Yo. Gettin back in ma groove. This was uber fun to write. Enjoy.
Chapter 23
At first no one even noticed her. She stepped into the hall with the confidence of a tiger and spread her new lucious wings, but the eyes of the guests didn't stray from their conversations and dinner.
For a moment all Annabeth could do was stand there with her heart in her throat. Thinking and rethinking on what she was going to say, what she was going to do. She wanted to laugh maniacally and fly in circles above the guests but she had no idea how to take off. All she had was that pearl of happiness inside of her. A sure footed sense that she could fly. She just needed the room, the air, and the time to do it in.
When nobody noticed her still, she unfolded her wings and flapped them as hard as she could. Churning up gusts of stale air and sending the feather bouquet centerpieces dancing upwards like a delicate ballet performance.
The happy chatter and clinks of guests fell into an unearthly dull. Quiet shoved its way in the room and filled every cranny. Every gasp seemed to echo, and every shuffle of movement seemed to make an impact.
She stilled her wings, and the myriad of colourful feathers sank the ground slowly.
Annabeth was suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the amount of unblinking eyes staring at her in aghast. Their gazes dug holes into her skin like maggots. Swallowing her nerves, she stepped forward.
Not daintily, not elegantly like she had been taught, but with all the power of a woman on a mission. Letting her rage fill her veins again as she set her eyes on Octavian with thunderstorms in her death stare.
Octavian's lips quivered and he stepped backwards. His little bridal party was already fleeing the richly garbed table. To save face he stood his ground but Annabeth could read every little sign of fear in him, and delighted in it.
"I want a divorce!" Annabeth announced as loudly as she could. "You paunchy ill-bred harpy!"
Against the silence her voice echoed, sending tingles of strength up the core of her wings. The flame broiling beneath her chest lashed around in total focused ecstacy.
"Threatening me, kidnapping my friend, telling me you'd target my best friend if I didn't comply in this marriage! I'm a minor for heaven's sake. I should've been protected by my mother-" Annabeth sent a sharp glare over her shoulder and the whole party flinched- "but since I wasn't, I guess it's finally time for me to step up for myself."
Annabeth's fist met Octavian's face in a jarring punch before he could react. He withered to the floor in pain. A stream of dark red dripping out from between his fingers as he cupped his nose. A sharp hatred growing in his pale blue eyes. Just barely mustering up the courage to glower up at her. His little gull wings trembling with corked rage.
She could relate. Anger that couldn't be taken out was how she felt too towards him for as long as she'd known him. But now, she was the untouchable, and he was sitting on the floor under her. She hoped he'd remember this feeling anytime he thought of her. As for her, she knew she'd always have that sour taste in her mouth whenever she thought of him.
"Rot in hell," Annabeth added with a sweet smile as she poured his half finished glass of wine over his perfectly combed straw blonde hair.
Wiping her hands off on her white dress with a sense of finality, Annabeth twirled around and faced the crowd. It wasn't hard to find where her 'family table' was.
"Athena Chase." Her mother looked ready to faint. Breathless, and pale and responseless. Annabeth found herself wavering slightly. Besides that one time when she was in the hospital, she'd never seen her mother look so taken back. After all Athena did, and after all Annabeth felt towards her, the words came harder then she imagined.
"I hereby disown you as my mother. I won't be seeing you again..."
Athena's whole jaw quavered. Her hands flitted between her face and twisting a napkin.
"-agabuh…. buh," her mother said with tears in her eyes.
Incurably crushed.
Annabeth fisted her hands and turned away. A sense of new control in her mind but at the cost of something painful. She didn't expect it to be this raw. She thought it'd be easy.
"Now," she forced her voice to stay intact. "I must bid you all-"
"Get her," Octavian croaked weakly from behind her. "Get her!"
At first she thought he was simply yelling at anyone to grab a hold of her, but then she heard the subtle footsteps against marble and the quiet creak of an old door. Turning, she found herself the favorite direction for a small fleet of guns to be pointing at. Uniformed people were seeping in from the kitchen door. Flab face leading them with a pleased expression that stretched back his ugly little face.
Before Annabeth could even register an emotion, Piper was there holding a short sparkling dagger hemmed in gold. Artfully she stood behind Octavian and held the blade to his neck with obvious intentions.
"Turd worm dies if you take a step closer," she said resolutely. "Don't try it."
A collective gasp fell from the crowd, and timid murmurs started to press between them. In the distance, Annabeth could hear Clarice Aresto start to weep.
"Back down!" Octavian gurgled helplessly. "Please please don't."
Flab face's gun wavered momentarily before a sneer ripped up his face. "Little girl, you don't have the guts."
"Oh yes she does!" Annabeth stumbled over besides Piper. Her large wings fumbling with her. "She's insane. Total marble brain. She'll make ribbons out of Seagull Splats neck and then braid them."
Octavian whimpered.
Jason awkwardly excused and apologized himself between tables before he was standing next to Annabeth. "She'll cut off his head and parade it around on a candlestick," he said while slightly distracted by Annabeth's wings.
"Dude, focus." She hissed at him.
"And then eat his eyeballs!" He added savagely.
Flab face shifted, then shook his head and re-aimed right for Piper's skull. "I ain't buyin."
As a last resort, Annabeth pointed to Mr. Chiron sitting neatly in his wheelchair. "Ask him!" she said. "He used to teach us. He knows she'll do anything to save me."
All heads turned to Mr. Chiron, who took the 'defend Piper' torch with complete calmness.
"She's a devastating psychopath," he said without blinking an eye. "I sometimes feared for my life while simply teaching her."
"Ouch sir," Piper muttered.
"So lower your guns!" Annabeth commanded. "You heard him! This dingwad will die unless you DO AS WE SAY!"
For a breathless moment nothing happened. The rigid forms of the soldiers stayed ice still and ready when Flab face let his gun drop down to his side with a snarl. The rest followed.
"Jason. Get your car out front now," Annabeth whispered to him. "Pipes, let's move."
Jason nodded dutifully and took off in a run, and Piper stiffened and gave everyone her famous stink eye.
"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" she screamed in an admittedly unhinged way. "WE'RE LEAVING. NOBODY MAKE A MOVE AT US OR WE'LL HAVE A VIVISECTION RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"
Annabeth helped by grabbing Octavian's arm and escorting him to the door cautiously with Piper right beside her. Glancing at any sudden movements, and prickling with adrenaline as they walked. As she reached the the double doors, she managed to glance back and see Mr. Chirons sparkling eyes. Something nostalgic in his gaze, and something sad in his smile.
Collections of memories of him pooled together, and she could suddenly imagine him as someone else. Younger, taller, adventurous and with wings as large as his kindness. She didn't dare imagine the abominations made against him that lost him his wings.
I'll bring down this conspiracy. Annabeth thought as she nodded to him one last time. For you, for Percy, for everyone else who's suffered because of it.
When they reached outside, the cool air felt unreal and the fresh rain still glittered on the ground and against panes of glass. The sky, however, was clear.
Jason was waiting for them in his jazzy blue convertible with its top up. Thankfully his windows were deeply tinted.
Click click.
There was one photographer left. Gasping and trembling as she took as many photos as he could. Annabeth spread her wings for the photo woman in a dazzling sheet of white, and the lady fell back on her rump still clicking away.
When the doors to the car finally shut, and they were finally speeding away Piper started to sniffle.
"That was…"
"Intense I know." Annabeth leaned forward so she could talk past Octavian (who had the good fortune of being wedged between them in the backseat).
"No! Amazing!" Piper beamed as her little wings fluttered. "You made this turnip head bleed and covered him with wine, you totally shamed your mother, and Annabeth your wings, heavens your wings! You did it, and I'm so so proud of you I could cry-" she sniffled again "-in fact I think I will cry."
"So uh, you going to explain those things or…" Jason glanced warily back at them from behind the wheel. "That is not normal. Is it an allergic reaction? Or…"
"Long story short," Annabeth said. "my forest hobo boyfriend found a way to fly, and the secret to it was in my compass all along."
Jason looked way less satisfied with that answer then when he hadn't any answer at all.
"What's the secret?" Piper leaned forward eagerly.
"Not now." Annabeth glanced at Octavian who had wisely been keeping his mouth shut, and looked a little blue. "After we are rid of this skin tag person."
"You've successfully escaped," Octavian grumbled. "Couldn't you just leave me on the sidewalk and be done with me? I am no longer useful to you."
Piper lifted her dagger again, this time placing the tip right above Octavian's adams apple which bobbed in fear.
"Not until you tell us where they're keeping Percy," Annabeth said cooly.
"It doesn't matter what I tell you," Octavian sneered. "You'll be going there to join him anyways. They will catch you Annabeth. Unless you stop this madness and turn things back to the way they were."
"Damn, how did you stand this guy for so long? I'm in his presence for five minutes and I already want to throw him off a bridge." Piper slid the blade closer to his neck.
Octavian shivered.
"Who's Percy?" Jason asked from the front.
"Forest hobo boyfriend." Piper filled in.
Jason looked even more perplexed. Annabeth was just glad that none of this was having any effect on his driving abilities. Thankfully, they'd listened and it seemed no one had followed them from the venue. It was only a matter of time however so it was best if Jason kept driving. Getting caught right now was not an option.
Or is it….
"Jason, pull over by that bridge! Piper, give me your dagger. Octavian, make so much as a noise and I will not hesitate to cut out your vocal cords."
The car veered off to the side in the middle of the medium sized bridge, and Annabeth popped open her car door to welcome more wing room. With Piper in tow, she yanked Octavian out of the car and dragged him to the edge of the bridge. Warily glancing at the passing cars and feeling the pressure start to burn behind her eyes. Any moment someone could show up and arrest them all. She couldn't let that happen to Piper.
"You're not serious." Octavian squirmed with an ugly expression still oiled on his face. "There will be consequences if you do this. You better reconsider!"
"Feet first dear. Otherwise you might break something." Annabeth smirked at him.
Octavian's gull wings started vibrating. "You can't do this! I'm your husband now! This… this is illegal!"
He was stronger then he let on, but with Piper's solid grip aiding her, he was easily maneuvered to the edge and propped over the side of the metal guard rails.
"That's never stopped you before." Piper pointed out sullenly.
"NO, NO YOU CAN'T!" he screamed in hysterics now. Struggling with all his might.
Annabeth jutted the dagger into his arm, creating a small cut that stained his white dress shirt with a small oval of dark crimson.
Octavian gasped in horror. Tears of hurt and anger gathering in his eyes.
"You… you stabbed me!"
"Barely," Annabeth scoffed. "Now adieu to you, you ugly crumpet."
In sync with Piper, they shoved him over the side and let him drop. His screams reverberated over the black waters of the slow river, and off the tall buildings checkerboarded around them.
Annabeth waited for the heavy splash, and the heave and sputter of someone surfacing, but it never came. Octavian's voice just kept screaming and screaming.
Sharing a confused look with Piper, they peeked over the railing to a very pitiful sight.
During their squabble, in fighting Octavian over the side, a small garbage barge had driven beneath the bridge silently, and had the unfortunate timing to catch Octavian on his journey to the water.
Octavian was ass deep in rubbish while yowling his unholy head off that his legs were broken. Flapping his little pathetic wings as if they could lift him away from the muck.
In the stern of the boat, Annabeth could see the captain jamming out with some headphones, and blissfully unaware of his new passenger.
A revolting lukewarm smell of rotting food, festering toiletries, animal wastes, and melty plastic bags drifted up towards them in the wake along with a few stray flies. Piper turned away when Octavian paused screaming in order to vomit up his fancy wedding meal all over himself then promptly start to cry.
"Ooh, that's rough." Annabeth winced and covered her nose.
She truly and honestly didn't mean to break his legs or drop him in something so vile. She simply wanted to make him go for a swim. Plus, there was a good chance that Octavian wouldn't be found until the barge made it to dock. He was in for a very long, and very disgusting night.
"I know." Piper sympathised. "That poor garbage barge."
Annabeth tried to stifle her laugh while turning the dagger over in her other hand. A filling sense of calm was starting to take root deep in her core as she stood there. Something about seeing the man that caused her nightmares being taken out with the trash unwound all her worries.
I'll find you Percy. She thought resolutely. Tonight, if I can.
Then they were back in the car driving in silence. Watching the orange lights from the city roll through the windows as they passed, and relishing the darkness that kept them safe so far. Annabeth had given Jason a very specific address, and he drove through alleys and supermarket garages to get there. Anything to keep them from being recognized and chased.
Thankfully, Jason was highly amused by their way of getting rid of Octavian. Every few seconds he would chuckle to himself.
Piper was content to just sit sideways in the back seat and be in awe of Annabeth's wings. Pulling absentmindedly at one of her primaries in awe.
"What is the secret?" She finally asked while glancing at her own little stubby wings.
"I'll tell you, only if you tell me why you had a dagger tonight." Annabeth bargained while holding out the shiny weapon to her best friend. A few flecks of dry blood still on its tip.
"She was going to kidnap you," Jason answered for Piper nonchalantly from the front. "Pirates of the Caribbean style."
Piper blushed a deep rose colour. "Traitor," she scoffed, but with a smile.
"Kidnap me?"
"I was desperate. Give me a break. Now tell me how to achieve the size of those wings!" Pipes leaned forward eagerly. Her kaleidoscope eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Okay. Just believe you can," Annabeth shrugged.
Piper's face fell. "What? No, that can't possibly be it."
"Trust me," Annabeth said. "That's all it takes."
Piper sat back, troubled. Unworking invisible knots with her eyes, and chewing on her lips. Annabeth caught Jason glancing back, but he remained silent.
"Don't," she said while shaking her head. "Don't try tonight."
"Why not?"
Jason pulled the car in beside a skyscraper, and yanked it into park. Swiveling around, he met her eyes with a sad quietness as if he figured out what she was going to do.
"You can't get caught yet. I need you on the outside."
"On the outside of what?"
"Of… whatever prison Percy's in. I need you to break us out."
The colour drained from Piper's face. "Us?"
Annabeth nodded solemnly. "I'm going to be purposefully caught. They are going to bring me straight to Percy."
-{:oOo:}-
She couldn't count the number of stories reeling beneath her. Neither could she tell if the air was thin, or it was just her nerves. All she knew was that she had to jump from that dizzying height. She needed to trust her wings for all they were worth.
That was an easy trust to have when you were safe on the ground looking up at the stars. But when you were on Olympus Industries skyscraper, the tallest building in the city, it felt like trust didn't even exist.
For a moment, Annabeth wished that Jason's dad didn't own this terrifying jump off point. Or that Jason and Piper were kind enough to escort her inside and guide her to the top. She wished they weren't behind her, holding their breaths in anticipation because as of that moment, she felt like she was about to disappoint everyone.
Even herself.
"Come on Annabeth," she whispered with her heart in her throat. "Do it."
The breeze caught her short breathed words, and although it was impossible, Annabeth could only picture her words falling. Falling at lightning speeds past the tall windows of the building, falling through the clear rain smelling air, falling through puffs of exhaust poured out of the shorter stubbier buildings.
Splatting against the puddle dotted pavement. Beside those tiny specks she knew were cars. Under neon lights that painted the streets and the almost invisible pedestrians.
A grease spot. A piece of roadkill. A failure.
There was nowhere else for her to go. Off this ledge was all she had.
Unless she wanted to live like Percy did. Hide in his little cave. Being reminded of him every day in solitude as she failed to take off.
No.
The breeze curved and caught on the thick folds of her wings. Every feather started tingling at its base as a single memory set her mind on fire.
Percy flying with her in his arms. The thunderous sky before them, and a forest of tree peaks below them. The full feeling in her chest as he dove, as he swerved, as he beat the air.
Annabeth stretched out her wings until they strained against her back. Taking one last gulpy breath as she closed her eyes and absorbed it all. How she could feel every channel in the air, the rhythm of the gusts, the subtle rises and falls and the potential that was there in her wings. With her wedding dress rustling, and her arms outstretched, Annabeth tipped forward and allowed herself to fall.
For a few wildly lurched heartbeats, she dropped like a stone. Cries of the wind shooting past deafened her ears, and yanked at her hair. She couldn't breath. It felt as if someone were holding a vacuum to her lips.
Then her wings caught, and she was gliding. Still going down, but gliding.
An elated giggle burst out of her mouth as she stared at the streets criss crossed below her. The streets she didn't pancake onto. From behind, Piper and Jason were cheering as loudly as they could and filled her heart further.
This is absolute freedom she thought with a contagious grin. This is living!
Confidently she tried flapping, and sloppily managed to get a bit of height. Waving her arms around as well in the process and disjointedly managing to look like a drunk pigeon. She didn't care, she was hooting with ecstacy.
She managed an off-balanced turn and breathlessly made her way past Jason and Piper. Waving to them with both hands with the light feeling in her chest beaming out through her eyes.
Just when she was scanning on where to go next, a stitch started gnawing on her side. Annabeth wiped the sweat collecting on her neck. Flying wasn't as easy as Percy made it out to be. It was really physically exerting. So, while swallowing her pain, Annabeth tucked her wings in and fell into a short dive.
Zaps of terror raced around under her skin at the sight of earth spinning so quickly at her, so she yanked back and shambily flapped herself into a rocky hover. Losing height piece by piece as the walls of more buildings started to lock her in. She couldn't keep this up. She needed to act.
That's when she noticed the people on the street looking up at her in fear. Phones out and pointed at her. Backing away as she fell closer and closer to the pavement. Their tiny wings fluttering nervously.
With a last rough exhale, she landed heavily on a car and doubled over to catch her breath. Wishing slightly that she was in the woods instead of the ripe smelling streets. That she'd given herself more time to learn how to fly before enacting this crazy scheme.
"But no, I rush things like a maniac." She muttered to herself before straightening.
People were hesitantly stepping closer. A crowd of a scarce fifteen Annabeth would say. Looking up at her in total gobsmacked awe.
She thought she should say something. Something valiant perhaps. Something that would stick with them and help move the fight for wings forward. At that moment, however, her mind was being stickly with words so she waved like nobility and tried to pretend that she wasn't burned out from that tiny flight.
More, I need to be seen by more.
Just as the thought hit her, the distant sound of a chopper bounced around the street. Heart twisting, she leapt off the car and stroked her wings downwards with all the strength she could. Managing to take off shakily and dip down a busier street. Cars rear-ended each other upon seeing her, and several alarmed screams punctured the traffic lulled night. The stagnant air was fighting her towards the ground. There was no wind to support her here, down in the crevices of the city.
Panting, Annabeth managed to pull up onto a squat building ledge and catch her breath. Flashes of light painted her vision as more people started taking pictures. Sirens from police cars took over her focus, and she took off again. Blue and red lights blinked against brick wall sides at the end of the street as she violently beat her wings away. Air scraping her throat as she heaved. Spots starting to swim in her eyes.
The choppers thrum grew poundingly closer.
Chopper?
No, there was more. She couldn't tell if they were in one direction or all directions. Their drum like beats enclosed her, sending chills of panic coursing up her spine.
More!
She zipped down another street. Raggedly thumping her wings now. Hoarse coughs spasming out of her chest as she struggled to breath. Cramps twisting up her side as she clamped down on them. She took every turn she could. Swooping as low as possible so every set of eyes could not mistake her form.
Suddenly a blinding light attached itself to her from above. All she could register was the heart thrilling sound of a helicopter right above her. She sped down the heart of the city. Holding her hand to her chest and begging her lungs to take her just a bit farther.
But it hurt to breathe. Like needles were spilling into her lungs.
The sirens were louder. Everything was going blurry. Shouts and cries and startling sounds erupted from the ground as she passed. She tried to stay within the light of the street lamps so people could see her but it was difficult.
A sharp petoo sound rang past her ears and a sharp pain illuminated her side. Sharper than cramps. A cold chill seeped into her body from the slash in her side. Crimson dribbled out and stained the starch white silk of her dress. Annabeth tried to staunch the blood with her hand but it was no use.
Just a bit more.
She made it to city hall. The large domed marble building illuminated with life. Some sort of charity event livening up the gardens.
Petoo.
When she glanced at her shoulder she saw an empty syringe. A feather dart. Black started biting at the corners of her vision.
The party.
She dove forward. Barely registering the loudspeaker voice screaming at her to halt. Barely feeling the burn in her lungs anymore. Barely being able to see her own hands clearly.
She startled the party by skidding onto the koi pond and sinking into its depths. The last images coursing through her mind were silhouettes peering over the surface of the water, and the flickering fins of orange and white fish as they settled around her drifting form.
She released her last bubble of air before succumbing to the embracing darkness.
Muahaha. Hate that crusty ass Octavian. Writing him in trash was very satisfying.
