I'm really surprised by the amount of support this story got from just the first chapter. Hopefully it'll be able to keep that momentum. That being said, some of the first chapters will be more Annabeth or Percy-centric and their inner thoughts for some character development. Them being together doesn't come till later, cause… Well, where's the fun in that?

To those who have read my other stories, this one is completely original as shocking as it is.

Captain Annabeth Chase sat there stumped as the man smoothly took his leave. He had just strutted in, not literally, handed her letter, and walked out, all without the slightest bit of thought. Had it been anyone else, she would have assumed it was rehearsed, but Percy Jackson seemed difference. He appeared to be the on-the-spot kind of guy, not necessarily reckless, but spontaneous. There was a fine line between the two words, but Percy Jackson had measured the weight of his words as he spoke, choosing each carefully.

But that wasn't all. His behavior wasn't the only shocking part. The message was a whole another story. He had turned down the offer of captaincy for what exactly? To join a lower rank in another armed force division. Who the hell in their right mind would have done that? Certainly not Annabeth Chase. She was currently twenty-six years of age, having been recruited straight from high school at the age of seventeen. It had taken her nine years to achieve this position, and she hoped that the longer she stuck with it, the further could go. The fact that Percy Jackson was able to throw aside her ambition like that stung her.

Annabeth drummed relentlessly on the desk with her fingers. To say the least, it was driving her mad not knowing the possible cause. She had ruled out the possibility of insanity; Percy was too methodic to be diagnosed with madness. There was something else, something indecipherable in his manner.

That's when Annabeth's thought process paused, waiting before it sprinted in full speed. His manner! His gait. His demeanor. His wounded leg. Annabeth had witnessed similar ones in her years of service, yet she had never seen anyone so accustomed to it. Percy Jackson had managed to carry himself confidently even without the full functionality of his appendages.

That too was a deviation from the main source of her uneasiness. What had he meant by: M'am, don't you remember?

He hadn't been smiling. It was not a joke. But something in the manner suggested it was more. Percy Jackson was being completely serious. Was he implying he had some previous encounter with her? That she had been there when he had been shot.

Annabeth had remembered only one direct incident in which she had worked with the navy, five years previously. The marines, with the help of the navy, had deployed their forces in Afghanistan. But the memory had been but a mere blur. Annabeth had almost no recall of the incidence. Had Percy Jackson been there at the time?

Her commanding officer at the time had been in danger and Annabeth's sole focus was to protect him. Annabeth remembered being knocked out unconscious by one of the opposing Afghani Taliban forces as a member had thrust his sword deep into her side. Annabeth had of course recovered, but it resulted in 5 months of inactive duty. The surgery involved to see how deep the wound had gone was the most painful experience she had lived through. Lucky for her, there was no internal organ damage or hemorrhage.

It was possible that Percy Jackson was referring to the incident, but he couldn't honestly expect her to remember an incident like that, could he? She hadn't even recognized her face. Countless officers had been hurt that day, and he would have been just one of many. He was nothing special for her to have remembered. Percy Jackson was merely serving his country, nothing out of line with his duty.

Annabeth knew the longer she sat there deliberating this, the more irritated she would become, resorting to pulling out her already relatively short hair.

Fashion statements were quite the status quo in the armed forces. Annabeth traded her sweaty, damp navy blue uniform for one that looked exactly the same, minus the smell. Nevertheless, it felt nice having been recently laundered. She knew that she would have to take a bath sometime soon before the stench overcame her. After all, a woman had to keep up her appearances; especially a woman in a strict all-male's training facility. Annabeth was authorized, but it still felt a little odd to be the only female in the entire perimeter.

Picking her swaggering stick back up, Annabeth walked out the barrack feeling slightly more refreshed than she did when she had entered. As she walked out, the initial morning sunshine had cleared out, opening way to a full on bleak, gray-toned sky that hit Annabeth straight in the eye. Annabeth had to squint her way through to the training facility.

Feeling a little bit of a soft spot for the new recruits, Annabeth pushed the doors open with a banging force, the sound resonating through the building, causing it to shake a little. The men stopped in their tracks immediately to salute their superior, commanding officer.

It didn't bother Annabeth Chase that the men were only in their training shorts, flaunting their biceps and abs. The occasional marine, embarrassed of his beer belly, was wearing a wife-beater, but most seemed content with their physique. Annabeth had grown accustomed to the presence of buff men around her, and this year's new recruits fell short of the more experienced of the flock.

Annabeth Chase wasn't surprised to find Percy Jackson missing, but that didn't prevent her from feeling slightly disappointed. She had questions to ask him, and the sooner, the better.

"Attention," she barked once more, sounding her whistle.

"Yes Captain!" a hundred voices replied in thunderous union, the sound reverberating all around.

"Don't make a habit of it, but you are expected to be at the mess at promptly 6:45 PM if you are to be served dinner. You will not be reminded henceforth."

"Yes M'am!" Almost immediately, the men dropped whatever they were holding, all proceeding to the locker rooms to change before dinner. Annabeth, despite herself, smiled a little at the behavior. She remembered when she herself was a young, bright-eyed recruit. Of course, she had been discouraged by friends and kin alike for being a girl in the marine. They had said she wouldn't accomplish anything, and now look how wrong they were.

Annabeth knew the best time to shower was now while the men went to eat. The sole disadvantage of being a girl was that she had to find a shower time when the other marines didn't barge in. Knowing that they'd be occupied with the thought of food after a long day of intense scrutiny and exercise, she quickly rushed back to the barracks, turning on the tap water to allow for the hot water.

Soon, the steam began rising as the deafening sound of water falling from the shower head cleared her muddied mind. She slipped off her undergarments, feeling rather secure inside the shower. Only a curtain separated her from the rest of the barracks, but it felt good to be able to rub out the grime in her blond hair with the ocean-scented shampoo.

Her thoughts were drowned out by the sound of the shower pouring over her head, her hair, her ears, her eyes… It felt refreshing, invigorating after a day of being stuck in the desert-like training facility. For all she knew, it was like being in the Sahara.

Annabeth knew that the water was a gift enough and to use more of the hot water would be selfish. Before the water turned cold, she switched it off, wrapping her green towel securely around her body. Taking another towel, she proceeded to dry off her hair strand by strand as she stood in front of the mirror. It was still fogged up from the steam, but it was no matter; she only had to dry her hair. The drying was a low process, and Annabeth was beginning to lose track of time. The boys would be back in the barracks within fifteen minutes. She gave herself to more minutes to dry up before she would head up.

Just as she made up her mind, she heard a slight low, chuckle coming from behind her, a pair of footsteps coming to a stop, " Who would have guessed that even the tough Captain Annabeth Chase has some girlish tendencies, keeping up appearances and all? Sexy."

So, let me know what you think as usual. I know this had minimal dialogue, but as previously mentioned, the Percy-Annabeth interaction is supposed to come later.

Reviewing, faving, and following = incentive for faster updates

~TJ