Annabeth's breath caught in her chest as she looked at the boy sitting across from her. The first thing she noted were his eyes. A dark, piercing grey, which seemed to be analyzing every single aspect of her. Studying her. Her looks, her stance, her glare. It was, without a doubt, one of the most unnerving things she had ever seen. Not because he was grotesque or a hideous monster, but because… he was looking at her with her look. The one she often used on people when meeting them for the first time. It was rather disturbing to be on the receiving end of it for once.
"You really shouldn't gawk. It's not very lady-like, is it?" he grinned, showing off a set of dazzling white teeth. Annabeth's face flustered.
"Well, I've never been very lady-like, have I?" she countered. She tried to move, but suddenly realized she couldn't. Annabeth looked down to see that her hands were strapped onto the armrests, trapped in metal bonds wrapped around her wrists.
"Now, I couldn't just let you run around, could I? Not very courteous, I admit. But… what's a man to do?" he frowned as he looked at the chess piece in his hand.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" the boy's eyebrows rose, twirling the knight between his fingers.
"Hmm. Why should I tell you that?"
"You know who I am. Shouldn't I know who I'm talking to?" a smile formed on his annoyingly perfect face.
"Ah, yes. But that would indicate we are equals. Which we are not, Annabeth Chase. Not at all. Not here, not now."
"Excuse me?" Annabeth demanded, breaking her cold demeanor. The grin on his face grew larger.
"Tell me, Miss Chase. Where do you see yourself on this board?" He gestured, sweeping his hand over the chessboard that sat between them, plunking his knight into the empty space.
"In terms of…"
"Oh, don't play around, my dear. You know exactly to what I am referring. Us, you. The Olympians, the Titans. Demigods and monsters and mortals and otherworlders and on and on and on. Tell me, where do you see yourself in the grand scheme? Is it the queen? The bishop? The rook?"
Annabeth didn't answer, keeping her face neutral. After a moment of staring, the boy sighed deeply.
"I understand. Afraid to admit it. To face the truth. A hard truth, I know. But a harsh one. One that Luke and so many of our brother and sister demigods have figured out. For in the end…" He paused as he reached for the board.
"We are nothing but pawns in the Gods' game." He turned the little piece around and around in his fingers. Annabeth didn't respond, pressing her lips together. The boy sighed out loud as he leaned back.
"Boy, Luke said you were stubborn! That was an understatement, you're more like concrete! It's going take a lot to break you, isn't it?" he smiled. Annabeth stuck her chin up as she snarled.
"You're just wasting your time. Because you will never break me." His smile grew even larger.
"Excellent." he pressed his hands together, his grey eyes gleaming as he stood up.
"Annabeth Chase, I greatly look forward to our next conversation. I think we're going to get to know each other quite well over the next few days."
"Keep telling yourself that."
He chuckled as he strode past her. A second later, a metallic hiss told her that the door had slid open. In that same second, the metal restraints on her hands snapped open, freeing her. She shot up and whirled just in time to see the door slide shut.
"Hey!" She slammed her fists against the door, gnashing her teeth in frustration. She froze at the sound of a tch tch noise.
"Annabeth, you should really keep that temper under control." She blinked to find herself staring at the boy, their faces divided by a thick square of glass.
"Fuck off!"
"Not the first time I've heard that. You know… I'm quite curious to see the effects first hand." Annabeth blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" his smile grew larger.
"Oh, you'll see. Should be taking effect any minute now." Annabeth frowned.
"What are you…" she trailed off as she could smell… something sweet? Warm? She couldn't figure out what it was.
"I must admit, you are quite the fascinating subject. Which is why I asked to be able to interrogate you personally. I'm quite curious to see how much you can take."
"I already told you, that's never going to happen."
"We'll see. Might I ask you a question, Miss Chase?" Annabeth frowned as she looked around. Was the room getting… warmer? The walls seemed to glisten, growing a brilliant white to the point it was almost blinding.
"I must admit, our benefactor was quite… creative in constructing our interrogation methods. Now, most would think we would use truth serum or some other archaic method. But, I want to crack that shell of yours. So, I decided to go with something different with you."
Annabeth ignored him as she looked around, before something caught her attention… a black spot? She wouldn't have noticed except for the rest of the wall being so brilliantly white. Then, in a split second, that black spot grew, spreading cracks that quickly started to envelop the walls. Annabeth's breath hitched in her chest as the walls seemed to swell.
"So, tell me, Annabeth Chase. What are you most afraid of?"
Then, thousands of tiny black spiders burst from the walls and swelled forth.
Annabeth couldn't move. Her heart seemed to have stopped. The spiders blanketed the walls, crawling over one another, spreading across the floor and gradually surrounding her. A gasp of fear erupted from her chest as she backed against the door. It was impossible. This couldn't be real. Terror gripped her into memories. She was seven years old again. Completely helpless. Alone. Afraid.
A moment later, a scream of pure fear and terror erupted from the door.
A smile danced across the boy's face.
"Now we're getting somewhere."