The Mark of Athena

A/N: Hi everyone Disclaimer (Do I have to say this every chapter?): I don't own PJATO or HoO (As much as I wish I did, I don't). On with the story! By the way, I'm at 9,509 hits and counting! So this extra chapter is a REWARD! You guys are the BEST! PLEASE REVIEW!

ANNABETH:

When the griffins put Jason and I down, we were in a prison cell. I knew Gaea had ordered the griffins to kidnap us so I have no idea how we will get out of here.

Some guards appeared out of nowhere, and pushed us to the floor next to some unconscious person.

The person groaned and I rolled him over and…. Oh my gods.

"Nico?" I exclaimed. Jason glanced our way and frowned.

The person nodded, yes, it was Nico!

"Nico di Angelo?" Jason asked.

Nico nodded.

"Didn't I meet you in Camp Jupiter?" Jason asked him.

Nico groaned and sat up. His face was scratched terribly, his hair was a matted mess, and he was painfully thin.

"Yeah, you did." Nico said.

I narrowed my eyes, "You were at Camp Jupiter this whole time we couldn't find you at Camp Half Blood?"

Nico nodded slightly.

"So, was Percy there when you were at Camp Jupiter?" I asked.

Nico nodded again.

I would've punched him if he didn't look so sick because that meant he had known all along where Percy was and never told us.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I demanded.

"The gods made me promise not to interfere, you guys had to find Jason and Piper and Leo or else you could never defeat the giants… I couldn't tell you." He said quickly.

That was smart, but I was still mad that he hadn't told us.

"How's Hazel?" Nico asked.

"You know her?" I asked.

"He's her brother." Jason explained.

Well, obviously. I thought. Nico is Hades' son and Hazel is Pluto's daughter and their basically the same god.

"How are we going to get out of here?" I asked.

"Well, knowing Percy, he's probably on the Argo II right now, but we can't count on that." Nico said.

"He's right. We need a plan." Jason said.

Of course we all knew that, what plan?

"We can't talk about the plan here. Gaea will know how we plan to break out and she'll stop us."

"That's true, but how will we know the plan, when we come up with it?" Jason said.

"Just follow my lead when it comes to that. If it ever does come to that." I said.

Nico stiffened.

We heard a harsh laugh, a terrified scream and a sword clanging to the ground.

"What happened?" Jason asked to no one in particular.

Nico answered,

"Gaea's killed someone; probably a servant."
I nodded knowing it was true since Nico's powers allowed him to hear people dying.

"So… Is it a good thing Gaea's killing her servants?" Jason asked nervously.

"Not likely. She's probably mad and that not good. Something big must've happened…Something that's good for our side." I said.

We heard someone walking near the cell and yelling at the guards to let them inside the cell.

Gaea walked in, completely calm and at ease. She looked so calm after she'd just killed someone; I wanted to strangle her so bad.

Gaea smiled at each of us and spoke in a harsh and cold voice.

"Hello, Daughter of Athena and Son of Jupiter, what a pleasure."

"It's not a pleasure to us." I said coolly.

The Earth goddess laughed.

"Well, it is a pleasure for me to see you here, so that you will join me, or else you will rot in this cage forever."

"I'd rather die than join you." Jason said. Nico and I nodded in agreement.

"Well then I suppose you will die, if that is what you wish. But first, hear what I will say. Tell me, daughter of Athena, son of Jupiter, son of Hades, how many times have your parents come to see you? They abandoned you all; they left you unprotected during the Titan War-"

"They had no choice, Typhon was destroying America." I said.

Gaea laughed bitterly. "They did have a choice. They could have left those puny mortals to die and save their own children. But, if you join me, I wouldn't abandon you, ever."

Nico, Jason and I looked convinced. I opened my mouth to say retort that the Ancient Laws forbid the gods to save us, and interfere with our destinies, but I knew Gaea would not care. She'd hit a sour spot with us, the gentle spot of all heroes who wanted more than anything to see and talk to their godly parents on a regular basis, but we couldn't. That was the way things were with the gods. They kept us alive, for that we were grateful, but they kept at a long, painful distance. Even gods themselves had said in the past that they hated staying away from their children, but that was the way of the fates; they had to follow that rule, as immortals.

I knew I was about to make the worst mistake of all, joining the evil side, so I hesitated to speak an answer.

"If you do not join me, Annabeth, Percy will die as my pawn." Gaea whispered in my ear.

I drew a sharp breath. Percy would die if I didn't join Gaea's side. The person I loved most in the world, besides my family, would die. Come to think of it, they would all die.

I opened my mouth to say that fine, I would join her if she didn't hurt Percy or anybody I cared about but right before I spoke, I remembered how Luke had deceived Silena in that exact same way. And how that decision, to join the Titans' side and become their spy, had caused her death. I would die one day, maybe really soon, but I would not die as a traitor to my family and friends like Silena had died.

I would not do that to Percy, or my family.

I would die here if that's what had to happen.

JASON:

When Gaea had whispered to Annabeth, I knew we were dead. There was no way Annabeth would ever cooperate with Gaea, not even for Percy.

Oh no, I thought. That's how she'll convince me.

Annabeth breathed in sharply, her large intelligent gray eyes blazing with anger and indecision.

She opened her mouth then stopped herself. I immediately knew she had remembered something important, something influential to her decision.

Nico nudged me.

"Don't listen to her, whatever she says she'll do for you, she's lying; trust me, I know." He said.

I knew that was true, but I couldn't bear to think about that. I couldn't lose Piper, the one light in my world of darkness when I had lost my memory, completely lost it, not like now, when I still remember fuzzy bits and pieces from my old life that are everyday getting clearer and clearer.

I also couldn't lose Reyna either. Even though she wasn't my girlfriend, I still had feelings for her. I remembered that much from my past.

So now Gaea has 2 convincing reasons to join her, I thought glumly.

I looked up and saw Gaea moving swiftly toward me. I flinched when her raspy voice spoke in my ear, making the goddess smile cruelly.

"You and I both know, Jason, that you will do anything for your girlfriend and that other girl, Reyna," my heart raced faster.

"If you don't join me, you will hurt both of them, by dying." I knew she was right, and the choice was just about killing me, but I also knew I had to do what was right, for the sake of my friends, family and the world.

I would not join her, no matter what she did to me.

Then, I remembered something else from my past.

Lupa had once said to me, as she had said to every Camp Jupiter camper, that death in battle was honorable. I figured if I was to die today, it would be because I went down fighting, not because I'd bent to Gaea's will and destroy the world, causing millions of people, including myself, to die.

Gaea walked in the center of the cell, smiling at all of us because she thought we were joining her.

That thought gave me the courage to oppose her, even if it meant dying.

"Well, demigods? What is your decision?" Gaea asked.

I glanced at Annabeth who nodded.

Then I looked to Nico who also nodded.

And I spoke for all of us: "We'll never join you, Gaea."

The goddess roared in anger and screamed to the guards.

The guards came scampering inside the cell, to wait for their mistress's orders.

"Guards, kill them." Gaea said.

I closed my eyes as I waited for the death blow.

But it never came.

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