room was for the most part void of anything to show that anyone lived there. The one thing he did notice was a small silver pendent on a bat up old chain on the nightstand next to the bed. Walking over too it, Percy noticed that it was an oval shaped locket, the swirling designs on the front were faded and the silver tarnished by age.
Danny was busy getting the blood off his bike and muttering something about "demon blood never come2s out" so he didn't notice when Percy reached out and picked up the small necklace, lacing the chain through his fingers. It was beautiful, the more he looked at it. And as he gently opened the locket, he found a small picture inside.
He knew who it was almost instantly. It was a picture of two children, one boy and one girl. The girl was small, short, with curling blonde hair and what could have been hazel eyes; the picture was too faded for him to tell for sure. The boy, however, was easy to see. He looked young, probably in his early teens, with high angled cheek bones and messy blond hair. Familiar green eyes looked back at him boredly, even though his lips were curved in a gentle smile as he laid a hand on the girls shoulder.
"That's Marie."
Percy jumped slightly when he heard Danny's voice behind him and whipped around, dropping the necklace as he did.
Wordlessly, Danny leaned down and picked it up, letting the small pendent rest in the curve of his palm.
"Your sister?" Percy asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"Yea." Danny nodded, not meeting his eyes. He closed the locket and picked it up by the chain, letting it dangle in front of him. "This was hers, she always had it with her, no matter where she went. That's why it's all dented and what not."
"She's cute." Percy complimented, remembering the young girl in the picture.
Danny smiled sadly, "She would have been a beautiful woman, if she had been allowed to live that long." He ducked his head slightly, his eyes brimming with old grief.
"What happened to her?" Percy asked.
Danny met his eyes this time. "We all have secrets Percy."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"It's fine." Danny sighed heavily. He stroked the surface of the locket gently with one finger and smiled, seeming lost in him memories. "She was always such a cheerful kid, she could make me smile even after a particularly bad fight with our parents. She was also a complete klutz. Seriously, that girl would trip over air."
Percy found himself smiling at the fondness in his voice. "You loved her very much."
Danny nodded, "So much so that I did horrible things just to keep her alive. I would have done anything for her; anything." The look in his eyes told Percy that every word he said was true.
Percy had a very good idea of what Danny was referring to, and so he decided he would try to get the boy to spill. "You were in a very similar situation to Arabella weren't you? Except your sister was the one you were fighting to protect."
Danny barked out a laugh. "You don't miss anything do you Perce? Yes, that's exactly what happened. Except unlike Arabella I didn't have anyone to turn to. My dad was a very wealthy business man who made his money by getting involved with the wrong people, including some of the very powerful mob bosses that were in power at the time. However, I don't really know the details, but somewhere along the lines one of the deals he made went sour, and a gang attacked our house. As punishment for breaking their deal, they took my sister and I, they were going to use us as ransom for something. However, when they tried to get my sister I fought back, and I managed to take out a couple of the guys while I was at it. I suppose they thought they could use that so they locked my sister up. They said if I did everything they told me to she would be taken care of. That's how I became a mobster I suppose."
"What about your father?" Percy asked, "Didn't he try and save you?"
Danny smiled grimly. "Of course not. He never wanted us, he and my mom split the second they had a chance. We never heard from them again."
"They just left you?" Percy was finding this hard to believe. Was he the only one with a good relationship with his parents?
Well, on his mother's side at least….
"Ya." Danny's harsh chuckle drew him out of his thoughts. "Nice people, huh?"
"So what happened?" Percy asked, "After you were taken?"
Danny scowled, "I did what they told me to. Followed every order to the letter. I promised my sister I would take care of her, even if I had to become a horrible killer to do it." Percy flinched slightly at the glint in his eyes, this guy was used to the blood and gore of killing, that was for sure. "Unfortunately, things didn't work out quite the way they were supposed to."
"What do you mean?"
"My sister, she was always the gentle type, and when she asked how I was doing they told her. They told her everything." Pure loathing made his voice sizzle. "And well, you can imagine how she reacted when she found out her big brother became a serial killer all in the name of protecting her."
"She hated you." Percy concluded bluntly.
Danny shook his head. "I wish she did. If she had everything would be so much better. No she hated herself. She hated that she was in her mind too weak. She thought it was her fault I had become what I was, and she blamed herself. So she threw herself out her three story window, leaving a note on the dresser proclaiming my freedom. She thought that if she was dead I could get away from the Boss." Danny's figure collapsed on itself as he spoke. "She died so that I could live, so that I could be free."
Percy found himself hang no words to describe the pity he felt for Danny. He remembered the pain of losing his mother, remembered the torture of watching Black Jack bleed to death, unable to help, but those were unstoppable accidents, he had accepted that long ago. To have someone you love and care for so much commit suicide in your name though- there are no words for that type of grief.
"Pretty gruesome, huh?" Danny asked, breaking the silence. "I'm honestly surprised Chaos wanted me on her line of warriors- after everything I have done. I always considered myself to be one of the bad guys."
Surprisingly, Percy laughed. "I'm sorry." He apologized when Danny gave him a weird look. "But I could never consider you to be one of the bad guys. You just don't look it."
Danny shrugged, "I suppose not, but your never seen me really get mad, or when I'm in a position where myself, or someone I care about, is in danger- real, true danger."
"True." Percy found himself admitting, remembering when Alice was run through.
Danny chuckled slightly, "Don't worry I won't kill anyone other than the Oompa Loompas. And maybe a few annoying campers."
Percy snickered. "Hey man no fair. If you get to kill people so do I. After all they are my relatives."
"I am so sorry." Danny shook his head. "I can see why you would never want to come back."
"Oh really?" A new voice sounded from outside, making Danny and Percy turn around.
Annabeth stood at the door with her arms crossed, glaring at Percy with everything she had. The boys weren't fazed though, and Percy simply looked back at her coolly.
"Can we help you in some way?" he asked, not really caring what her answer was.
"Percy, may I speak with you for a minute."
Percy's eyes narrowed, wondering what she wanted. "Fine."
He said his goodbyes to Danny quickly, who in return gave him a pitying look, and left the cabin. Annabeth walked ahead of him for several minutes, looking behind her occasionally to see if he was following. Soon, he grew bored so he stopped and went to leave.
"Where are you going?" An irritated voice said behind him.
Percy didn't bother turning around. "To do something productive. Surely following you around isn't going to do that." He turned to look at her now, one eyebrow raised.
"We need to talk, Percy-"
"Conquest."
"Excuse me?" Annabeth sputtered, surprised he interrupted her.
"It's Conquest." Percy replied simply. "I really only like for close friends to call me Percy, and you do not fall in that rank."
"You allow Nico and Thalia to call you Percy." She certainly hadn't forgotten how to argue since he had last seen her.
"I said close friends, didn't I?" Percy shot back- he was getting bored with this conversation.
Annabeth huffed. "Fine, Conquest." She spat out the name like poison. "I have heard that you and the other Horsemen are leaving for Lucious' lair soon. That's why you have been training so hard?"
Percy nodded. "Yea, we leave tomorrow."
"And Nico and Thalia are going with you?"
"Yeah." He replied simply. They had asked if they could a few days ago, and Percy wasn't about to stop them. He knew they could take care of themselves, and they knew the risk. Also, Percy had a feeling that the two were hoping to prove themselves to Chaos in some way. He couldn't blame them.
"And that's it then?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Percy asked, wanting to know what she was trying to get at.
Annabeth threw her hands up in the air. "What about the rest of us? Myself, Jake! You know we can fight well, so take us with you!"
"Ha!" Percy laughed, finding it genuinely comical. "And have the enemy capture you and use you as hostages? Right, ya, that will help us lots."
Annabeth scowled. "We would not! We can take care of ourselves fine, thank you very much."
"Uh-huh." He found himself raising an eyebrow. "Which is why I was able to knock your boyfriend out so easily."
"He just wasn't prepared."
"Right." Percy was nowhere near convinced. "Annabeth, you do realize what we are up against, right?"
Annabeth's eyes grew dark. "Of course I do!" She snapped, "Stop treating me like a child! I know the dangers!"
"But do you understand them?" Percy fired back, his voice calm but raised. "We are worried, the Horsemen, people almost impossible to kill, are worried. Alice and Danny are placing bets apparently. People will die Annabeth."
"I will protect my home. And my family. I will not abandon them like you did."
"Oh-ho." Percy raised both eyebrows this time. "Who abandoned who now?" A sarcastic glint made his sea green eyes glow. Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Percy beat her to it. "You know, I don't really want to discuss this with you, so I will tell you what. You've been alive for as long as I have, you're a grownup- sort of- so you can come. You can come but know the second we get into that lair you are on your own, just like everyone else."
Annabeth nodded, "Good."
"Oh- and you have to find a way to get there." He added, ignoring her muttered protests. Percy simply turned away, wanting to go talk to Danny so he could hit him for abandoning him to Annabeth's wrath. Or Alice so that he could understand how she knew about the Teletubies. Or Hanna, just to talk to her. Or maybe he could go find Lucious and ask him more about his home life- any of them would have been better than dealing with this girl.
Although personally he liked the third option best.
Hope you guys liked the chapter! Everyone was very sassy… mostly because I'm feeling very sassy. Anyway, yay there's that! Oh ya, so a quick update; I have opened an Author's Tea account (under the same name I have here- remarkables) and will be posting this story here after I make a few spelling errors and blah, along with a few other one-shots and stuff. For example a memoir of mine and a short-story I'm currently working on. They will be up soon, so please, please check them out it would mean the world to me. See you all next time!
