Annabeth's POV:
"WOah WoAh WoAH! Why in the Hades do you want to take me along!?" It was a simple question, I don't understand why Percy is so bent out of shape because of it. I thought he'd be the first one to volunteer after insisting on watching the hole that started this whole thing anyway. I should have guessed something was off the moment he neglected to show up when the oracle started acting up and Chiron insisted everyone be there. It wasn't much of a secret that he wanted out to get his hands on Luke. This felt like the perfect chance. So why does he look like he was punched in the gut?
His eyes looked wild and vibrant, it's not something I thought I'd see on his face. He took a step back and brought his arm up to defend himself. I'm gonna be honest, that hurt for some reason and for another it tugged at me.
I tried to hide it, but I don't think he'd be convinced even if I had so I continued, "It's basically tradition at this point to go on quests together." Granted it was impromptu to head into the Sea of Monsters, and he didn't have much of a choice then. Plus the whole quest to save him from Atlas and the burden sky... that was different. "Also because you were already down there once and got out alive." I looked up thinking his expression would soften, but I was wrong. His eyes only grew wider.
"Barely! And what makes you think I want to spend any more time underground than I already have!?" Why are you so jumpy Percy?
I want to reach out and ask in a concerning way, but I don't think he'd appreciate that so I asked, you know, like a friend would, "What? Are you scared or something?" I curled my lips slightly and placed my hand on my hip, teasingly.
"Yes!" He shouted like it was obvious. I was not expecting that.
"Why? You're the son of the Earth-shaker! The ground and water practically run through your veins." Honestly that's part of why I've chosen him, or asked; experience and skill. Plus I feel like I owe it to him.
"And I suppose books run through yours?" He scoffed, turning his back to me and started walking back to his cabin.
I followed obviously. "Come on!" I punched him in the shoulder, not hard, but I doubt he'd feel it anyway.
Percy stopped, sighed, and turned to face the coast. It's eerie how he knows where it is even if he can't see it. "Do you know how many times I've been buried alive? Or crushed? Or smothered when I tried that side of me?" I shook my head slowly. "Look, leave me out in the open and I'm fine, hunky dory even, but you're asking me to hunker in a damn cave that could very well suffocate or crush us if I happen to get a nightmare." Right... because even you don't have complete control over your powers. Even with more experience that practically any demigod here.
It's ironic how many of us demigods have these fears that seem completely outlandish to anyone else. I mean who would have guessed that Percy, the son of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, would be scared of that. It reminds me of Thalia. Daughter of the sky... It's strange, in all of the gifts I've been blessed with, with so much knowledge, wisdom, and wits, I never would have guessed Percy to be scared of this, nor be willing to tell me about it. I can never tell with him. Does he actually trust me?.. If only.
"You look surprised." Percy quirked his eyebrow.
I blinked my way out of my thoughts, "...I'm sorry, it's just similar to Thalia and her-"
"-fear of flying?" He finished. When did he figure that out? Did she tell him? I hate feeling like I'm missing something here.
"Yea. You never told me that." Granted, he does have a way of making you think he's said a lot hasn't actually.
"You never asked." Right.
"Sorry." I half meant it. I still feel sorry for him and no matter how hard I try I cannot get the imagine of him trapped under the sky, broken, and beaten, out of my head. So, in a way I can sort of understand it, not physically, but logically.
"Don't be. It's not even your fault, it's mine for being a jerk to you guys." Percy smirked and my jaw dropped. This is a complete one-eighty of how he acted just a week ago! He was practically emo and now he's sort of smiling and apologizing!? Th-this can't be real. Why is he acting, more less, normal?... "Just know that if I begin to act strange I'll be relying on you and whoever you decide to bring along to keep me sane." He wagged his finger almost as if it was a joke. It's not. The glint in his eye says so.
Would my choices have changed if I had known? Probably not, but it does throw a wrench in a couple cogs. "That might be a problem." I huffed a little thinking the other member I asked to come along with us.
"Why?" Percy rose his eyebrow for a second.
I thought it would be like old times! I wanted it to be that way! Everything feels so screwed up and wrong, I thought that maybe if I got us back to a semblance of normalcy the world would balance out a little. Is it so wrong to want that?
"Oh. My. Gods." Now his jaw dropped and I'm starting to regret some of this. "You asked Grover, didn't you?" I sheepishly nodded, "Great! Now you'll have to deal with two people who can't handle being underground well." Percy groaned and sat on the step in front of his cabin mumbling something underneath his breath. I couldn't make out what it was.
Did he say two? "So is that a yes?" My hope is, it is. I need Percy on this one, I need him and Grover to with me down there.
"Sure, but I'm not happy about it." He smiled, I forgot how much I missed that, "Wait before it's definite, what did the oracle say exactly?" I could lie, skip out on a couple of details, but... yea that definitely won't help. If I want him to come along, then I absolutely need to be transparent, if he is to trust me again. I'm starting to feel like an absolute jerk.
I sighed and sat down next to him, it's better if he hears it from me anyway, "Right...
Together, three dive in the darkness of the endless maze,
The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise.
You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,
The child of Athena's final stand.
A brothers clash unearths the gods worst foe,
One road, two choices, one hero.
"Welp, another happy one as always." Percy sighed resting his chin on his palm. There isn't a lot about the prophecy that screams we are going to succeed, but what choice do they have? There are dead, lost ones, fighting sibling and unleashing the gods worst foe. Not just a gods, but the. That isn't encouraging in the in slightest. And traitor. That could mean Luke, hell it could mean someone utterly unexpected... or it could mean Percy.
Not that I want to believe it, but his attitude, how no one can account his whereabouts? And the fact that he was tortured by Atlas. I know he is loyal, it's his fatal flaw, yet I'm left to wonder to what. At first I thought it was to us after the Sea of Monsters and the whole thing in California. However, after hearing he has many connections to different gods, one of which was swayed by the King of the Titans, also how he nearly lost it in the throne room, it just opens so many holes. Is he loyal to us? Personal survival? Family? A certain god? I just don't know because everything he has done just mixes together making it impossible to tell.
What I do know is that whatever it is or wherever it lies I need to give camp time to prepare if I'm right. And see for myself. Gods , it feels stupid. I mean it's Percy we're talking about here.
There is also something else that's been nagging at me. "Can I ask you something?" It's just so weird to see and not be suspicious about. From one extreme to another in a rather short amount of time makes me think he's actually crazy. Like how some mortal take meds to stop from swinging so drastically.
"Sure." Percy quipped casually. If someone asked me that out of the blue, I know for a fact that my heart would race and scenarios would fly through my head trying to guess what it is.
"How are you holding yourself so well so soon?" It's no secret that Percy lost it on Mount Olympus when he got the chance to remember. I've never seen someone so dark and careless and so... broken. Yet, in the span of a month or less, Percy is practically acting normal. Just how? I'm glad, definitely, but its strange to see. It takes more time to heal a broken bone naturally, but Percy went through a mental war as well. So how?
His shift has caused Thalia to nearly stop calling and ask about him. I know she's worried, not just her, but it seems with more change everyone is trying to distance themselves. I can't say I'm any different. And there is another reason to take him along.
Percy sighed and stretched out his back. "You mean after the whole torture and sky bit?" He looked at me quizzically like it wasn't obvious, "Truth is, it's not happening by my choice, exactly. After so much trauma, fear, brokenness, I guess my mind just couldn't process everything that happened, or didn't want to. So my mind bottled it up, I think, and chose to deal with it over time; little by little. But you can't exactly bottle the ocean, you know?" Percy sheepishly smirked scratching the back of his head. Is Percy saying that he doesn't want to go back to normal? "So you know how when a tsunami happens the water retreats exposing the beach and everything underneath? Then when the water rushes back it decimates everything in it's path with incredible speed?" I know that, what I don't know is what he's trying to get at. Is his attitude now the exposed parts? Or was that his cold demeanor? And what in the hell does a tsunami have to do with it?
"Yea?" I answered really hoping he's going to give me a straight answer.
"That's what I was doing basically, pulling back and exposing all the things hidden by water. The ugly and hard emotions people would rather not share. Only now after all of that, the water, aka my 'real self'," He air quoted, "is rushing back." Oh. Like a tsunami. And there is nothing anyone can do to stop it was left unsaid. "The come back is always much fiercer, faster, and deadlier than most can imagine. Especially when the sea is at your back." He chuckled! "You may see me as normal now, but even I have to wonder what's next? I'm not exactly the spitting image of keeping it together. Will I turn out just as fierce with more determination? Or will I just go apeshit like in the throne room? Or worse?"
"That's... worrying." I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hide how worrying it actually is. What would it look like if the most power inclined demigod just suddenly lose all control?
His voice dropped an octave, "Oh you have no idea wise girl." Percy sounds just as worried. Damn it. What is this going to change?
"Is that a warning?" I asked, there is no way his tone just slipped like that.
"Sure is," Percy stood up, "Though which side will you end up on? Will you be destroyed like the shore? Or ride it out on the sea? Or be so far inland I'd have no chance to reach you?" Those questions are just full of so many lines to cross, I can't even begin to process it. Is the shore his enemy? His morals? Gods, why did he have to go on and say that? I should go and talk to Chiron about this.
"You see, it's talk like that that cause people to not necessarily trust you." I tried to laugh it off, but the dark blue eyes flashed for a second almost shutting me up entirely.
"Oh trust me, in the end that doesn't matter." He waved, leaving, I don't know where because his cabin is right here. Plus, I'm sure Percy just took off a couple weeks of my life with that look of his. "See you in the morning wise girl." He called out. Even now I can't get a normal conversation without coming out with more heart problems and headaches.
Still... I know you're a clever liar Percy, but is that all? Why can't you say anything that is obviously a truth or lie? Instead you just leave everyone to wonder if your next words are hand grenades or plushies. That's why its best for us to take you away from camp for the time being, to prepare for the worst.
"I hope you can forgive me Percy." This is for the best.
The Morning of the Quest: Percy's POV:
"Hey! What's the hold up!?" I shouted, hating everything second I'm standing in front of the hole. This entire quest reeks of a stupid plot to make me suffer and I don't like it one bit. But hey, the further I get away and closer to Luke the sooner I can get an answer. Otherwise, I'll just kick his ass along with every other monster as payback. With a hint of revenge.
Grover ran over glaring at the entrance the same way I am, "Don't look at me! Annabeth's the one that can't stop talking to Chiron!" Of course, the leader is taking her sweet time when all the other quest members just want to get this over with as quickly as possible. I get the nostalgia bit, but logically I think she chose the wrong people for this quest.
"I heard that!" Annabeth countered looking irritated that she was interrupted. They should of had that conversation sooner, whatever it may be.
Grover groaned, "Well I hope so because I said it loud!" I giggled at that... like a man.
"That's it we're jumping!" I warned her kicking a couple pebbles into the damned place. It's not like my last attempt in there turned out well. I wonder, if I jump then she jumps in later, will we end up in the same spot? If I don't move and all since its a mystical maze and all.
"Hey! No! Stop that! Don't do that!" She frantically called out finishing her discussion, running to Grover and I. Finally!
"Then hurry up!" I said that just to make her run faster. Now as long as there isn't anyone-
"Wait!" Oh gods damnit! Quintus ran up to us huffing and puffing. At least he's acting like an old man now. With one last deep breath he gave me the finger, his pointer one then extended his hand and gave me some whistle, "Trust me. It'll help. Just blow once if you're in serious danger." The whatever ice whistle feels unnaturally cold while on the hand. Almost supernatural in it's creation. Cool.
I nodded a thanks, waiting for Annabeth and Grover to jump first following very closely after them.
I immediately regret my decision, grabbing a hold of Grover's shoulder and he mine. I freaking hate caves. Or underground Labyrinths as I'm told it is called. Normally I'd be fine, and by that I mean, I can hide my discomfort very well. Now I just want to let every feeling out, I am jittery all over about everything and I would like someone to knock me out to make it stop.
I can tell this is going to be so much fun.
I'm deeply sorry for not posting for awhile. I did NOT forget, there were just sadly a few emergencies in my family. Hope you enjoy! Feedback appreciated.