Mask Of Pain

Chapter 37

Annabeth's POV

Annabeth was frozen. She could not move and she could not breathe. She could not blink nor could she think. She was just frozen. Yet she did feel something. Anger, rage or hate or all three. but Annabeth could feel it rising from inside her and it was powerful.

Tyson was biting hard his lip. The two stayed silent for a whole minute before Annabeth could breathe again. She blinked several times as she let out a long breath to calm her speeding heartbeat. She looked back at Tyson.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"I-I said…" Tyson gulped. He looked away and scratched the back of his head as he was nervous. The gesture reminded Annabeth of Percy. She closed her eyes as Tyson repeated what he said: "Percy was abused by our stepfather…"

Annabeth's hand formed fists that were turning white. "Explain… Explain to me everything… from the start," Annabeth said looking him straight in the eyes.

Tyson sighed and looked down into the surface of the swimming pool. Annabeth followed his gaze and saw his expression: one of sadness. He closed his eyes and took a breath before he spoke. "It all started when I was four. Gabe was already married for a year to my mom and…"

Tyson swallowed. "I was playing with a new toy that Percy got for me… it was a blue sports car… a Maserati… his favorite car," Tyson said with a smile. Annabeth couldn't help but let a small smile grace her lips. "Anyway, that night I was in my room playing when I heard my mom and Gabe fighting… they'd fought before, but that night it was worse…"

"I stayed in my room though as I always did whenever they fought… I'd just wait till it was over," Tyson said. "When it did… I heard my mom go up the stairs and as always she whispered from the corridor to me good night… I couldn't sleep that night so I decided to go to my mom's room but just as I walked out into the corridor I bumped into Gabe who was going up the stairs, probably to his room…"

"Anyway he got angry with me and was about to hit me, but Percy was there, as always…to save me," Tyson said. Annabeth smiled remembering the day they met in the snowy park and Percy saved her too."

"He stood up for me… He protected me… protected me from Gabe who hit Percy…" Tyson sniffed. Annabeth watched a single tear run down his cheek. "But no matter how many times he hit him, or how long Percy was knocked out, he would always stand back up…"

Tyson wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up from his reflection and looked at Annabeth sideways. "Ever since that day, Percy has stood up for me and hidden the bruises from everyone, our mom, his friends and even you…" he said.

Annabeth looked in his brown eyes. They were full of sadness. Annabeth's expression softened as she leaned forward and hugged him. She could feel him freeze as if he was caught off guard, but she soon felt two small arms encircle her back. They hugged tightly.

They stayed in that embrace for a long time. Annabeth used her hand to do small circles on Tyson's back and he became gradually calmer. Annabeth moved away from the embrace and held him at arm's length as she looked deep in his brown eyes.

"What happened to Gabe?"

Tyson looked down for a second. He brought one hand to wipe his nose as he sniffed. He looked back in her eyes. "I heard Percy locked him up here in the base five years ago you know when…"

"Bianca died."

Tyson nodded. "I don't know where though, but I'd bet it's on a level we two don't have clearance to," Tyson said.

Annabeth knew he was right. But she was determined to meet this Gabe and confirm this nagging suspicion she's had for some time. The thought of her being right made her both thrilled and scared at the same time.

Annabeth came back to reality, she took her feet out of the water and stood up. She grabbed her shoes in her hands and walked away. She could feel Tyson's eyes on her and she briefly stopped and looked at him from over her shoulder. "See ya around Tyson," she said and resumed her walking, but she stopped in her tracks once more at Tyson's voice.

"Where are you going?"

"To visit someone," Annabeth said with a smile. "Someone I've been dying to visit for the past five years…"

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Annabeth walked down the half empty corridor in search for someone she knew could help her with what she needed. She had changed from her sport outfit and taken a shower. She was now wearing her denim jean jacket over a grey t-shirt that read sleep under the stars and skinny blue jeans with her black and white converse. (Here's the link: annabeths_outfit/set?id=205880159 )

She was getting more and more frustrated as she couldn't find who she was looking for. She was about to return to the elevator to go up the next level and then she saw him. He was locking his room with his keys. She relaxed and made her way towards him.

When she stood right next to him, she noted his appearance: he wore a blue beanie which was new to Annabeth as he usually wore a red one, a dark Marvel hoodie with grey biker jeans and black and white sneakers. (Here's the link: grovers_outfit/set?id=209841136 )

Annabeth waited patiently as he locked his door. People walked around them, they all looked around Annabeth's age. Some looked new to Annabeth while others she recognized.

Her attention returned to Grover as he jumped in the air in fright and screamed like a girl. If she weren't in such a dire mood, she might have found the scene hilarious, but she wasn't. in a funny mood.

"Don't ever do that again!" Grover yelled at her getting a few looks from the teenagers that passed. Annabeth ignored them completely as she crossed her arms and looked deep in Grover's eyes whose hands were fidgeting none stop.

"Tell me where he is." Annabeth tapped her foot on the floor. Grover gulped and looked around before he leaned forward and asked: "Who do you mean by he?"

Annabeth also leaned forward, her gaze never leaving his, so she could read them. It was a skill she's had ever since she could remember, telling if people were lying by looking in their eyes. "Gabe. I know he's here, in this base, so tell me exactly where he is."

Grover's eyes widened. Annabeth smiled inwardly. She knew she had him. She knew he knew, so he only had to tell her and she would know if it was the truth or not. "I-I don't-"

"Don't lie to me, Grover." Annabeth glared at him and stepped closer to him and he stepped back only to be stuck against the wall of the corridor they were in. "I'm not in the best of moods and I need to see him. Please Grover… help me."

Grover looked everywhere else then her eyes as he whimpered under her gaze. He whimpered so much that Annabeth thought she heard him bleat like a goat, but maybe that was just her imagination.

"Okay, okay, just don't do that again… please," Grover pleaded. Annabeth leaned back and crossed her arms once more as she waited. "Now I'm not supposed to tell you this, but…"

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Annabeth stood in the circular elevator as it descended down the many levels of the Base. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she thought of what was going to happen in the next moments.

The elevator abruptly stopped its descent and the doors opened with a ding! Annabeth stepped out of the elevator on level 0 or otherwise the level where they kept the prisoners.

Level 0 was actually two levels. These two levels were circular with doors and numbers on them. Annabeth walked to the metal stairs. She went down the steps remembering the instructions given to her by Grover.

She then walked to the other side of the room where there was one cell different to the other side because whereas the others had metallic doors, this one was an ordinary cell with metallic bars.

Annabeth stood in front of the bars. To the side of the cell was a rectangular plate within written in black numbers; 2187. Annabeth turned her attention back to the cell and peered inside to see a square shaped room made of rock from the river bed. There was a toilet on the far side, a small single bed on the left and single small yellow lamp hung from the ceiling. The prisoner inside, who had his back to Annabeth, stood in front the opposite cell where he used a piece of rock as a chalk stick on the wall to make a bar. Annabeth counted a bit less than two thousand white bars on the wall that must have represented each day he passed in the cell. He wore the regular orange uniform prisoners had.

She was about to speak, but he cut her to it. "Interesting," he said with still his back to her as he sniffed the air. "I haven't smelled that perfume in a long time..."

He turned to face Annabeth and stepped forward so he was directly under the lamp that hung from the ceiling. His appearance made Annabeth's blood boil. He was mostly the same than she remembered. He was slightly slimmer than Annabeth remembered, but still had more fat than an average person with a double chin and three hairs on his bald head that he had combed over his scalp.

He had the same look of a madman or psych killer that she remembered when she was a kid and would see him sometimes at Percy's house.

"Five years if I remember, right?" he asked with a wide grin. "Annabeth Chase."

Annabeth lifted her chin as she glared at him, but she didn't say anything. Her hands on either side of her formed fists as she could feel something rising in her.

"Oh, there she is," Gabe said. "The daughter of Minerva! The wisest of the wisest and the smartest of the smartest and the proudest of the proudest! Always with dignity! You my dear are very much alike."

He stepped forward and fitted his face right between the bars as he held them in his hands. "You know your roles could have been switched, huh? Yours and Percy's," he said and Annabeth was inwardly confused while on the outside, her expression was blank. "Yes, you could have been the one to be beaten, but… seems the fates had different plans."

He laughed. Annabeth narrowed her jaw. His laughter echoed through the silent room. Annabeth was sure now; Gabe was completely crazy.

When his laughter died, he cocked his head to the side. "What? You got nothing to say? My, you are good," he said. "Better than Percy, but then again you're all about controlling your emotions… it's in your blood."

Annabeth didn't say anything. On the outside she looked calm and relaxed, but in the inside she was getting angry and it was fueled by something quite powerful she hadn't felt before.

"Still nothing… hmm but maybe that's-ha!" Gabe exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "That's it! You don't know what happened do you? You have maybe a few theories, but nobody ever told you what really happened?"

Annabeth's blank expression slipped and showed that of confusion. "Ah! Yes that's it! Oh am I going to enjoy this!" he laughed. "Well let me tell you Annabeth, what happened five years ago in that warehouse, when you lost your memories…"

So that's how Gabe broke her mask. That's how he figured out her weakness. He figured out her fatal flaws: arrogance and pride. He told her everything that happened that night in the warehouse where everything changed. How he was the one who captured Annabeth and brought her to the warehouse. How he used a drug on her to call Percy to tell him to come. How he forced Percy to tell him the code or he would use the serum on Annabeth to forget Percy. How Bianca came to the rescue, but ultimately sacrificed herself to save both Annabeth and Percy. How Percy tried to kill Gabe, but ultimately he was brought here in this dark cell to stay for the past five years.

When he finished, Annabeth couldn't hold it anymore. She could feel tears falling down her cheeks, but she didn't care. She glared at Gabe with pure hatred while he laughed and laughed like a madman. Her fists were trembling as her knuckles were turning white. She punched the red button on the wall to the left and the cell opened. Gabe's laughter abruptly stopped and for a second he had a panicked expression before he grinned at her.

Annabeth stepped inside and with a battle cry, she grabbed Gabe by the collar of his uniform and pinned him against the opposite wall. She punched him straight in the nose and Annabeth heard a loud crack! Gabe's nose was broken and he moaned in pain and tried to cover it with his hands, but Annabeth wasn't finished.

She punched him again and again until Gabe's face was unrecognizable. She punched him with everything she felt. She punched him till she didn't have any strength anymore.

Suddenly two large arms grabbed her from behind her and dragged her out of the cell. Annabeth tried to break free and went hysterical. She tried everything the break the man's grip, but he was too strong.

The guy closed the cell door and let go of Annabeth who whirled around to punch him, but the person caught her arm. He was a huge eighteen year old African-American dude with a permanent scowl, short afro hairstyle, dark brown eyes, muscles like a pro ballplayer's, and hands like catcher's mitts. That's when she suddenly recognized the person in front of her: Charles Beckendorf.

"Annabeth! Calm down! It's okay," Beckendorf said. Annabeth could feel her initial fighting energy subside and was replaced with a fatigue. She sunk in his arms and cried. She could feel him hug her tighter and he whispered in her ear. "It's okay, I'm here… It's okay…"

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"So that's what happened," Annabeth summed up as Chiron nodded several times. They were in the Situation Analysis Room. Beckendorf had brought her there after she had calmed down and her eyes were dry from the tears.

"I see," Chiron said with a thoughtful look. Annabeth looked nervously at Beckendorf who sat on the opposite side of the table. "I can't say that what you did was a bad thing as you had good reason, but do restrain yourself from doing that again."

"Yes, sir."

Chiron nodded satisfied. "But if it helps, I have a proposition for you and I'll need an honest answer," he said. "But you can either accept it or refuse it and well, let's hope you don't."

Annabeth was confused. "I don't understand, what's this proposition?"

Chiron leaned forward from where he sat on the wheelchair at the head of the table. He pressed his hand on the surface of the table and a 3D holographic image popped up. It showed a logo of a shield with AEGIS written next to it.

"I want to know if you were willing to join our organization?" Chiron asked looking at her with his warm brown eyes. Annabeth's eyes grew wide in surprise and her mouth parted open. She was speechless. She didn't know what to say.

She was about to say no, but then her thoughts turned around Percy. Then Gabe and how he was part of this terrorist group TITAN and this AEGIS group fought them. She wanted that. Annabeth wanted to fight people like Gabe, men who torment and destroy other peoples' lives. She wanted to stand up against bad men like Gabe. And she wanted to fight them by her friends' sides. Stand by Percy's side.

"Since you've been staying here for a couple weeks, you practically live here and-"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes," Annabeth said determined, looking away from the holographic screen and into Chiron's brown eyes and gave him her honest answer: "I want to join; I want to be an AEGIS agent."