"Shoot."
"Okay then" he pulled his gun out and gave her a grin enjoying the scared but frustrated look on her face.
"I didn't mean literally."
"Well then you should refrain from saying things like that. As you can see, Ms. Chase, I can be a very literal person" he said all traces of humor gone from his voice as he looked at her coldly. Seeing that she got the point, he continued
"Now as long as you are here, you are free to go where ever you wish, everywhere except my office and the stairs. You may not enter this room without permission. Other than that you are free to do as you please but you are required to join us for dinner tonight at 7 pm."
The way he spoke reminded her of a player you would find in a bar on Friday night, smooth and sultry. He looked too young to be behind that desk.
"Are you done staring?"
Annabeth opened and closed her mouth like a fish, embarrassed at being caught. The man smirked. "Any questions?"
"Who are you?"
He didn't reply.
LINE BREAK
The next day she woke up bright and early. After getting ready for the day she headed straight to the massive library. It was one of the few rooms with large windows. As she picked up her favorites, she curled up in the light of the day and spent quite few hours of her time immersed in the world of Dickens. After finding out that computers were available in the lab, she had Reyna help her with the software for 3-D design so she could build online.
A distant dream of hers was to be an architect. She wanted to see the buildings she had built stand all around the world. She wanted the fame long after she was gone for being one of the best. She wanted her buildings to be permanent, last more than a lifetime. After getting her degree in design and building three years ago, she went straight to work, drawing and planning. But no one even bothered to look at something that came from a poor girl from the suburbs.
At around six fifteen, she went back to her room to shower and get ready for dinner. Deciding to go semi-formal, she chose jeans and a t - shirt. She made her way down to the kitchen and the dining room and saw a large table big enough to seat about twenty. It was laden with food that smelled amazing. Most of the seats were empty with the exception of the man that brought her here sitting lounging at the head. He sat up and gazed at what must have been his company as he watched them file in one by one
"We have someone with us for the time being, an old friend of mine, Annabeth"
He introduced them one by one and they all greeted her with some form of hello ranging from grunts to waves. She sat down at the only seat available which was at the end of the table. As soon as she sat down the table sprang into action. Everything was moving, everyone serving themselves and everyone helping one another out. After everyone had been served, they sat down and talked like normal teens. They gossiped and one girl even pulled a book out and started to read while she took sips of her soup.
Annabeth was surprised; she expected them to be cruel and heartless bastards like in the movies, throwing her into some uncomfortable cell and chaining her to the wall; not sitting around a tables acting like teens. The girl that was named Piper noticed her sitting there staring at her plate and came over, shoved Leo out of his seat at Annabeth's right and sat down. Leo glared at her but went to go sit in the seat that Piper had abandoned.
As she looked at Annabeth with a critical eye, Annabeth felt self-conscious, as she twirled her blonde hair around her finger and stared at the floor. She looked up and met Piper's kaleidoscope eyes. They showed no signs of hatred towards her just immense curiosity
"Soooo... " Piper drawled" how's life?"
"Good" Annabeth said a little scared
"Cool" Piper replied and went back to her food. Annabeth looked at her and decided she was strange, but in a good way.
The weeks turned into months and the month turned into years, or at least to Annabeth but in reality - sadly- it had only been two months since she first got here. She spent every day almost exactly the same way. She missed being outside, going to the coffee store with Luke, her chats with Thalia. She missed her little brothers and her parents. As she thought about it, she realized how much she resented them. They took away her life, her friends, her fiancé, her family. Everything and she wanted it back.
She refused to eat, and even if she did she was too upset to keep it down. She stayed in her room reading and thinking about her mother and how she missed her. Her childhood hadn't been so good but she managed to pull through.
She refused to eat, and even if she did she was too upset to keep it down. She stayed in her room reading and thinking about her mother and how she missed her. Her childhood hadn't been so good but she managed to pull through.
LINE BREAK
Annabeth couldn't take it. She wanted to go home so that is what she was going to do. She packed food, clothes and a couple of twenties in a blanket and attached them to a crowbar. Walking out of her room, she snuck down the hallway where the stairs were. She opened the door and climbed up the winding staircase. At the top, she opened the trapdoor and climbed onto the concrete sidewalks of New York. Judging by the moon Annabeth estimated it was about nine o'clock at night. She started walking in a random direction, taking random turns here and there, now looking back not the smartest thing to do in New York City. And somehow, she ended up in an alley way. Seeing that she hit a dead end, she turned around only to hit something else.
Arms slipped around her and a spine-chilling voice whispered in her ear "Sweetheart, isn't it a little late to be out on the streets."
He whirled her around so that she was facing him. He had a handsome face, she had to admit but something about his blue eyes ticked her off. They just weren't normal; they had mad fire in them that chilled her to the bone.
"Someone as sexy as you shouldn't be out this late at night. Shouldn't she boys?"
Two more men stepped out of the shadows and stood a few feet from the entrance to the alley, making sure that she could not run. The one holding her then picked her up and slammed her against the brick wall. She gritted her teeth in pain and spit in his face. His face contorted to a look of fury and he whispered
"That was not something you should have done sweetheart" he murmured then slammed his lips on to hers. She tasted alcohol on his lips and did her best to get away but failed miserably at the attempt. He started trailing his hand up her thighs, she still struggled to get free but he held her firmly and went faster up her legs. He never got there a needle thin knife sprouted from his hand and he yelped and he dropped her and she scrambled behind a trashcan. She looked out from around the trashcan and saw a familiar lean body twirling a knife around in his right hand.
"Who the heck are you?" Her attacker asked
"Just someone who can easily kill you"
"Oh really, cause I think I can kill you too." The guy drawled. He whipped out a knife and stabbed it into Percy's leg, or at least tried to; he missed by a couple inches but still managed to nick him.
"Ouch that hurt" he said in a fake baby voice
"Well that's more where that came from. Come on boys we have some scum to kill. Boys?" the thug looked to the entry way expecting backup. They never came.
"Awww I'm sorry, was I not supposed to kill them?" Percy asked looking back almost ruefully at the two men on the floor, each with a knife sticking out of their throat. The man looked at him with a look of fear on his face. That fear quickly turned to calculation. He wanted to get out of there alive.
"Sorry, but you kind of deserve this" and with that her savior turned on his heel and stalked a few paces away. The guy took this as a chance to escape. He tried to bolt for the exit winding around the man blocking his exit and past the trash can Annabeth was hiding behind. He almost made it to the exit when the green eyed man whipped around and flung a knife to his back. It buried itself hilt deep and the man crumpled Annabeth was trying not to think about how satisfying that was to see him with a knife in his back. She slowly came out from her hiding spot and sat down in front of the trash can in plain view. A green eyed gaze swept over the alley and landed on her, scrunched up in front of the trash. He walked over to her and picked her up bridal style cradling her in his arms.
"Don't worry, you're safe now. Don't be scared. Someone's waiting out front to take you back to base" he whispered soothingly into her ear
She hated being treated like a child but she didn't object to his soothing and found his arms quite comfortable.
"Thank -" she tried but he interrupted her with a soft "shhh sleep now"
For once in her life Annabeth obeyed the order given to her
…
Thalia hadn't seen Annabeth for two months and she was getting worried. She'd called Luke but he didn't know either. Her dad seemed to know where she was but they couldn't get any information out of him other than the fact that she was safe. Even so, Thalia didn't believe Mr. Chase, He had never been a good liar.
She was walking back from their coffee shop hoping that Annabeth would have shown up, sadly she hadn't so Thalia was walking home, looking at the floor as she walked. She felt a buzzing in her pocket. She pulled her phone out and answered it thinking it was Luke or Mr. Chase.
"Hello?"
"Hi" a voice said weakly
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Awww" She cooed" Thalia, I'm sad that you forgot the sound of my lovely voice."
"Annabeth? Where are you, two months girl, what happened?"
"Thalia, you should know where I am, I know you do"
"No I don't"
"Yes you do, think about it."
"Whatever, are you okay?"
"Yup just peachy"
Annabeth hung up with Thalia and set the phone down. She glared up at the dark haired man in front of her. He sat there unflinching, under her gaze.
"Who are you?"
"Is this really the time to be asking? I mean you did just get phone privileges and talked to your best friend in the entire world. This should be about you." He sounded utterly sincere but his voice held the undertone of mockery.
"Who are you?" She repeated.
"So demanding."
"Just answer the question." she snapped obviously losing patience.
He whirled on her, his bright green eyes blazing. "You have no rights to be making demands. You are here alive because of me and you will leave here dead if you ask again. I will say when I decide to not on your whims. I call the shots. And you'd better not forget."
"I don't care, Kill me. Do whatever, I'm calling your bluff. You won't kill me. Deep down we all know that you won't. So tell me who the heck you are."
"Well, well, Wise girl, same little spitfire eh?" The flame in his eyes reducing to a twinkle.
Annabeth blinked in surprise. The only person who had ever called her wise girl was a friend she had known in grade school. She really couldn't remember his name, Peter Johnson, or Parker Justin?
No, Percy Jackson
"Percy?"
Percy grinned "In the flesh. What took you so long?"
Annabeth actually took the time to answer his question in her head. For starters he was about two feet taller. He had definitely filled out and his face had lost its roundness and was all sharp lines and angles. Annabeth was speechless.
"This is a lot of info for one day. Sleep" and he abruptly left the room.
Annabeth lay down on her bed and with Percy as the last thing on her mind, fell asleep.