I hope this chapter clears some stuff out.
Annabeth hadn't been bothered since the premium. She didn't bother Percy, because she always get off on torturing people and seeing the suffer, she knew that Percy would be miserable and assumed that she chose Jason for him. She wasn't bothered by Luke, which meant everything was going according to plan; she was more than glad to assume that. Because with the peace given by the two, she was able to focus the other two things in hand: where to live and the gift from Jackson.
There was a limited stay in the half-way house, and even as the criminal mastermind, Annabeth couldn't alter the rules and have the room for herself her whole life. She wouldn't want the old room either. So she had no idea where she should go.
She was the head behind all drug trafficking, yet she was struggling to pay rent and find a suitable place for herself. It wasn't something ordinary. As a criminal mastermind, she must be rich and filthily wealthy, but she was none above. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She had tons spread amongst in her many bank accounts, but it would be unwise of her to use them like a rich prat and remaining poor would be a strategy to avoid getting on the radar of the enemy once again.
The gift from Percy was that gin bottle. She had kept it. Hiding it from public eyes and only taking it out for examination late at night when she was by herself. It wouldn't do any harm if she didn't stir anything up, that was when she knew she was still in control and in power.
¢.¢
It was a year later after her encounter with Percy outside of prison.
Half way through the year, she got kicked out of the half-way house. Annabeth had done her best to stretch the limit, but there was another guy coming from a different prison that needed her room, so she was forced to move.
With Luke's help, she found a small apartment downtown New York City. It was expensive as fuck, but she had no other choice but to accept it. She was struggling to pay the rent with the legit money that she earned from working part time, and the rest was been replaced with the money from the organization that she was in power of.
"There is a Mr Percy Jackson requests to see you, can I send him up?" Her doorman said through the intercom.
It had been a whole, full year since the movie premium. As Annabeth heard from Luke, it was a huge success and Percy had gotten himself a mansion in LA. So apart from the one he had in New York, he now owned another one in the city center of Los Angeles.
He must be very rich now, but no matter how rich he was, it would have nothing to do with her. Again, she underestimated the Hollywood star.
"Does the guard never addresses you by your name or anything?" Was the first thing he said to her when she opened the door for him.
"Stalker." She glared at him but let him in nonetheless.
"There's something that's been bothering me since exactly a year ago." He said, inviting himself to take a seat on the stool in the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water as if he was the owner of the house. Annabeth took in all the actions with an amused expression but did nothing to offer her help as the host, after all, he was here unannounced and uninvited.
"And what may that be?" She sat down opposite of him, resting her chin on her hand.
"Who did you choose for me?" He asked the question slowly, putting down the glass of water in his hand in an even slower motion.
"You just made that choice, as a matter of fact." She replied lazily. "The deadline that I said a year ago was a lie, it was a false alarm. That's just for me to test you. You know that I can be very insecure at times."
"I don't understand."
"I spied on you." She confessed, the courage suddenly slipped out of her making her avoid making eye contact with him.
"You what?" His eyes held so much mixed emotions that Annabeth couldn't just pick one out easily, but the look of betrayal was still the strongest.
"I'm sorry Percy, I had to do that, because nothing you do can prove to me that you are trustworthy." She explained, half expecting him to walk out on her and half hoping that he would understand.
"Now I'm not sure if I can trust you." He confessed finally, after a very long silence that passed between the two.
"I don't need you to trust me, Percy, because not many people do. At least not fully." She added, an attempt to soothe herself more than to him. "A lot of your actions were under surveillance and I know every one of your moves. I'm sorry to do that, but I just want to know more about your social circle and what do you tell them."
"So you know everything."
"I know you went to Jason and Piper's not once but twice. I know you told them about me, though you've got nothing to spill, at least nothing that they don't already know, but you still told them about the possibility of being cut off from them. I can understand your rationale, but I cannot and will not tolerate your actions if you do them again after today."
"What do you mean?"
"You chose me, Percy, because you came to me today."
"What can you do if I don't come to you?"
"Nothing. I said I'm not forcing you to make a choice. I won't do anything to you, but I will have more to do to get trouble away from you."
"Do you even know that you're paying your rent to me and the reason why your rent suddenly got deducted is not because of some bullshit that my spokesperson told you, it's because I bought this house." Percy was in a foul mood today, very different than the mood he was in a year ago on top of the Empire State Building.
Annabeth was speechless for a second. It was the second major time that Percy had had that effect on her.
"Yes, I bought this house because you're struggling. I wasn't mad that you spied on me because I did the same to you. I stalked you, only wanting to know that you're doing fine."
"Thanks, Percy. Really." She whispered, feeling uncomfortable thanking another person, because she had never done that nor had she needed to.
"You're welcome, Annabeth." He smiled. "So, we're even in that part."
"Yes, we are." She sighed. Contemplating inwardly whether she should tell him now or not.
"Annabeth, I want you and I chose you over Jason. That's one of the reason why I came today." He startled her, but this was also what she wished to happen.
"Will you keep your mouth shut about me?"
"Yes, but under one condition." He held out a hand. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, curious of the condition. "You're to come with me to my house to watch the movie with me."
"You still haven't watched it?"
"No." He shook his head. "When I said I want to watch it with you, I meant it."
Annabeth shook her head in amusement. "Then maybe I should tell you everything after the movie."
"Spare me the suspense, Chase." Percy rolled his eyes.
"Then let's go to your place." She said, standing up swiftly.
He wasn't even sure if that was for sparing him the suspense or she was only going for the movie.
"If you choose Jason," Annabeth made herself at home, talking to him while waiting for him to find the movie, she knew he was listening. "You will be cut off from me, and it's that simple. But, you chose me, so you're getting yourself into some pretty complicated awful shit."
"Well, I don't have a choice now don't I?" He eyed her pointedly and she shrugged.
"You kind of don't."
"So what am I supposed to know?"
"This movie actually saved me from tracking you down."
"What's this supposed to mean?"
"If you didn't come to find me, I have to go and find you. Actually, no, that might not be the case."
"What are you talking about?" He had no idea if she was talking to him or to herself.
"So, do you know what you handed me that day in prison?" He looked lost, unable to remember what she was referring to, because she was jumping too fast for his brain to function. "The bottle of alcohol."
"Oh, yes, that glass bottle that looked like gin?"
"Yes."
"I've got no idea, I thought it was some inherited property."
"Oh no, stop evaluating my parents with normal ones. Just don't consider them as human."
"Okay." He blinked at this protest. "Can we start?"
"No." She stopped him. "Not yet." To justify her rough action previously, she said it in a softer tone.
"Okay…"
"Hear me out." Annabeth took the remote from his hand and tugged on her arm to make him look at her. "I was born in a- mob family- I know it's inaccurate, but that will just help you understand it better. My mother is the drug lord, the biggest drug dealing organization in the United States. My father is the most wanted serial killer. What they have in common was the passion towards their love of drugs and chemicals. Those people that they killed were just experiments, as they put it."
Percy gave her a look, something that she couldn't put her hand on to at that moment, but she later guessed it was a look of disgust.
"Yes, I know they're cruel." She rolled her eyes, agreeing to the concept herself. "I was only conceived because they wanted to avoid being check on regularly. If they have a kid, the police will be easier on them because at least they are a family, so they may be less cool to human life. But the police were just too naive. My existence changed nothing."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because this is what you're getting into, a highly illegal and dangerous organization."
"And who's the head?"
"Me."
"You?" Percy's eyes were wide. He couldn't remember a time he was more surprised than he was right now. "But, you're what? Twenty-nine now?"
"Problem? You're the same age and you have more than enough money for a life time."
"That's not my point."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what bullshit you're going to talk about, I don't want to hear it." She waved him off. "I'm telling you this because you are in big trouble, young man."
"What? When?"
"This is where you need me. So shut up and listen."
The television screen had already dimmed, but Percy paid no attention to it, he was more concerned to what seemed to be highly related to him.
"Your family and mine goes way back."
"How do you know?"
"I know everything, or else how're you expecting me to rule an organization that is dealing with everything that's illegal?"
"Touché."
Annabeth smirked. "Your brother, Triton, was not killed in an accident, he was murdered."
"By your father."
"Yes." She nodded. "Do you know why?"
"I can hardly connect the dots right now."
"He used to be my mother's biggest client. Well, maybe not the biggest, but rather significant."
"He did drugs?"
"You didn't know?"
"Of course not! If I did, do you think I can live my life this peacefully when a family member of mine is a drug trafficker?"
"Well, that's not the point, but you gave a good reason." She praised absentmindedly. "Wait, you never had a good relationship with your brother didn't you?"
"No, never. We were barely on speaking terms."
"No wonder." She muttered to herself.
"What?"
"You've been missing out on a lot."
"Why am I just informed?"
"Because I'm trying to save you from my parents."
"But they're dead aren't they?"
"Yes, they are, but they've set you up. You might lose everything."
"How can I know if your telling me the truth and not making everything up, because up until now, everything you're saying is bizarre and confusing."
"I know, and I'm trying to tell you everything, because no one, absolutely no one has the information that I have right now."
"Why?"
"Because people are stupid!"
"Okay… Calm down please, your voice sounds a little scary when you raise it."
"Then shut the fuck up and stop gasping at everything I said." Her voice was slightly lowered, sounding much more normal.
"That's better." He muttered to himself, trying to settle his beating heart.
Annabeth took a deep breath and carried on with her story telling.
"Triton was not only my mother's regular client, he also indebted the most. He had way too much on his tab that we stopped selling him stuff until he pays us back. But, instead of paying back, he blackmailed my mother's people."
"How?"
"He knew the critical information about the organization. No one knows how he got them, but he just did, and he was threatening to spill it."
"So your father murdered him?"
"Yes and no."
"Huh?" Percy cocked his head sideways.
"Yes, he was murdered, but no, it wasn't by my father only." She reached into her pocket and took out the bottle that he handed her in prison about four years ago. "Looks familiar to you?" She held it out for him to take a better look.
He nodded.
"I told you that I don't know what's this when you asked right?" He nodded again. "I lied." She confessed.
"So you knew it all along?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because that's my parents' scheme."
"This gin?"
"It's not gin." She handed him the bottle, cautiously and hesitantly, when he was about to take it from her, she retracted her hand and changed her mind. Screwing open the cap, she placed it under his nose. "Just smell it, it's strong so don't inhale deeply."
"Hey, this actually smells good." He was about to sniff for a second time, but she quickly snapped it away.
"Don't you dare." She sounded panicky. "Shit, that was way too risky." She scolded herself immediately. "It may look like gin for amateurs, but it's far from it. The color, the density, the weight, the smell, the sound, everything is telling you that it's anything but gin."
"How can you tell?"
"Cause I live in a chemistry lab. I'm their experiment for all kinds of drugs before they used it on other innocent human beings. I tasted every single chemical they developed and tried every single drug you can name out there, illegal or not. This is how my vocal cords are damaged and this is why I am immune to poison."
"How cruel."
"I told you to never think of my parents normally. I'm nothing more than an experimental material for them. It's also the reason why I know that much about all this kind of shit. I am just too professional with this."
Percy was in awe with her knowledge, but again, he shuddered at the thought of being poisoned since birth, especially by one's own parents.
"Do you know what this poison is called?" She made sure the cap was screwed back tightly and stored away safely in her pocket. He shook his head. "What's your favorite pseudonym?"
"Riptide." His eyes widened as he said the name. "How'd you know?"
"I've told you I know everything." She explained dully. "When did they give this to you?"
"On your birthday."
"When did they die?"
Percy thought for a moment and realized that it wasn't making sense.
"Before my birthday." Annabeth answered for him, assuring him that what he was thinking wasn't wrong. "The people that went to your house wasn't my parents. In fact, it was only one person that actually went in. It was Luke who had gone in and put this in your safe."
"But I saw them."
"You saw a recorded tape."
"Then why were you so interested when I told you that I knew your parents personally when I first get to talk to you privately?"
"Because I want to know how much do you know?"
"So you know me the first time I went?"
"Yes. You were a hot topic in my family before my parents died."
"How so?"
"They're plotting on you."
"Why?"
"To revenge Triton. Remember he tried to sell out my mom's organization?" He nodded. "Even though he was murdered, his debts were their loss and they wanted to drag someone else down in their family, and you couldn't be a better choice."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because I'm trying to help you."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you just yet."
That was another lie, but she had to lie, because no matter who he was, even if he was her husband and was a critical member of her gang, he still would't know. Her reason why she was willing to help him was mainly because she needed a reputation in the society so that no one would mistaken her with her family and therefore, she could get away with all the censor from the police and other authorities, all in order to protect the organization she inherited from her parents.
"What was in the bottle then?" He directed the conversation back on to track.
"Riptide."
"What is that?"
"A chemical. Very lethal and deadly."
"How do you know all this shit?"
"I eavesdrop and I observe. My parents' plots were all knowledgable by me and I know their recipe."
"But didn't they burn down their lab?"
"Yes, but that was well covered and no one could do say otherwise, people can't relate that lab with the chemical I have in my hand, because this is the most important one."
"What about the others?"
"They are all ordinary, something that you can easily find in any science lab. It's nothing special. Only this potion, Riptide. Their ultimate weapon."
"Triton was killed by this?"
"Precisely, smartass." She smirked, taking out the bottle, shaking it. Percy's face morphed from seriousness to fear, the smirk on her face turned darker and more evil.
"Annabeth stop please." He begged.
"Scared?"
"Yes." He admitted, never knowing that he would be intimidated by this woman in front of him. "Please?" He asked again and she stopped, taking pity on him.
"This drug is used to kill not only your brother, but also themselves." She continued to explain the connection. "There is a substance in this poison that will react with shattered glass. Have you ever been to the crime scene of your brother's death bed?" He shook his head, giving her a weird look. "Of course not."
"You were there."
"Duh, but no one knew."
"You're creeping me out."
"I like doing so." She clicked her tongue. "This is poured in to a glass, because it has the smell of alcohol, so he drank it without second thought. At the very bottom of the glass, the word 'Riptide' is printed in sapphire, very beautifully engraved."
"What the fuck?"
"If I was the police, I would definitely come to you, but apparently they were slow and dumb." She rolled her eyes.
"They tried to scapegoat me?"
Annabeth rolled her eyes again. "I've been trying to tell you that ever since." He mouthed an 'oh', but nothing else came out. "This same drug is used when my parents killed themselves. And now because of your father, the case is still not settled, and sooner or later, it will be pointed at you. I'm fascinated that no one has connect the two names together."
Percy was left speechless, he never knew he was in great potential danger until this woman from prison came to him. As much as he didn't want to believe her, he thought it was too good to be made up by her.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" He eyed her bewilderingly. "My life is in potential danger and you're telling me to do nothing about it?"
"You've been living like this for the past fifteen years and you're still that famous Hollywood star whom everyone looks up to and every girl admires, it was every female's dream to be asked to watch a movie with you."
Percy pressed play numbly as the movie started to play. He was still stiffly seated on the couch, his eyes fixed on the screen but were out of focus. He didn't even realize that it wasn't the movie that he made, he had accidentally pressed the next button which skipped the movie he had chosen.
¢.¢
"How'd it go?" Luke met up with Annabeth very early in the morning upon her request last night. "How's he?" He asked, knowing that she had told him what he needed to know. Although he himself had no idea how Percy was associated to everything, but he knew whatever that link was, it wouldn't be easy for the star to adjust and accept.
"Scared as fuck. It was almost hilarious." Annabeth chuckled.
"So what's next?"
"I'm staying with him for a while." She exhaled deeply, gazing at the newly lit cigar in her hand. It wasn't the kind that she preferred normally, but this thick stick would do right now. She liked those cheap, thin and roughly made cigaret better than the expensive stick that was fat and short. It reminded her of Churchill for some reason, she only needed a glass of brandy to be just like Winston.
"In his place?"
"Depends."
Annabeth was reminded of the night that she had spent in his penthouse. He was knocked out cold next to her as she watched the comedy 'American Pie'. The teenage part of her still not completely gone.
When the movie was over, she reached to run a hand through his uncombed messy dark hair. They were soft and scented, it was like heaven. Combing through his hair was no different than going through hers, but she just liked the feeling of the soft material in her hand.
Whilst enjoying the sound asleep Percy next to her with his hair in her hands, she hadn't stopped thinking about her next step. After all, she had practically told him everything, and it would take him time to register all the information. There wasn't much left about her that he didn't know, apart from what she was actually doing.
Percy stirred under her touch, he groaned, that made Annabeth retract her hand suddenly. She didn't realize that she was still playing with his hair until he woke up and caught her hand in action.
"Annabeth?" He said in a sleepy voice.
"Ya?" She pretended not to notice that she was caught, playing it off casually.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" She asked to stall time, because she had no idea herself.
"I don't know." He pulled her hand down to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles.
"What are you doing?" She asked softly, not knowing that he was affecting her in a way that she felt foreign to.
"I don't know." Replying with the same phrase, he tugged on her hand and pulled her close to him. "Stay with me?"
"Are you even awake?"
"What do you think?" He gave her a smirk that she find oddly adorable.
"Maybe not. I think you should go to your room and sleep everything off. You might find yourself dreaming the whole thing." She smiled, saying this as gently as she could with her scratchy voice.
"Come with me." He asked.
Annabeth was stunned by the request, but she didn't feel like doing so. Though she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to follow him. "Next time." Was what she said before she stood up and reached for the door. Ignoring his calls and inquiries, she shut the door in his face and left.