Okay okay okay, I know I've been the absolute most horrible evil fanfic author ever. It's been MUUCH too long, but I've been trying to come up with another plot point for the quest, but it hasn't worked, so I decided to take a break from the quest for a little bit. PLEEEEEAAAASE forgive me for not writing in forever. All of my documents are gone actually, so what's up there right now is up there for good. Okay, time for a fresh start on this thing.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH they took out the horizontal line thing! :(:(:(
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or characters or anything from the Percy Jackson franchise.
Percy stared at the projection of Hades, "Lord Hades, if I may, before you send me on another part of this ridiculous quest, I have a question. Or, uh, a request rather." Hades shot Percy a questioning look.
"Very well, boy, what this request?"
"Can I send Iris Messages to my friends?"
"You may send a maximum of two Iris Messages to your comrades, so long as you do not request backup or help. Remember boy, this quest is yours, and yours alon-"
"Okay, okay, I get it! I have to do this on my own." Another question flitted across Percy's mind, and holding back tears, he asked, "I have a follow up question. Am I allowed to send Annabeth an Iris message while she's in the Underworld?"
Hades face filled with disgust, "Why, of all the ridiculous requests!" then, Hades thought for a second, "Alright, boy, I suppose I cannot stop you from trying. You may send an Iris message to your fiancee, but since she is still one of your comrades, this will be one of your two Iris messages. Deal?"
"Deal." Percy could hardly believe that he could actually see Annabeth again. Just thinking about it made him feel that much closer to her already.
Percy waited for the Lord of the Stupid Quests and Requests to be gone. Then he pulled out his bag of golden drachmas to start making Iris Messages. He thought about calling Annabeth first, but he decided to save the best for last. He searched around the Smithsonian for a lit fountain and finally found himself at WWII Vetrans Memorial fountain.
He threw a drachma into the water and said, "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering." He thought hard about Jason, who's face then filled up all of the huge amount of mist being produced by the fountain.
"PERCY! Hey, man, where you been?"
"Jason, I have some news, but go get everybody else, I have some news." Jason left to gather everybody. Including, to Percy's surprise, Frank and Hazel. "Okay, we have to skip formalities here, I have new-" The voice of Iris suddenly appeared.
"For another three minutes, please add another drachma," Percy obliged.
"Listen, okay. I'm not quite sure how to say this, guys, but, something went wrong with the quest."
Everyone's faces filled with concern, Hazel spoke first, "It's...It's Annabeth. Isn't it?"
Everyone looked at Hazel, "What?!" they all said simultaneously.
Percy's eye's filled with tears, "Yes."
Hazel's eyes did the same, "No..."
Percy realized something, "Hazel, how did you know what I was going to say went wrong?"
"I'm a daughter of Pluto, remember? I can feel when people go to my father's realm."
"And you didn't tell anybody? Why?"
"I didn't tell them because I was hoping this call wouldn't come! I really thought that my feelings were wrong, because both of you are so strong, and I knew you would've taken care of each other! Percy! How could something like this have happened after all you've been through?"
"YOU DON'T THINK I'VE ASKED MYSELF THE SAME QUESTION EVERY MINUTE SINCE SHE DIED? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE YOUR ENTIRE WORLD WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD PROTECTED IT SO CAREFULLY FOR SO LONG!" Everybody on the other end looked shocked and genuinely scared. Scared, he realized, of him. He sat down and put his head in hands "I'm sorry guys, especially you Hazel, you were just asking a simple question, and I totally freaked out at you."
"It's okay Percy, you don't have to apologize. I pushed your buttons."
Calypso looked at Percy with tender eyes, "Percy, if you don't mind my asking, how did Annabeth, um."
"Die?" Percy said, "It's fine. It all started in New York-"
"For another tree minutes, please insert another drachma."
"Gods above I hate that so much," Percy said as he added another drachma, "Anyway, there were a few issues at first, Mrs. Dodds came back, but we took care of here easily. We were honestly having a good time, but then we went to the Obe-whatchamacallit thing in Central Park, and..." Percy's tears came again, "Arachne... Arachne came out of nowhere and ambushed us. She was too fast and, um..." The memory made it hard for him to speak, "Let's just say that Arachne got her revenge on Annabeth."
"Oh no, Percy, that's awful. That is just, I can't imagine," Piper said, "Why didn't you call us sooner?"
"Because of what happened next. Hades came to me to bargain. He said that if I went and did this messed up quest of his and made it to the Underworld in a week then I could get Annabeth back. He only let me have two Iris messages, but I found that out like an hour ago. I can't get help from anybody either. I don't know how I'm going to do this..." Percy continued telling his story and answering questions from his friends. He was occasionally interrupted by Iris telling him to add another drachma for another three minutes.
During the entire conversation, Leo had been tinkering, out of force of habit. He had built a mini Festus and sent it flying straight towards the Iris message. Everyone else was so wrapped up in the conversation that they didn't notice until The FestusMini hit Percy in the face mid sentence.
"And then he had all of these dangerous tool-WHAT THE?" Percy grabbed the dragon out of the air, "Where in Hades did this come from?!" He examined it, and then his eyes widened with realization, "Leo? Did you make this?!"
"Sorry, force of habit, no matter who I'm talking to or what I'm talking about, I just tend to build, like, the coolest stuff. I was paying attention, I swear!"
"No, I'm not mad, man! THIS IS IT! This is the answer! LEO! You're a GENIUS!"
"And you're just realizing this now? Sheesh, Mermaid, I thought we knew each other!"
Percy's plan started hatching in his mind. He was so happy. He felt like he could take on the world, or even the Underworld for that matter. Because Percy Jackson was about to bend the rules to beat Hades at his own game.
"Sorry guys, gotta go. I have an Iris message to make."
WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS EARLIER!? You guys have no idea how happy I was when I got this idea while I was writing. OH MY GOSH! YES! Now I don't have to... wait, spoilers! Thank you guys so much for reading! You have no idea how happy I get when I see views whenever I release a chapter. I just think, "Oh my gosh, I'm actually making stuff that people like." If you liked it or you have suggestions for me, please review! Also if you liked it, favorite this story and share and tell your friends! I love you all! INTERNET HUGS AND INTERNET AIR KISSES!