Warnings - Mentions of slight blood and weapons. (Knives, daggers, you know the usuals.)
If you do not feel comfortable with one of the warnings, I recommend you do not read. Then again, this chapter is kinda vital for the plotline. sorry :(
The dead of the night was a strange time. Dead silent, calm... Peaceful. Annabeth wished that she could stop time right then and now.
The halls were quiet. No alarms were blaring anymore, and no one came by to check thisparticular area. Stupid of the guards, considering that this one place is where two of the criminals broke in. Did they not see any footage on the cameras!?
'Oh.' Annabeth thinks shocked. On many of the walls, replacing the usual security camera lies a heap of burned-through wires. That's not all. Nearly every camera is smashed or destroyed beyond comprehension. Smart. But Annabeth expected this.
That's why her dagger was there, of course.
When she finally reached there, the room where Percy entered was dead silent. Annabeth felt like passing out, but she wouldn't let herself. Had Percy finished the job? Where was he, then? Why hasn't he called or contacted her back? Or did the pair who broke in did what they came here to? She didn't spend any more time dwelling on the guy wrenching questions because they were soon answered for her. Not in the way she wanted.
A large crash, and the doors flew open. Glass was shattered, and two figures came sprinting out. Robber #1 and robber #2. Great. In their frantic attempt to escape, they missed Annabeth hiding around the corner. She leapt out, unseating her dagger and taking a glimpse at the two. One of them snarled. She had a silk black bag clutched in her arms. Annabeth couldn't examine further before the attacker swing a leg up to kick her back.
Annabeth leaned back in a bridge motion, her head pounding no less.
'I dodged it!' She stopped dead in her tracks for a second.
"Annabeth!" Percy, she knew immediately. She whipped her head around, to see a talk and Swift figure tower over her. The person, a male, brought his knife down in a flash. A swipe that if she didn't Dodge now, would leave a nasty Mark sooner or later. Through his mask that covered his eyes, she saw cold golden ones staring back at her menacingly. A strange color, Annabeth admits. =
But she was faster.
Annabeth swept her leg under him, nearly knocking him over in the action. The guy remained his ground much to Annabeth's demise. She then brought her legs upward, kicking the place where the sun don't shine. And she did. Hard.
The guy doubles over in pain, a strangled scream reaching past his lips. But she noticed something in the midst of all this. One, he dropped the black bag out through the window. Two, this guy wasn't using all of his strength. With a large frame and what seemed like muscular arms; he could sure put up more of a fight if he tried. And three- what the actually heck was Percy doing right now!? Where even was he?
"Coward!" Annabeth snarled, swishing her dagger back and forth at the attacker. He scrambled back, knife now clattered on the ground somewhere. It's clear that she's going to win. "If you're going to fight me, you must do it with all you've got!"
Her voice was scratchy. And raspy.
Annabeth felt a strong gust to her left and swerve back a bit, stumbling clumsily. In the place she was just standing, there was the other intruder. A cold smirk grows on her face. She says something that makes Annabeth feel daggers down her spine. Almost literally, if you put the situation she was in into consideration.
"Don't interfere." She says it just like in Annabeth's dream. Exactly how. The tone, the volume, the voice. It all matches up. But that leaves a question that makes a bitter taste in Annabeth's mouth. Who is she? And why is she here?
She leaps forward, making the blonde escape by an inch. But this time, it isn't so successful. Annabeth felt her shirt torn through the side and a cut- not too deep, but still quite painful- and her leg sprained. It was twisted in the hasty attempt to dodge and scramble away. She gasped in pain. Blood that's dark seeps out through the white cloth.
'You've had worse. Get up.' She thunk to herself. 'Get up!'
She did, but not so soon after her other attacker is at it again. Annabeth heaved, desperately trying to buy herself some time to get back up into a fighting stance. With her current condition- that simply wouldn't be possible. Just as her life flashes before her eyes (a bit dramatic, eh?) A shadowy figure shrouded in the moonlight finally decided to show himself.
It's Percy.
"'bout time, your highness!" Annabeth smirked, seeing him slash at the intruder.
"Sorry Princess," Percy said. Was he talking to her? "Traffic was murder." He lunges forward thrusting riptide forward an on again. Every move. Every movement, slash, every step.. it was all flawless. Well he learned from the best after all. And who did he learn from? Her.
He kicked the black bag out of her hands swiftly. It landed on the ground with a loud thump. It sounded that it was a glass-like material, or maybe it was? Percy rolled to the side to snatch it up in his grasp.
Annabeth turned and got up, directing a cold stare to intruder who was slowly regaining his surroundings. It looked like he was in a lot of pain, and Annabeth decided that he wouldn't get up anytime soon. But just to make sure, she brought a kick down to his face which ended with a satisfying CRUNCH! Yeah, he was out cold. For now.
Percy's face had a stream of blood trickling down from his forehead, and his once pristine clothing was ravished with cuts and dirt. The bag that had caused them so much trouble- was still hanging by a strong in his hands. Dangling by his wrist. Despite the current predicament, he never looked so alive. Snarling, the one other conscious intruder jumped backwards to her partner's side. Impressive, Annabeth could admit that. So she was flexible. A nice advantage, but not good enough.
"We'll be back," She drawled. Annabeth couldn't recognize the voice; there was a likely chance that she didn't know him. "You'll regret this sooner or later."
"Will we now?" Percy said in defiance.
"Say that again when you're thrown in the dungeons." Annabeth huffed, wanting to lock her up as soon as possible. Before that could happen, little miss criminal picked up her Allias and hauled him over her back.
'What?' Both Percy and Annabeth shared the same collective thought.
"Wait! You can't just-" Percy stammered, taking fast steps forward in a useless attempt to stop the intruders. Like stated before, it was useless.
"Goodbye."
Out through the window and gone into the night. That was rather dangerous, considering that this was the second floor. A single rope flailed from the edge- swaying with the wind. Crap. The one thing she had to do, she failed at doing. He escaped. They escaped.
Bursting into a fit of coughs, Annabeth was brought to her knees in her sick haze. Oh gods, her head felt hot. And her lungs were screaming.
"A-Annabeth," Percy kneeled to her side, aiding his friend. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," She managed a dry cough. "And you?"
"Mhm." He pointed to the bag, which he still had. "I don't think we should open this."
"For once, you say something smart." Annabeth laughed. She immediately regretted it when her lungs wheezed and sputtered. However, Annabeth held it in for the sake of both her and Percy.
"Come on." Annabeth started after a few moments of silence between the two. Heavy breaths and strained gasps set the soundtrack for the remaining time they had. It was a wild estimate, but Annabeth assumed that it was four in the morning.
"Let's get you treated first." Annabeth pulled out a small roll of white cotton bandages. It wasn't enough; but it was something. Annabeth knew the consequences of coming to help her friend and took them into mind. She taped up his leg wound, and dabbed some of the bandages on his face. It soaked up the blood like a sponge soaking up water.
"A-almost done. Just stay still a bit more longer." Percy blushed at the close contact between him and her.
"What about you? Are you sure you're fine?"
"Yeah..." Annabeth trailed off. She was not, in fact, fine. Her whole body was hot and bothered with the cut stinging deeply. But nonetheless, she sucked it up and stood up. She hauled Percy up with her, ignoring the desperate cries of her body to rest. He slung a arm over her shoulder and Annabeth followed suit. How long has it been since they been like this? The two of them leaning on each other for support- beaten up and thrashed. This really gave Annabeth some nostalgia.
"It's just a cut. And a little sprain. Nothing I can't handle, right?"
"And you're sick."
"That too."
Percy frowned. He paused to move his leg around, and it felt seriously better. Annabeth, on the other hand, was not. Even him could see that fact out. It looked like she was about to drop any second. In seconds, he picked her up sliding a arm under her legs and another to support her back. He hummed contently while Annabeth nearly screamed.
"Put me down!" She said, her face glowing with embarrassment. "In your condition, you shouldn't be doing this!" Percy just continued walking, smirking at Annabeth. When she noticed that he wasn't going to put her down, Annabeth went limp and went along with it. The supposedly short walk Annabeth had ventured to get there seemed more prolonged, like time was slowing down in that very moment. Not like she minded. Nothing like being beaten up with your best friend, am I right?
He rested the bag on Annabeth's stomach, her protecting it with her arms. "There," He said, adjusting her in his arms, "I entrust you with whatever is in there, princess." There it is again. 'Princess.'
Did Annabeth like to be called that? Maybe.
As Percy carried her, Annabeth could help but noticed that her friend was slightly limping. Was he going to be genuinely alright?
"Uh oh." She said, coming to a sharp realization. "You... You said there were four of them, correct?"
"..." Percy stopped. He looked up and took a exasperated sigh, like he was cursing the very universe as I'm writing this. "It looks like we're not done yet, then. Peachy."
oh dear this is some hot garbage.
I had about three alternative endings for this chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to write them bcs they were too cringe worthy. but this is a nice substitute ig lol. I can't help but feel that my writing is a little off... I dunno honestly.
also this me a WHILE to update, so sorry! School has taken it's till on me.
Thanks for reading! :)