It was funny how quickly chaos came crashing in uninvited. In one moment, Annabeth was showing Hazel one of her favorite combinations. A few punches to the face followed by a kick to the side of the knee that would stagger the person. Then, Annabeth would follow it up with an uppercut or a haymaker to the jaw. Annabeth had beaten a few opponents with it, and she had staggered twice the amount.
In the next moment, Annabeth heard a yell of pain followed by a shout. She whirled around, and her heart dropped to her stomach as she saw the scene in front of her. Hazel rushed past her, but Annabeth was frozen in place.
Frank was laying on the ground, and Percy was sitting on his chest. Percy was throwing wild punches down on Frank, who was trying to cover his head. Reyna grabbed Percy and started to pull him away. Hazel made it to their side, and together, they were able to pull Percy off.
Annabeth rushed towards them and watched as Reyna dragged Percy a few feet backward and then threw him to the ground. Reyna yelled, "What are you doing?"
Hazel moved to Frank's side and knelt next to him. Blood streamed from Frank's nose, and it seemed like he had the start of a black eye. Annabeth swallowed painfully but forced her attention to the other two. She placed herself between Reyna and Percy.
"Don't shout at him" Annabeth snapped to Reyna. She glanced at Percy. Her best friend was sitting on the ground and staring ahead. There was a faraway look in his eyes.
"He hurt Frank!" Reyna snapped back. She shoved Annabeth to the side and stepped towards Percy. Protectiveness soared through Annabeth, and she shoved Reyna with enough force to knock her to the ground.
Annabeth instantly turned towards Percy and knelt by him. She pulled him close and cradled his head against her chest. Annabeth whispered in his ear, "It's okay, Seaweed Brain. I'm here. It's just the two of us."
"You're not there anymore. You're not there," Annabeth promised. She glanced at Reyna and expected to be shoved away. Instead, Reyna was sitting on the ground and staring at them. There was still anger on her face, but there was another look in her eyes.
Annabeth focused back on Percy and rested her heart near his ear. Percy buried his face into her chest, and she hugged him. Percy's shoulders shook as he cried.
"Everything is going to be okay. I promise," Annabeth whispered as she rubbed his back. She heard a door behind her open, and Piper appeared at their side a few moments later. Annabeth was aware of the other set of footsteps, and her heart dropped to her stomach. Lupa stepped in between the two groups and looked at Frank. After a moment, she looked at Percy.
"Reyna, help Hazel take Frank to Will," Lupa ordered. Reyna nodded and slowly stood. She kept her eyes on Percy until she made it to Frank's side. Then, she helped Frank stand.
Hazel pressed a towel against Frank's face, but Annabeth could see how much blood was covering it. Reyna and Hazel led Frank away. The room was dead silent as the door closed behind them.
"Is Percy okay to be moved?" Lupa asked quietly. Annabeth looked up and slowly shook her head. Lupa nodded and sat down across from them.
"It's not Percy's fault," Piper began. "He can't control himself."
"Is Percy hurt?" Lupa asked in a quiet and calm voice.
"No. Just shaken," Annabeth answered in a voice just as quiet. She continued to rub Percy's back as his tears slowly faded into nothing. Lupa remained silent and watched them.
"I know we should have told you, but Percy has been doing so well. He hasn't had one of these flashbacks in almost a year," Annabeth began. Lupa held up her hand.
"I would like to hear the story from Percy when he is ready. Until then, take him home and take care of him. I will ask that he does not spar with us for a few weeks, but that is what I have anyone who causes an injury to do," Lupa said.
Annabeth felt Percy pull away from her. He wiped his eyes and looked up at Lupa. Annabeth continued to rub his back, making small circles where he was most tense. Piper put her hand to Percy's shoulder and gently massaged it.
"I didn't mean to," Percy whispered. He pulled his knees close to his chest and rested his chin on them. "I just snapped. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."
"We should get you home," Annabeth whispered. Percy shook his head.
"I have to explain," Percy pleaded. He seemed to be holding back tears. "Please just let me explain."
"You can explain, Percy. Take your time," Lupa said softly.
"I've just been having a bad day," Percy began. "When I was with my mom today, someone asked about Smelly Gabe. They asked how my mom got away and managed to survive working two jobs. It just put me in a bad mood, and when Frank hit me in the gut, it took me all back."
"Who is this Smelly Gabe?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth shook her head, but Percy glanced at her.
"You can tell her," Percy promised. "It's okay."
Annabeth nodded and tried to get rid of her disgust as she thought of Gabe. He had been a terrible person, and Sally nor Percy deserved to have to live with him.
"He was Percy's step-father," Annabeth answered after a few moments. "After Percy was born, his father left without a word or child support. His mother, Sally, had to work two jobs to try and support him, but he was so young that he couldn't be left alone."
"I was also a problem child," Percy said. He grinned painfully. "I ran off all the baby sitters and anyone who would watch me."
"With no one to watch Percy, Sally was forced to bring him to work or keep him at home. Her bosses weren't that understanding, and they threatened to fire her. One of her bosses called child protective services on Sally, and they tried to have them take Percy away if she couldn't find someone to watch him," Annabeth whispered.
"My mom had no family to turn to," Percy whispered. "Then, she met a man at the bar she worked at. He seemed kind enough, if not really smelly. He always smelled like he rolled around in a sewer."
"That's where he lived before he met your mom," Piper chimed in. A small smile came to Percy's face.
"Smelly Gabe somehow heard about Sally's troubles and offered to help her. My mom tried to deny him, but he kept offering and even offered to babysit me one day. That day went perfect as well. He was able to keep me from acting out, but I think that was because I was so confused by his smell," Percy admitted. He took a deep breath.
"The two ended up dating, and my mom was so desperate that she moved in with him. Something in Gabe changed, and he just became this monster. He wanted my mother to be seen and not heard. She was supposed to tend to his every whim and do whatever he wanted like she is some kind of housewife from the fifties," Percy snarled in disgust. "He kept borrowing money from my mother and digging her into a financial hole, so she would rely on him more. They got married not long after."
"Then, he became abusive," Percy whispered softly. His lips quivered, and he buried his face back into his knees. Annabeth held him close and rubbed his back again. "Please tell her."
"Okay," Annabeth whispered. She kissed the top of Percy's head and then focused back on Lupa. "If Percy acted up or did something that Smelly Gabe didn't like, Gabe would hit him. Most of the time it was a slap across the face. Some of the time it was a punch to the gut. Always in places that people couldn't see. Not even Sally."
"Sally knew something was wrong but couldn't put her finger on it. Then, she walked in on Gabe hitting Percy," Annabeth continued. "And, hell has no fury like Sally Jackson. She attacked Gabe, and he beat her to a bloody mess and concussed her. Claimed that Percy, a twelve-year-old kid, beat his mother to a pulp and fled."
"The reality was that Gabe threatened to kill Sally if Percy didn't leave. He threw Percy out of the house and called some of his buddies to pick Percy up," Annabeth continued. She hesitated and felt sick. "I don't know what his buddies were going to do to Percy, but I know those men were evil. Percy ran before they could get him, and he jumped on some random train."
"Took it to a random bus stop and found my two best friends in the world," Percy recalled. He looked up and smiled bitterly. "Well, I met the G-Man first. Then, we found another troubled kid who ran away from home. We really had to teach her how to live on the streets."
"Says the boy afraid of dumpster diving," Annabeth teased. Percy smiled slightly then looked down.
"It took me a few months to work up the courage to return home, and that was only because the police found us. I was accused of a lot of crimes, and Gabe only stoked the flames," Percy continued. "My mother marched right to the police station and demanded to speak to me. I broke and told her everything."
"And hell has no fury like my mother," Percy repeated with a whisper. He smiled slightly. "I don't know what my mother did, but I do know that Gabe is now in prison for life. My mom helped me stay out of juvie. Instead, I was given a lot of community service. I met a lot of friends, including a certain G-Man who volunteered before he even knew I would be there."
Percy sighed and buried his face back in his knees. Annabeth took the story up for him, "Sally and Percy struggled for the next couple of years, but Percy and I stayed connected. He learned that I went to this camp, and he started to attend as well. The owner, a man named Chiron, taught us the basics of self-defense. We sparred a lot, too."
"Then, Sally lost her second job, and they were going to be kicked out," Annabeth continued. She swallowed painfully. Lupa had been listening the entire time but did not move her gaze from Percy. "It's my fault, really. I'm the one who told Percy about the underground fighting that our city had."
Annabeth closed her eyes. She still wished she could go back and keep her mouth shut. Underground fighting had no rules. It was bare knuckles and didn't stop until the other fighter didn't move. If they were clearly concussed but still conscious, it didn't matter. Broken limb? Didn't matter. It was the easiest way to earn money, and that was why Annabeth had brought it up only once, and she regretted it every day.
"It's the kind of place where they used an old wrestling ring and replaced the rope with these steel wires that started to come undone and could cause cuts if you were to hit it. Dirty tactics were practically a requirement," Annabeth explained. She shivered. "Percy won his fair share of fights, but he lost a lot more. He was just a teenager trying to earn some money. Not a junkie fighting for their next high or someone who had been kicked out of the professional leagues for being too violent."
"One of his fights was bad. Really bad. He was beaten so badly that I had to beg the person who ran the fights to end it. There was no option for us but to take him back to Sally, so he could go to the hospital," Annabeth said. She sighed and looked back down at Percy. "Hell really did have no fury like Sally Jackson."
"I have never heard my mother yell that much," Percy whispered. "She wasn't mad that I was hurt but how I got hurt. She grounded me for the next year and tried to ground Annabeth."
"Never told my father about it though," Annabeth said appreciatively.
"There are just times when I just go back into that zone and see the person in front of me as someone in that underground fighting ring," Percy mumbled. "Therapy has helped a lot, but there is something about that punch to the gut. I just flashed back to Gabe and everything. Then the underground circuit just comes flooding back."
"I am so sorry that I hurt Frank. I understand if you don't want me to spar with your team anymore," Percy apologized. "Please just let me apologize to Frank before you make me leave."
Lupa remained silent for a long moment. Her face was unreadable, but there was a sad look in her eyes. Lupa spoke, "You were very brave to fight in the underground league. I have heard my fair share of stories. Seen some of its horrors for myself."
"When I stopped fighting, it left a hole in my heart. I tried to fill it with two proteges, Remy and Romy. They were both homeless boys who had nowhere to go. They trained under me, but in secret, they fought in the underground league. The two began to argue about whether to tell me or not. Remy wanted to, but Romy told him to keep quiet. It all came to a head the day I followed them."
"I confronted them," Lupa whispered. "Told them to stop fighting. Romy stormed out for his next fight, and he beat his opponent to a bloody mess. When the fight was called, he didn't stop. Remy jumped in to pull him away, and Romy swung at him. The two were fighting before I could even make it to the crowd. And Romy broke his brother's neck before I could enter the ring."
"Remy died from his wounds, and I watched Romy go into a downward spiral. I haven't seen him since," Lupa admitted. She wiped her eyes. "To know that you went to that place for your mother makes me think much more of you than I already did, and I thought very highly of you before."
Annabeth stared at Lupa and listened quietly. Percy spoke softly, "I was a fool for it."
"But braver than most men," Lupa whispered. "Knowing the horrors that happened there, I respect you for what you did and for coming out mostly intact. I understand the flashbacks you get. Sometimes, I get those when I see my Wolves fight in the cage."
"Everything just turns dark, and you have tunnel vision. I understand why you attacked Frank as you did," Lupa explained. She hesitated. "I won't ban you from coming to the gym, but I do ask that you hold off sparring for a few weeks. But do feel free to help them train."
"Thank you," Percy whispered. "Do you want me to leave today?"
"I'm not going to force you to leave, but if you need to, I understand," Lupa said. She slowly stood and offered a hand. Percy took it and was helped to his feet.
"Is that why you take in homeless kids?" Percy asked after a moment. Lupa looked at him. "Like with your sparring classes. And Nico. Or Reyna. Do you help them because of what happened with Remy and Romy?"
"I do," Lupa admitted. "Part of me feels as if I can make up for the mistakes that I made. Another part knows it is a way to honor Remy. I still feel terrible about what happened. It hurts to see another kid in their situation without anyone to help them."
Annabeth rubbed Percy's shoulder. He looked at her and smiled slightly. Annabeth smiled back. Percy glanced at the door and spoke, "Can I talk to Frank?"
"Yes," Lupa answered. Percy nodded and walked towards the door. Annabeth gave a nod to Lupa and followed close behind. She was still reeling from what Lupa had said. Annabeth wasn't expecting her to open up like that.
Piper took up the rear, and they followed Percy up the stairs. As they walked, they saw drops of blood on the floor. Percy winced as he saw each one as if it was jumping off of the ground to hit him in the face. Annabeth rubbed his back, and they made it towards Will's examination room.
Percy took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It was opened after a few seconds, and Will looked at them. Percy spoke, "Can I talk to Frank?"
Will looked back and repeated the question. The door was then opened. Percy carefully stepped inside. Frank was sitting on the bed and had an ice pack to his eye. His other hand held a towel to his nose. Hazel was standing next to Frank, and Reyna was leaning on the wall near the door. Everyone watched Percy.
"Frank, I am so sorry," Percy said with sincerity. He walked towards Frank and kept his hands in his pockets. "I didn't mean to snap like that. It's just that the punch to my gut brought me back to my past. It reminded me of my abusive step-father, and everything turned red. I just... I'm so sorry, Frank."
"It's okay," Frank replied. He smiled slightly. "Accidents happen."
"I still feel terrible," Percy admitted. He sighed and looked down. Frank stood and walked towards Percy. He rubbed his shoulder.
"You can make it up to me by buying me dinner," Frank said. Percy smiled slightly. "I understand, Percy. You don't have to feel terrible."
"I still will," Percy said. Frank nodded. "I'm going to head home today, but tomorrow we'll get that dinner. Promise."
"I'll hold you to it," Frank warned. Percy smiled and left the room quickly. Annabeth turned and followed after him. Piper took up the rear. They only made it a few feet from the room when they heard the door they just left open.
"Percy," Reyna called. Percy stopped walking and tensed. Annabeth turned around ready to defend her best friend. Reyna walked towards them. There was no anger on her face. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"You were just defending a friend," Percy deflected. He turned towards Reyna. "I get it. I would have done the same if someone attacked Annabeth or Piper."
"I shouldn't have yelled," Reyna said. She looked away for a few moments and seemed to be lost in thought. Her finger ran across her eyebrow, maybe unconsciously, where there was a scar. "I know what it's like to have an abusive parent. I just wanted you to know that I understand how it feels, and if I had known, I wouldn't have yelled. Flashbacks like that. Let's just say I know how it feels to be on both ends of it."
"It's okay," Percy said. He smiled slightly. Reyna nodded and then walked away. Annabeth rubbed Percy's shoulder.
"Let's get you home," Piper said softly. Percy nodded and looked at them.
"Thank you," Percy whispered. "You didn't have to do that for me, Annabeth."
"If you wanted me to tell the story, I was going to," Annabeth assured. Percy shook his head.
"I mean shoving Reyna like that without hesitation. You were ready to fight her to defend me," Percy corrected.
"She's not my best friend," Annabeth said. Percy smiled at her. "I'm taking the rest of the day off, and we are going to spend it together. Don't try to argue, or I will get your mother."