AN: Some torture. It isn't graphic but heads up.
Ch24
Oh gods oh gods. At that moment Annabeth thought she would die. The ship shook as it began to sink into the ocean, everything was in chaos. Her own body was bloodied and sore from the injuries Percy gave her, the son of Poseidon didn't even give her a chance to speak when they fought and now pain shot throughout her body.
"Annabeth come on," Luke said grabbing her hands. "Lady Hecate will help us escape." They both ran through the ship as monsters and demigods who were allied with them ran and screamed for help.
This ship is going down and will take everyone with it. She looked at his bleeding arm, "Luke your arm."
"It's alright," Luke said. "How was your fight with Percy are you injured?"
"I'm fine," she said her vision starting to blur.
They eventually reached the room where Kronos's coffin was stored. Hecate was chanting in Ancient Greek as a portal formed. "Hurry up all of us need to get out of here," the goddess said as a group of monsters lifted the coffin.
The door behind them creaked before it was blown off and water poured. She gripped her knife and saw a man dressed in some kind of shell armor glaring directly at her with a trident in his hands. It must be one of Poseidon's immortal sons, most likely Triton. She noticed the resemblance to Percy and Chris, he had the same jawline and dark hair but his eyes were anything but friendly as they met her gaze.
"Great Triton," Luke said softly his body shaking. "Just our luck."
"Traitors of the gods shall perish," Triton spat as he charged at her.
She didn't even see him move. Luke screamed her name and the next she knew she was on the ground with Luke on top of her his eyes wide and blood falling from his mouth. "I won't let them hurt you," Luke said as blood fell from his lips. His eyes went white as he coughed up blood on her.
"Luke! " she screamed as he collapsed on top of her his warm blood spilling onto her. "Luke!" Tears fell down her face as blood covered her body yet the only thing she could feel was Luke's unconscious body and his warm blood falling on her. "Luke please," she begged.
Triton glared at her she saw her life flash through her eyes. This is it. I'm going to die here. She wanted to cry, to scream at this unjust world when Triton was thrown back by a blast of energy.
"Get out of here quickly," Hecate yelled as she got in between them. "I can only hold him off for so long."
She nodded as a monster helped her carry Luke's limp body, his pulse was weak and he was bleeding profusely. Looking back she watched Triton engage Hecate, she knew he had reinforcements and the fact that they were sinking into the ocean was an advantage for the son of Poseidon. A part of her wanted to ask him for asylum but the look in his eyes was not friendly.
I'm an enemy of the gods now. Tears fell down her face as he gripped Luke's body which was starting to get colder. I'm helping Kronos revive of course I'm the enemy to all of them. She let out a sob as she held Luke's limp body close to her.
Triton would slay her just like he slew the countless other demigods on the ship who worked for Kronos. Had it been Percy, Chiron, or even Chris she could've begged to be taken as a prisoner but she knew that now if she didn't leave she would die. Chiron forgive me. Luke was her family she couldn't just leave him and she wouldn't let him die. I don't want to die here, this man won't take me prisoner and I won't let him kill Luke.
She gripped Luke's hand and charged into the portal mustering the last bit of strength inside of her. It felt as if she were passing through a dark cold tunnel, she screamed as she soon found herself hitting the muddy ground. Her body shook and her heart raced they were in some kind of swamp but more importantly, she was alive.
"Luke!" She turned over to see him, Luke was still unconscious and blood still seeped from his wound. "Help quickly I need a medic!" She felt his pulse, it was very weak. She let out a cry as he held him tightly. "Luke!"
No I can't lose you. Tears fell down her face, she ignored the blood on her own body as she held Luke carefully. You saved me. Triton would've killed me without you. His body was cold and getting colder, she cried as she hugged him. "Luke please wake up!" She screamed as she shook him, suddenly she was a child again on the run but now her only protector was out cold.
"Don't worry I got this," Alabaster Torrington said. The son of Hecate quickly came over with a bunch of other medics and quickly began to administer ambrosia.
She only held Luke's hand his pale face made her want to tear up. I can't lose you Luke not like this. It felt like an eternity as the son of Hecate healed Luke when was done he stood up and looked at her with a tired expression.
"That's the best I can do for now. He just needs to rest," Alabaster said his clothing stained with Luke's blood.
"Where are we?" She muttered.
"A safe house my mother made in Louisiana," Alabaster said his brow furrowing. "My mother still hasn't contacted me yet. Lord Kronos will not be pleased with this development."
She only nodded, her body was numb as Alabaster and the medics took Luke's body to the tent. I'm officially an enemy now in the eyes of the gods. The thought made her shake and want to cry. Luke you are all I have left. Please I can't lose you. Lets be a family again. The gods will be merciful if we go back.
Yet a part of her felt different, the look Triton gave her was as if she were less than trash to be kicked aside. He would've killed me without hesitation. Not all of the Olympians are good. Triton killed many of the demigods on that ship as if they were nothing. She didn't realize the words she thought, they just came into her head like a realization. I was nothing to him and neither was Luke. We are just traitors. Tears fell down her face as she watched Luke's body on the ground. No one deserved to die like that. To be killed as if their lives had no meaning.
It was as if a shelf in her head began to creak under the weight of everything. Why is this world so cruel? Her body was cold, it was as if she were in front of Kronos again. I don't want us to die like we were nothing.
Sitting down next to Luke she watched as his face twitched in pain. "Forgive me lord forgive me lord," he muttered his voice sounding like he was in a panic. His body then jolted and he let out a scream. "Forgive my incompetence I won't let it happen again."
"Luke!" she said as she tried to calm him or wake him but she knew it was hopeless, Kronos was not a person to tolerate failure and now he had lost his ship and Hecate was most likely captured. "Please spare him," she muttered as she gripped Luke's hand.
Luke writhed in pain on the bed, she tried to console him to calm but he wouldn't wake. Eventually, he just fell on his bed and moaned loudly before going quiet. She stared at Luke in shock before Alabaster came inside his face grim. "Lord Kronos wishes to see you."
She only nodded and followed him. I have to survive. I'll save you Luke and bring you back to your senses. Kronos's coffin was in a tent guarded by a group of heavily armed monsters and demigods. Ignoring the looks they gave her she was led into the tent where the Kronos's coffin sat on the ground his presence making everything in the room turn cold.
"Lord Kronos what do you require," she muttered with a low bow.
She was immediately hit by a wave of power that forced her to her knees. "Don't test my patience girl," Kronos growled. The hairs on her body stood up, every instinct inside of her told her to run yet she could only cower.
It didn't take a genius to know that Kronos was not in a good mood. His presence now was deadly and just being in front of him made her want to curl up in a ball and cry.
Be calm be calm. I need to live I need to show my usefulness now or I will die. "Forgive my incompetence," she said bowing deeply.
"Luke promised me you would be an excellent addition to my cause," Kronos growled "What do I get in return? Our main mode of transportation was captured by my grandson, monsters who were not easy to find dead along with countless recruits, and Hecate one of our main benefactors captured. What's worse is that I had to leave in such a degrading manner. Luckily I had many escape plans, I'm not foolish enough to sail through my son's domain without protection."
"Forgive Luke he did not anticipate the enemy well," she said carefully. "He did not take into account the reports that Percy Jackson was being trained and watched over by Triton."
Kronos growled. "Luke's arrogance cost us dearly, I will not tolerate this humiliation." The anger and hatred that Kronos was feeling hit her like a truck, she wanted to scream and beg yet all she could do was shake in fear.
She remained silent. We have to survive that's all that matters. Tears fell down her face as she remembered Triton's cold gaze along with Mr. D's glare. Does it even matter though? I'm a traitor to them.
Her heart pounded in her chest she could feel the Titan Lord's presence around her it was like being a caged animal. "I'll do my best to please you," she said quickly out of preservation.
"We'll see," Kronos said with a cold laugh. "This setback will cause me to shift plans. Do not worry Luke will live I promise you that but you both will be punished for this failure."
"Yes lord," she said her body shaking. As soon as she left the tent she ran over to where Luke was. As soon as she saw his unconscious body on the bed she went over and wrapped her arms around him and tears fell down her face as she felt his body shake.
"Luke please you can't leave me here," she whispered tears falling down her face. "We are a family you promised over and over that we are one you can't break your promise to me again." Her body shook as she held his hand, tears falling down her face as she begged
The door to the tent swung open and two large cyclops with menacing faces entered. "Your punishment," one of them hissed mimicking Luke's voice.
Her eyes widened in fear as the two monsters approached her. Suddenly she was a scared child on the run with Luke and Thalia. "No please I won't fail again. NO!"
She did her best to resist but the cyclops were strong and dragged her out of the tent. "NO!" She screamed and resisted as they tied her arms to a post and tore off her clothes. She shrieked as she tried to cover herself up tears falling down her face as the cyclops jeered at her.
"This is the punishment for failure dear," The cyclops said mimicking Luke's voice. "Your family is in my hands now." The monster glared at her holding a whip in his hand.
She shook her head, tears falling down her face as the two cyclops laughed and tied her to a pole. She closed her eyes her heart pounding in her chest as the cold wind caressed her bare body and the rope bore into her wrists.
She let out a loud scream as the whip made contact with her back. Tears fell down her face as pain spread throughout her body each lash of the whip caused searing pain through her eyes her vision turning red her head spinning as the pain became more intense.
When it was over her back was bloody and raw, yet the monsters dragged her to Kronos's tent. "P-Please," she begged as she was thrown to the ground. Being bloody and naked in front of the Titan Lord made her realize how powerless she actually was. Please Luke get up. Don't leave me like this.
"You'll know the consequences of failure," Kronos said coldly. "Break her fingers one by one."
Tears fell down her face, and her back stung as her hands were forced onto a board. She tried to resist but the cyclops was too strong as it grabbed her finger and pulled it back. "AHHH!" She screamed tears falling down her face as pain seared throughout her body as another finger was broken and another.
With each snap she thought she would pass out from pain, her vision was blurry with tears as she heard Kronos and the monsters laugh. "Foolish girl this is only a taste of my power," Kronos said. "Heal!"
The titan lord's presence enveloped her. Her body shook as a warm sensation spread from her fingers as they each became fixed one by way. She shook her face as she could feel them again.
Yet before she could react the Cyclops broke her thumb. "AHH!" She screamed as the pain shot through her again. Kronos laughed as the cyclops repeated what he had just done. Tears fell down her face as she tried to stay conscious yet with each finger that was broken her mental shelf was cracking more and more.
"Now for a present from Australia," The Cyclops laughed imitating Luke's voice. She flinched wondering what it could be just as it was thrown at her. Spiders. She had never screamed so loudly in her life as she was hit by a wave of spiders. Big Australian spiders. Her vision went white as she felt them bite her and ravage her. Luke please. Her mental shelf creaked as cracks formed around her sanity.
Over the next few days Luke remained unconscious, she along with Alabaster helped him recover. Meanwhile, Kronos continued to torment Luke in his dreams. She would try to calm him and call out to him while gripping his hands but the Titan Lord was not in a good mood.
Sleeping was the worst part of it. Each night Kronos infiltrated her dreams and tortured her mind. Foolish girl I won't tolerate this humiliation. Fail me again and you will regret it for the rest of eternity.
"Please no!" she shouted tears falling down her face as she felt his presence press against her. It was like being suffocated against a brick wall and a wall of needles. She screamed in her head, the pain was so unbearable she thought she would go insane. "We won't fail I promise."
You better not. Displease me again and you'll know the meaning of misery. Kronos laughed as various scenes from her childhood played out in her head. Her stepmother treating her badly, her leaving home, Thalia turning into a tree along with other memories and visions of her being tortured played out in her head until she woke up and find herself covered in bug bites.
The only thing barely keeping her sane was Alabaster who was kind to her and always healed her. "Don't worry it will heal," The son of Hecate said as he applied a salve on her back. "We all make mistakes. Just give him time."
"Thank you," she said softly wincing at Alabaster's touch. With the repeated floggings she knew she would eventually scar.
"We all make mistakes just try to move forward," Alabaster said softly. The son of Hecate smiled at her, it was soft and kind. A relief from the torture she constantly endured.
She nodded, numbness replacing the pain. Her mind was slowly cracking, every moment her mental shelf seemed to be loaded with some other grievance from her life. Each night Kronos repeated his mental torture, she tried to stay awake but she could only go for so long without sleep. Then each morning she was flogged repeatedly the cyclops mocking her using Luke's voice then they would break her fingers and throw spiders at her.
Luke please don't leave me I can't live here alone. Please you promised we would be a family again, you can't leave me here all alone.
Slowly she was growing crazy. The pain and torture she repeatedly endured slowly eroded her will to resist and survive just as her mental shelf slowly began to break.
"How much longer will he be like this?" She asked Alabaster as he applied healing magic on her back. The son of Hecate was courteous with her which was in contrast to how the other demigods and monsters treated her which was nothing short of contempt.
Alabaster sighed, "Hopefully soon. Lord Kronos is not happy with him. The loss of the Princess Andromeda and all the things we had on it were not something that can easily be replaced."
"Any news from your mother?" She asked.
Alabaster's face darkened, "No none. She was most likely taken captive."
"Sorry to hear about that," she said. Personally she didn't know Hecate or even Alabaster that well but she felt sorry for Hecate since she only wanted respect for herself and her children's recognition.
"I only hope my siblings at camp get wise and leave," Alabaster growled. "Those mobsters in Olympus won't hesitate to kill anyone who disagrees with them."
She nodded her mind blank from all the torture. Just like me and Luke.
The son of Hecate looked at her with a dark expression in his eyes, "They never cared for us. I take it you know that well after all doesn't your mother just leave you with those who didn't ask for children?"
"My father never cared about me either," she said hollowly her body shaking as she spoke. "He never wanted me, my mom just handed me to him when I was born. Sometimes I think us demigods are pitiful."
"Indeed we are," Alabaster sighed. "But Lord Kronos will change that all, soon those thugs on Olympus will know will suffer. Anyway let me know if Luke wakes up, I'll be back tomorrow."
She nodded as the son of Hecate left the tent. As soon as he was gone she sat down and covered her face in her hands. I'm going to die here if you don't wake up Luke. No Kronos will do unspeakable things to me before allowing me to die.
Please you're my only family left I can't lose you too. She cried thinking about that. The camp and her mother saw her as a traitor and her father didn't know she was gone. Luke was the only person she had left. She knew he was good, just misguided. Please Luke come back we are family you can't just leave me here.
Yet if she went back know would they forgive her? The memory of Mr. D glaring at her and the son of Poseidon's accusations stung. I'm an enemy of the gods. Tears fells down her eyes. Would they accept me back?
It wasn't fair but she knew that they wouldn't give her a chance if she ran to them. Her mother would most likely disown her for her actions just the rest of the camp saw her as an accomplice and traitor.
The memory of Triton caused her to flinch. His cold hard glare was all she needed to know how the gods saw her at the moment. I am nothing to them but a traitor. They wouldn't hesitate to through me and Luke into Tartarus. The memory of Mr. D through the Iris message was also a gut punch, the Camp Director's gaze was cold and if he could he would punish her.
It was that realization that broke her mental shelf. The last remnant of hope she held onto that the gods would be merciful to her and Luke. They would not care to hear about our excuses. Our pleas would fall on deaf ears. She let out a sob at the realization that the gods didn't care about her and saw her as no more than a traitor.
Alabaster continued to come and check on Luke administering him ambrosia and nectar while Luke still suffered nightmares. Kronos still punished her while she slept, she honestly lost track of the days until one day she heard Luke call out to him. "A-Annabeth," he whispered.
"Luke!" she ran and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're alive." Her heart raced as tears fell from his face. "I thought you would be dead."
"Me too," Luke said as she gave him water. After draining the glass he sighed, "I couldn't let him kill you like that. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
"Thank you for protecting me," she said cleaning her face with a tissue. "Triton would've killed me."
Luke smiled at her. "We are family don't forget that."
Her face reddened. "Thanks. You had nightmares a lot."
Luke's face darkened as he gripped his sheets. "I know. Sorry for worrying you but he is very furious at me. I did not expect Triton to help his siblings, I underestimated them."
"Don't worry I'm sure we can move for this," she said wanting to uplift his spirits. "Kronos was angry at me too." She avoided his gaze but Luke saw the bloodied bandages in the trash and looked up at her.
Luke's gaze turned to her and he noticed the red tissue on her sides, "I'm so sorry. It's my fault it happened." Tears fell down his face. "He took his anger out on you I'm sorry."
"He flogged me every day," She said her back wincing in pain at the memory. "And did unspeakable things to me."
Luke's eyes widened and he shook his head, "I have no words to express how sorry I am. I failed to protect you, I won't let it happen again I promise." He pulled her in for a hug and her heart fluttered as she hugged him back.
"Is he still angry at us?" She asked softly
"The Princess Andromeda and Hecate were both important assets," Luke said as he rested on his bed. "We suffered a blow but we will have to make up for it, I'm afraid Lord Kronos won't tolerate any more failures." He then looked her in the eyes, his eyes tired but still made her feel safe, "I won't let him hurt you don't worry."
She nodded as Alabaster came into the room. "Luke Annabeth Lord Kronos wants to see you both," Alabaster said.
Luke grabbed her hand making her body feel calmer. "We'll be there," he said before turning to her and smiling. "Don't worry everything will be alright. I'll be right by your side."
She didn't say anything as she helped Luke up. Luke took her hand which she held as Alabaster escorted them to Kronos's tent where they found the Titan Lord's coffin his familiar cold presence made her hairs stand up on her neck.
"Lord Kronos," Luke said as they both bowed to the coffin.
"Luke your failure cost us dearly," Kronos said coldly. "You shall not fail me again or you will suffer. dearly"
"I won't," Luke said quickly. "We'll continue our mission to resurrect you. We can still head west on foot. We'll raise Mount Orthrys and Olympus shall fall"
She gulped down the lump in her throat but said nothing as she felt Kronos's presence. "Our situation is more perilous now due to Hecate being captured. However, we have plenty of allies left. With them we shall overcome this setback.
"We don't disappoint you," Luke said. "Me and Annabeth will make the best plans for you."
Luke looked at her and she nodded, "Y-Yes I'll do my best to make plans for you."
"Your best plans? You both better not disappoint me again," Kronos said his voice dangerously low. "Now get ready we'll be heading west to California."