Hello!
I'm going to skip the authors note today! This is a chapter you guys have been waiting for!
Trust me, it was worth the wait!
imma skip the Disney song, too. I don't own Percy Jackson.
Annabeth was freaking out.
What if their plan went wrong? What if she got vaporized? What if Percy was trapped forever in the Fields of Punishment?
She forced herself to calm down. Piper would be back at any moment. Then she would start Phase Three.
Sure, Piper had left about an hour ago. And they didn't know if charmspeak would work on skeleton guards.
Annabeth checked to make sure she had her phone, and that the video was on it, ready to be played at a moments notice.
She took a deep breath.
I can do this, she told herself.
At least she wasn't kissing Octavian. Gods, if he had dared her to do that at the party . . . let's just say their cover would've been blown and Octavian would be wishing for the impossible, as he was already dead.
"Hey!"
Annabeth looked up and smiled when she saw Piper run into her arms for a hug.
"Hey, Pipes! I'm guessing it's good news?"
She smiled. "Yep!" she said, popping the 'p'. "Apparently anyone from the Isles of the Blest can go see Hades whenever they want!"
"That's amazing!" Annabeth cried in joy. It was the first time Annabeth had any hope that their plan would actually work. Hope that she could actual see Percy again.
Her mind wandered back to her dream.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Piper asked.
Annabeth smirked. "How did you know?"
"You've got that look in your eyes," Piper said, smirking back.
Annabeth sighed in exasperation. She would never be able to hide anything from this chick. "So, while I was waiting for you, I fell asleep on my couch." Seriously. That thing was so soft, it felt like a cloud. "And I had a dream . . . ."
Piper nodded encouragingly.
"I talked to Percy."
Several facial expressions crossed Piper's face: excitement, confusion, shock, fear.
"What did he say?"
"He asked if I was okay," Annabeth said, chuckling. Typical Seaweed Brain. Always thinking of others first, even when he was terrible himself.
And she loved him for that.
Piper laughed at the absurdity of it all, too.
"He thought he was going crazy with the whole 'Octavian thing' and . . ." Annabeth hesitated.
"And what?" Piper asked, concerned.
Annabeth started tearing up. "He said that he was fine." Annabeth could tell that Piper wasn't at all surprised by this statement. "But he said it was because of me that he was fine. He said as long as I was happy, he was happy." Annabeth could feel the tears streaming down her face at this point. She collapsed into her friends arms.
Piper whispered words of comfort, rubbing her back and telling her that it would all be okay in the end.
Annabeth sniveled. "But that's not the worst of it. When I told him I had seen the whipping, he freaking laughed, and said, and I quote, 'It wasn't that bad. I've had way worse'-"
"WHAT?!" Piper cried.
"I know!" Annabeth agreed. "I didn't believe it, until . . ."
Piper's eyes widened. She motioned for Annabeth to continue.
"Well, I was saying how he wasn't fine when he started shaking like crazy. He kept telling me to look away."
Piper's eyes were as wide as bottle caps. "Then what happened?"
"He started gritting his teeth and grunting. He kept clutching his head in his hands. It looked like he was in pain."
"A lot?" Piper asked.
(I APOLLO-gize for any OOC in this paragraph; she is pretty broken. Then again, aren't we all? Have anything to say about that, Rick? :( )
"I don't know, but then . . . ." Annabeth threw her arms around Piper and sobbed. "It w-was horrible! H-he was in so m-much p-pain! He just s-started writhing around on the g-ground and s-screaming! I kept c-calling his name, but he d-didn't answer! I don't th-think he even heard m-me!"
"It'll be okay, Annabeth," Piper said, even though she was crying herslef. "We will get him back. The sooner you leave, the sooner he'll be safe."
Annabeth nodded. She was acting ridiculously. Crying would do nothing. She was a daughter of Athena. She had to keep a clear head. And as much as it hurt her to see Percy in pain . . . . She couldn't just sit around and cry.
"I know, Pipes." She turned towards the direction Piper came from. "Wish me luck."
I'm coming, Seaweed Brain.
"Greetings, Annabeth."
"Uh, hi, Lord Hades," Annabeth stuttered.
The place was still intimidating, but now that Annabeth was already dead, she wasn't as afraid of, well, imminent death.
"Oh, you're one of the heroes from the Isles of the Blest. Just call me Hades."
"Oh. Okay."
Annabeth looked around sheepishly. How exactly was she supposed to break it to the Lord of the Dead that a stupid Roman augur had outsmarted him?
"Tell me, why have you come, young one?" Hades asked.
Annabeth sure liked him more now that she was dead. Maybe he was like Nico: he communed better with the dead.
"Uh," she started, "I've come to talk to you about something important. What does Percy Jackson look like?"
If he said a blond creep, she was doomed. If he said dark hair and sea green eyes, she had a chance.
He seemed confused, but he answered. "He's really athletic-looking with windswept black hair and cool, sea green eyes - what, I can fangirl, Fangirls! And yes, I did just break the fourth wall."
But Annabeth wasn't listening to Hades' talk of the fandom (wink). She was too happy that he knew who Percy was.
"Why do you ask, dear?" he questioned.
"Well, I believe that . . . well, I know he is in the Fields of Punishment."
Hades was quiet for a moment. "And how do you 'know' this? That isn't possible. Percy Jackson is in the Isles of the Blest."
"Well, sir, Octavian took his place," she said.
"Who-" Hades started to say, before realization hit his face. "That no-good Roman? How, as you say, did he 'take Percy's place'?"
Annabeth took a deep breath. "Like this, sir."
And she pulled out the video.
"Well, you see, girls," Octavian was saying, "there I was, getting thrown into the Fields of Punishment."
Hazel squealed in fright. "How did you escape?"
Octavian gave her a cheesy, toothy grin he probably thought to be a daring smile. "Well, I knew that I didn't really belong there. So, I was being tortured and all, when I ran into none other than Percy's ex-stepfather, Gabe!"
Piper squealed in delight. "Oooo! Fun!"
"Yes, very fun." Octavian chuckled. "We both hated Jackson for ruining our lives, so made a plan to destroy him and revel in his pain for all eternity!"
Annabeth giggled, but it was obvious that she was gritting her teeth.
Octavian didn't seem to notice. "I know! It was an amazing plan! The both of us together were able to overcome our torturer - we had the same one, by the way - and break into the vault of magic!"
Hazel jumped up and down. "I love magic! Especially the kinds that destroy Percy!"
Octavian grinned. "I knew there was a reason I liked you girls!"
The three giggled.
"So, with the magic, we were able to switch me and Jackson around in the minds of everyone in the Underworld - except Hades, of course."
Annabeth's eyes widened, but she covered it up by asking, "What about Gabe?"
"Oh, he became a torturer! He would become Jackson's personal torturer when he finally died, and he would get to beat him up again without fearing the authorities like he did in the mortal world! And I would live in paradise."
All three girls giggled through their teeth. At their sides, tightly clenched fists were seen.
But Octavian didn't notice a thing.
Annabeth ended the video.
Hades was fuming.
Her eyes widened. "I swear, we only said those things to get it out of him!" she said quickly. "I would never-"
"Don't worry, girl," Hades interrupted. "It is not you that I am wrathful at." He changed his manner to a kinder one. "Now, about that boy, Percy-"
"Does he like cereal?" a new voice called.
"Mother!"
"What? It was an important question!"
Persephone and Demeter materialized between Annabeth and Hades like they had been listening the whole time - which they probably had been.
"Well, dear?" Demeter asked. "Does he like cereal or not?"
"Yes?" Annabeth said with uncertainty, but it seemed to be enough for the goddess.
"I say we help the boy!" she declared.
Persephone put her head in her hands in embarrassment.
"I was going to help the boy anyway!" Hades snapped. He rubbed his temples with his fingers.
"You-you will?" Annabeth asked incredulously.
Hades smiled. "Of course."
Annabeth was relieved. She would get to see Percy again. It was the best day of her life - or death. Whatever.
"Th-thank you!" she stammered out.
"No need to thank me," he said. "Thinking of Octavian listening to Opera is all the thanks I need."
Annabeth smiled. "You and me both," she mumbled, even though she wanted to see him go through a lot more than that. Maybe Piper would let her borrow her mirror . . . . "So what about helping Percy?"
"When I snap my fingers," Hades began, "Percy and Octavian will switch places, you will be sent home, and Gabe will go back to his . . . previous schedule."
Annabeth felt lighter than air. "Thank you so much!"
"But I must warn you," Hades added darkly. "Healing works differently in the Underworld. He will take much longer to heal from his tortures. You and your friends will have to get him on his feet again."
"What about Apollo?" Annabeth asked. "Can't he just heal Percy?"
"I'm afraid he has no power here," Hades said solemnly.
"Annabeth took a deep breath. They could handle it. "Alright," she said. "Do it. Let me see Percy again."
The god snapped his fingers, and everything went black.
1,704 words. I think that might be the longest yet!
Dont forget to review! I want to know what you guys thought of Octavian plan!
bu-bye!