Memory 7:Luck Does Last
"Put your cap back on. Get out!" Percy begged Annabeth.
"What? No, I'm not leaving you!" Annabeth's eyes widened. Her prophecy... Was it about to come true?
Percy was insistent. "I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider-maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."
"But you'll be killed!" Annabeth yelled, starting to panic. She knew she would never forgive herself if he died, or according the her prophecy, have something worse happen to him.
Percy looked her straight in the eye. "I'll be fine," he murmured. Then his voice hardened. "Besides, we've got no choice."
Annabeth blinked her eyes hard, glaring at Percy. How could he be so calm?
Annabeth hesitated for a moment, then, on impulse, grabbed Percy's shoulder and leaned in. She pressed her lips against his, hoping he would understand what she was trying to tell him.
"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered, pulling away. She slipped her invisibility cap back on.
She stood and backed away, rubbing her eyes. Percy was staring out into the lava, his fingers trailing on his mouth. In any a better situation, she would have laughed at his expression.
"There!" A telekhine pointed in their direction. Annabeth turned and ran full out down the platform. She edged quickly along the catwalk. When she reached the tunnel, Annabeth gingerly took the metal circle out of her pocket. It changed back into a spider in her fingers, and she shrieked and flung it to the ground. It spat at her and sped off down the dirt tunnel.
Reluctantly, she followed, pulling out her knife for good measure. The spider only went a little ways before stopping again at the metal door.
Annabeth flung the door open. "Hephaestus!" She shouted. The burly man looked up grumpily from his worktable.
"Took you long enough. Tell me what you found, girl," he rumbled, placing his metal scraps gently on the table.
"Your forge doesn't matter!" she growled, marching right up to the god. "Percy is in trouble!"
Hephaestus cocked his head slightly, like a dog. "In my forges? Are you certain?"
Annabeth nodded impatiently. Hephaestus furrowed his bushy eyebrows and rubbed his beard. "Well then, you do have a problem. I might not be able to tell who was invading my forges, but I can tell you this: no mortal soul is anywhere on the mountain. Your friend is gone."
Annabeth stumbled blindly in the darkness, eyes streaming as she emerged from Zeus's fist. A startled Apollo camper almost shot her with an arrow.
"Annabeth? Where's… oh, Zeus, I'll go get Chiron." The kid rushed off.
In a matter of minutes, Chiron was galloping into the clearing. He helped Annabeth onto his back. She started to sputter out something about Percy, but Chiron hushed her. "Hush, child, not here."
He brought her into the Big House and made her a cup of tea before he would listen to her. When he assumed his wheelchair form, she began speaking quickly, all the details rushing out.
"He's gone, Chiron. Percy's gone." Annabeth hung her head in shame.
Chiron put his hand on her shoulder. "You cannot blame yourself. The Fates have chosen his time for a reason. Now come, you can rest in the infirmary until you are up to questioning."
Annabeth stayed in the infirmary for two weeks, gathering her strength and trying to come to terms with Percy's death. He's not coming back, she told herself.
He could. He's done stranger things, she argued back.
When Annabeth could stand it no longer, she left to the Athena cabin. Her second-in-command, Malcom, presented her with a sheet of green silk. In the middle, a silver trident shimmered with false color. "We, ah, thought you should do the honors. I was just about to come and get you."
Feeling out of place, Annabeth turned around and walked back toward the Big House, veering off at the campfire. Chiron stood, beside it and blew the conch horn. Campers gathered slowly around the fires, which burned black. Everyone was silent.
Chiron spoke, his voice heavy and solemn. "As many of you know, we've gathered to mourn the loss of our camper, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," Chiron stopped for a moment, clearing his throat. "We have no other choice than to assume he is dead. After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."
Annabeth stepped forward shakily, grasping the cloth tightly in her fingers. And lose a love to worse than death. Had her prophecy really come true? Worse than death. But if Percy was dead…
He shook her head slightly, choking out the words as tears started dripping down her cheeks. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He-"
Annabeth's eyes widened. Then she yelled, "He's right there!"
Percy looked almost scared, like he knew what he was in for. As the campers swelled around him, chattering excitedly, Annabeth's could feel her face growing redder. How could he just waltz back in here like that?
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" she shouted, pushing through the crowd angrily. She tackled him with a fierce hug. Feeling the campers' shock, she pulled away quickly. Softer, but still furiously she said, "I-we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"
Percy sputtered about being lost, and Annabeth couldn't help but yell at him. The kid could be so infuriating sometimes.
But still, she was glad he wasn't dead.