Energy Unbound

Chapter 16

Unexpected

Summary

Following the events of Chapter 13, Annabeth has fainted. Ari remarks that she is sick of people fainting on her, but nevertheless has Percy pick her up. She summons a second medical bed and Percy puts her on it. Ari conducts a scan of Annabeth, discovering that her list of powers and abilities is way, way too long. It also contains some troubling entries. She has Percy scanned as well, finding an identical list.

Story

Annabeth slumped over in her chair, eyes closed. She had fainted. Not that Percy blamed her, they were just told that they were the equivalent of Titans. Well, that and the fact they were having four kids. He wasn't dealing with the news well either.

For Hades' sake.

"Four kids," Percy muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Of all the things they had just been told, that was what shocked him the most. His eyes were wide open, and he stared off into space.

He vaguely heard voices in the room, his senses long since becoming blurred and disjointed. Someone, a woman by the sound of her voice, complained about people fainting on her all the time. Not that he could place the voice in his withdrawn state, though; he was the only guy in the room.

Four kids, Percy repeated to himself. Not just four kids, four gods! How the heck are Annabeth and I going to handle them?

Rapidly snapping fingers in front of his face brought Percy back to the real world. Looking up, his gaze met the face of the one who started this mess. Ari. Progress. Whatever. His mind immediately switched into battle mode, spurred on by a flare of anger.

"What," Percy questioned, his tone sharp and final.

"Annabeth fainted," she pointed out, gesturing to the love of his life.

"I don't blame her," Percy shot back, and he was shocked at how unconcerned he sounded. It seemed the girl in front of him was too.

"You okay, Percy?" Ari asked, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. Right as he was about to fire back a scathing response, she grew visibly concerned and tightened her grip. A wave of overwhelming calm flooded through him, her palm the source. He felt himself relax, muscles slacking, and the fog of anger in his mind evaporated.

"Uh…," he shook his head, trying to grab onto reality again, "I am now. Thanks."

"What was that, Percy?" Rachel asked, having joined Ari in front of him. Less asked, to be accurate. More demanded.

"I dunno," Percy admitted, shaking his head again. "I just got really angry at Ari after Annabeth fainted."

Ari's mouth formed a grim line. "It's starting already," she stated.

"What's starting?" Percy asked, suddenly very concerned.

Ari lightly patted his shoulder with her hand before removing it. "Energy beings have much more powerful emotions. You will find them influencing your decisions and actions for a long while, even after you learn to recognize the signs and counter them. It is an unfortunate part of existing as energy," she explained.