It's been quite a while. So sorry for this being so late, but better than it never coming. I only hope there's people out there still interested in this story, because I'm back. Hope this chapter lives up to par. If anything feels off, I apologize. It's been a while since I've written.
"Phalanx"
-x-
(Six Months Earlier)
Annabeth sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the duffel bag dubiously. Everything she brought from home sat inside, packed tight. She'd been planning her escape for weeks, but now that the day had arrived, doubts and worries invaded her mind.
She wasn't concerned about what came after she left. She could survive on her own and fend for herself, but leaving meant making enemies of her group. With the way Luke had been acting, especially the last few weeks, she has no doubt he'd hunt her down to the ends of the Earth, under some delusion that he owns her.
It wouldn't be admitted, to anyone, only herself, but she's terrified of him. Of his group. The way they follow him and obey every order without hesitation, like brainwashed members of a cult. Most of them don't like her anymore anyway, so they would be eager to bring her back, or even worse, kill her.
But the thought of being away from this place was enough to counter the fear. Even if it meant taking the risk of being hunted, of looking over her shoulder, at the very least she would be free. She couldn't live like this anymore. Like some...slave, or pet.
Luke and his goons went out on a hunt earlier in the morning and have been gone all day, giving her an opportunity to pack her stuff and contemplate. But she needed to act quick, or else Luke would catch her by surprise, come through the door and begin the next phase of torture. After yesterday, things were only going to get worse if she stuck around.
"When I get back, your attitude better be fixed, or you'll never, ever see the outside of this room again. I'll make sure of it."
He left her with those parting words. She knew he meant it. He would bind her in chains and tie her to the bed, bolt the door, and her only company would be him. He'd bring her food and water once a day, and in return, she'd be forced to do his bidding. Unspeakable things, all for his pleasure and benefit.
A knock at the door made her flinch. Her nerves spiked and her vision tunneled. Behind that slab of wood was pain and suffering, lurking towards her, ready to break her spirit. It wouldn't happen anymore. Now it was time to back up her vow.
Annabeth carefully grabbed her knife from the spot next to her hip, squeezing the hilt as hard as she could. Pushing herself off the mattress, she crept over, the carpet masking the sound of her steps. It would be satisfying, to kill him with the weapon he gave her. Like poetry.
As quick as she could, she twisted the knob and flung the door open, inches away from gutting Luke.
"Woah, woah! Wait!"
The tip of the blade stopped just a breath away from Thalia Grace's nose, a person she very much didn't want to kill. One of the only decent people left in the group, another independent soul, separated from the cult. Thalia was the only person she could actually talk to and confide in, but even she didn't know about Annabeth's plans of leaving.
She sighed and let her arm fall, "Dammit, Thalia. I almost cut your head off."
The goth chuckled, wide eyed, "Glad you didn't. What's going on?"
Annabeth didn't answer, which made Thalia narrow her eyes and study her. Next thing she knew, her friend's fingers were tracing the side of her cheek. "Annabeth...you've got bruises. What-" She pulled her hand back, jaw twitching with fury. "Luke. That son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill him."
She didn't get far. Annabeth squeezed her arm, "Don't. It's fine, Thalia, seriously. Besides, I got him back pretty good."
"The cut across his face? You did that?" She did. The fight the day prior had been rough, leaving damage that would take days to heal. For her, at least. The blow she dealt to him would never fade.
Now that she'd opened the door and revealed herself, the can of worms had been opened. Thalia was a restless soul, and if she saw something that piqued her interest or seemed off, she'd snuff it out. The girl peered over Annabeth's shoulder, catching sight of her bag.
"What's that?" Thalia forced herself into the room, "Are you going somewhere?"
Annabeth closed the door, hoping nobody heard that. "I'm leaving, Thalia. For good."
She didn't have to ask why. That much was clear. "Where are you gonna go?"
"I don't know. I can't go back home. My family probably never wants to see me again, so...somewhere far. New York, maybe."
"Well, I can't say I blame you. This whole thing has fallen apart. I've kind of thought about leaving myself and taking some of the other girls with me."
Annabeth nodded, "You should do it. Get out while you can, before this...before he gets even worse."
"But we're not getting it like you are. He's practically torturing you, Annabeth. Has been for a while now. He shouldn't just walk free for that. He should pay."
"I'm not worried about it. I just want to get away from him."
Thalia nodded, completely understanding. She slowly came forward and wrapped her arms around Annabeth's neck, whispering, "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. I'm sure we'll run into each other again, somehow."
"Of course."
Something about speaking with and embracing Thalia solidified Annabeth's resolve. After parting, she fled the array of cabins and never looked back, leaving the deep Blue Ridge Mountains behind her. Since, she'd never encountered Luke, not even once, nor any robot under his programming. Thalia was the first. And if she didn't go out of her way to contact her in creating that makeshift flag, she would still exist only in memory.
It was hard to suppress such intense visions. Her time within that group, while short, scarred her. She wanted to believe Percy when he said that her parents' love is unconditional, and no matter what, the sight of her wouldn't repulse them. They wouldn't sense or smell the aura of death surrounding her, the hidden damage dealt to her. Even if they knew, it would change nothing.
Either that was a naive belief, or a comforting lie he cooked up to soothe her. It just didn't process correctly. But she wanted to accept that idea, even if her conscious said otherwise.
Sleep didn't seem to be an option tonight. She must have gotten a couple hours of rest, because she didn't feel quite as groggy as last week, but everyone else was still out cold, meaning it wasn't morning yet. These women seemed disciplined enough to have a consistent sleep schedule.
Discipline and Thalia were two opposite ends of the spectrum. Annabeth always knew her to be a rule-breaker. Sarcastic, witty, and often appearing dumber than she seemed. It hit her that she shared a lot of traits with what she'd seen of Percy. The two were actually quite similar.
Annabeth had been sitting by herself for an unknown amount of time in front of the barrel fire, everlastingly hot and eclipsing the rim of the barrel in little sparks, flashing her with puffs of warmth, basking over her cheeks and eyes. It was pleasing, and helped calm her thoughts down to a slow, gradual pace. Not the rapid assault of worries she's used to.
The Sears, the entire mall itself sat completely quiet, not a creature or living thing outside of the group in this room. Each woman sat facing the doorway leading to the rest of the mall in military fashion. Stiff, limbs tucked inward, faces completely composed, as if they were in control of their unconscious appearance throughout the night.
Then there was Percy. In the corner of the room, knees furled to his chest, fingers loosely wrapped around the metal of his blade, head slack against the cream-colored wall. She had to pivot her shoulders and nearly look all the way behind her to see him, but it was worth the visualization aligning with her thoughts on him.
She couldn't deny that her feelings towards him had changed. Quickly, no less. They'd only been allied with each other for about a week, yet a crazy metamorphosis had taken place within her mind. The imaginary walls were beginning to crack under his pressure. She was beginning to believe that her theory on everyone putting up a mask is wrong. Percy wasn't that way.
Of course, Luke started out admirable and understanding as well. Nothing is set in stone, and no one is trustworthy. Not completely. Despite feeling comfortable around Percy, she must force the relationship to remain where it is. A partnership. Not even a friendship, but a partnership. Two people working towards a common goal, aiding each other along that journey. Once the goal is reached, the partnership ends.
Annabeth would be lying to herself if she said she wanted it to end, though. It's not overwhelming, or even that strong of a desire, really, but it's there. More out of curiosity rather than feeling. She would be interested to see if her idea of Percy held up.
Better to leave things on a somewhat high note.
"What're you doing up?"
The voice was hushed, coming from her left, so she didn't have to turn much to recognize Thalia taking a seat next to her, assuming a boyish position of leaning her elbows on her knees, posture slouched and eyes half-closed.
"Couldn't sleep. You?"
"Saw you staring at the fire. Penny for your thoughts?"
Annabeth shrugged, "You know...pondering. Remembering. All that jazz."
Thalia chuckled, inhaling a deep breath through her nose, likely to clear her nostrils. She didn't make a joke to that. She didn't have to. Annabeth knew that Thalia only wanted to give her presence, which was fine. It felt comfortingly familiar.
"Thanks again, Thalia. I don't know how I can repay you for helping me get out of the city. Even taking out those agents earlier...I wish I had something to give in return."
"After everything you went through back then, and me not noticing or doing something about it...I owe you. If anything, today won't be enough." She heard Thalia sniff, and saw her quickly wipe her eye in the peripheral, "I mean, what kind of friend am I? I never asked or read between the lines. You had to go through all that crap alone, with no one to help or even talk to. I'm...so sorry."
"Well, I tried my best to hide it. It's not your fault."
Thalia wiped her eyes again, then another sniff, and all trembling was gone in her voice. "Well, I just want you to know, whatever you need, consider it done. Beyond today, even. We can escort you back to your family, and if you work things out...we can even get you guys to Florida. You can join the HRM."
"Thalia..."
"No, seriously. Think about it. We have all the resources you'll ever need. Food, water, housing, community, protection...it's the safest place on the planet."
"I'm not sure we'd fit in a place like that," Annabeth politely rejected, "I appreciate the offer, though."
"Well," Thalia shrugged, "You're always welcome."
A pleasant silence eased its way into the atmosphere. It felt surreal, to be this close to Thalia again, in a (while not by much) better setting. She'd almost forgotten the feeling that came with sitting next to her. It was nice. Thalia understood her, better than maybe anyone.
"So, how have you been since we last saw each other?" Thalia asked, blinking at Annabeth with those long black lashes.
Annabeth chuckled, "You already asked me on the way here. I've been fine."
Thalia frowned, "No, I mean...how have you been, really? I know you, Blondie. You kept your guard up in front of my girls. Level with me here, I want to know."
Annabeth couldn't, and frankly didn't want to hide from Thalia's soft persuasion. 'How are you?' had never seemed like such a complex question before.
After a hundred response options zipped past her brain, only one stuck, coming after a tired shrug. "I'm hungry, exhausted, on the run, outnumbered, in completely over my head, and alone. Things could be worse, I guess."
Thalia nodded grimly. Then, her mischievous side took over, a smirk graced her lips, one Annabeth had seen countless times prior. "Not everything's bad, though. You've had some good eye candy."
Annabeth didn't understand, "What?"
Thalia flicked her head towards the wall behind them. Percy's direction. "Your new friend's cute."
Annabeth smiled against her will, rolling her eyes in an animated, playful way. Out of nowhere, they'd suddenly transformed from two hardened individuals to gossiping middle schoolers.
"Shut up. You're not even attracted to men."
"Yeah, but you are. I'm just pointing out the objective fact that in a world where personal hygiene's become near-extinct, Mr. Fancy Sword is doing pretty well. I'm not insinuating anything."
"Good, because-"
"Except I totally am. What's the deal? I know you guys aren't just travel buddies. I could see through that lie a mile away."
Annabeth shook her head, mortified to even be having this conversation. "It's not a lie. We aren't even buddies. Just two people with a common goal. Nothing more."
Thalia raised her eyebrows, not buying it for a second. "Really? You're telling me it hasn't crossed your mind once? There's no attraction whatsoever?"
"I mean, he's not ugly."
She whined, clearly not pleased with the lackluster answer. Annabeth huffed, "What do you want me to say? I don't trust him like that. I don't trust anyone anymore. It only gets you killed."
Thalia jabbed her finger towards Percy, "Well, he sure seems to trust you. Look at him."
Annabeth took a half-interested glance, finding that his sleeping form had changed. He was now fully leaning against the wall, hands limp on the now horizontally placed sword, and best of all, his mouth wide open, a little snore escaping here and there.
"Dude wouldn't be out like that if he didn't trust your judgement," she said, "If he's survived this long, he isn't completely stupid. He'd know to sleep light around a bunch of armed strangers. But he saw that you and I were friendly and trusted your word." Thalia put her palms on her chin, making an overexaggerated expression, "So precious."
"Are you done teasing?"
"Teasing? I'm just calling out the vibe."
Annabeth pressed her tongue to the top of her mouth, knowing she was about to dampen the mood with her own black cloud. "I'd like to be open and optimistic. I really would. I mean, Percy's like that. The whole nonchalance thing you're talking about...he's been doing that for the past week. He leaves himself wide open for a stab in the back, he answers personal questions without hesitancy, he has this...foreign outlook on life that I just can't relate to anymore."
"Maybe he just hasn't seen enough of the world yet. I used to be like that."
"It's naive...but it's admirable too. I could never, not after..." She trailed off.
Thalia made no movement. Her stillness signaled her understanding. "Old you-know-who? Yeah, I get it. Nobody would be the same after that."
The last thing she wanted to do was bring up the past, especially that period. But there were things she'd been curious about since she left. Unanswered questions that, no matter what, would gnaw at her.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," She said, "But what happened after I left?"
The question remained in the void for quite some time. Annabeth knew exactly what was going on. Her question acted as a key, unlocking a closed off part of Thalia's mind so long unopened it had become webbed and dusty. It would take her a while to extract the string of memories and form them into words.
"The four days that I stayed afterward were...jeez, what's the right word? Chaotic? Luke wasn't happy that you left, and tried to sniff out anyone who might've known, threatened to kill them if they did, blah blah blah, all that tyrant crap he used to pull. He started to send a search party after you, but by the grace of God or whatever you want to call it, a snowstorm came out of nowhere and kept us cooped up in the mountains." She shrugged, "I kept my distance from them, to be honest. I don't know what they planned on doing or what happened after I ended up leaving. But knowing him, he's probably got people out looking for you to this very day."
The notion haunted her to no end. Like a terminator specifically designed to kill you, slowly but surely catching up as time went on. She rubbed her arms to keep from shivering, "You haven't...you know, seen him at all, have you?"
"Luke?"
Annabeth winced, "Yeah, and can you stop saying his name?"
"Sorry. No, I haven't seen him. Well, sometimes in my nightmares maybe, but-" She chuckled nervously, but quickly stopped, "-No, no, I haven't. When me and the other girls left, we left in a hurry. Probably made a big, obvious trail, so he could've followed us, but I doubt for very long. He wouldn't come after me as relentlessly as he would you."
"That's a prime example right there," Annabeth muttered, "Of why you shouldn't put your faith in anyone but yourself. I was so stupid. I left everything, everyone behind because of an impulsive decision. I put him on a pedestal, and when he turned out to be the exact opposite of what I thought, I wasn't prepared. I should've known. It's human nature. You want to believe in someone, so you blind yourself to the hints and the signs. I will never make that mistake again."
The whisper came immediately, "Oh, Annabeth..."
She turned to face the older woman, finding a sympathetic, pitiful gaze that struck the wrong chord within her. In Thalia's eyes, she must've looked like a feral, starved child in the corner of a cold basement. Without coherent thought, without sincerity, only rage and fear. Annabeth rarely looked at her reflection these days. She couldn't remember the last time she really examined herself. She must look so tired.
"What?!" She hissed.
Thalia carefully placed a hand on her elbow, like touching a wild dog. "Listen, I know you've been through a lot...and I can't imagine how hard it's been to be on your own this entire time, but please listen to me when I say that you can't live like this forever. You just can't."
"I won't have to. Once I get back to my family-"
"But how long will that be?" Thalia challenged, voice escaping its hushed tone, "Really, how long? Think about it from a realistic standpoint. It was hard enough to get your ticket out of the state. And with Project Atlas on your tail, it'll only get harder."
"What are you saying?"
"If you keep running around, overexerting yourself, never letting down your guard...you might as well just become an infected. You'll never actually be alive, even if you make it back to your family. No matter what, you'll never be able to change."
Annabeth scoffed, "You're not telling me anything I don't already know."
"If you know, then do something about it. Just live while you can. Don't let this...nightmare beat you."
"But it's not a nightmare, Thalia. It's real life, and I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you only get one. I have to fight with myself every day to keep going, I have to steal to keep my body semi-healthy, I have to kill to stay alive. It's unavoidable. If you don't become a monster, you die."
"Huh, that sounds awfully familiar. Now who did I hear that from before?"
"Thalia, I swear to God, if you compare me to him, I'll...just don't. I'm horrible, but he enjoyed it. I hate it. I'd give anything to go back to the way it was before."
"We all would. But time has passed, and we have to make the best of what we've got." Thalia shed her stern soprano, switching back to the loving, sisterly voice, "It's like you said, you only get one life. Why live it in misery?"
"I...I don't-"
"You don't have to take any of this to heart. Heck, I know I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but I care about you. Always have."
"I know."
Thalia shifted, then grunted. Annabeth had stopped looking at her by now, but could tell she was standing up. "I'm just saying...maybe it wouldn't hurt to have someone watching your back out there. Think about it."
Soon enough, Annabeth was left in silence again. Thalia had retreated to her side of the room, her warmth going with her and leaving nothing but a chill. The barrel fire no longer had any effect, but she'd have to deal with it, because sleep wasn't visiting her tonight.
It didn't take long for morning to come. Annabeth started seeing first signs of light an hour after her talk with Thalia. The woman in question got up the same time as her Hunters, none of them regarding Annabeth through their entire routine. Everything with them seemed to be on a timer, organized down to the last nanosecond. They packed up their sleeping gear, got rid of the food containers from last night, changed clothes, and checked their weapons, all in twenty minutes.
They were preparing to escort her and Percy out of this city, and he was still snoozing. He must've thought this was his chance to catch up on all the sleep he's probably missed since leaving his camp.
She's by no means a troublemaker, but he's asking to be disturbed.
Annabeth stretched her legs and walked over to Percy like a cat, light on her feet and without sound. She didn't feel bad, but she could recognize her shoe hit his rib a little harder than she intended. He jolted awake like he'd been zapped with a taser, head whipping around to find the attacker.
He slumped when he saw it was just her, groaning like a pouty child, "Ugh, five more minutes, mom."
Annabeth cringed, "Never say that again. Time to get up."
Percy pried a single eye open, looking her up and down, "Wise Girl? I thought that was you. Didn't they tell you school's cancelled?"
"Afraid not. Come on, we need to get going. Thalia and her team are almost ready to roll out."
He yawned, propping his sword up to use as a boost, "Alright, alright, give me a second."
Annabeth left him, finding that Thalia and her girls were already onto the next task, working together to slide a large table to the center of the room, replacing the barrel fire to make space. An auburn-haired girl opened a backpack and pulled out a large notebook, opening it to a random page and setting it on the table.
"Alright," Thalia started, taking a commanding tone, "Before we head out, we need to come up with a plan. This is Project Atlas we're talking about, not some group of highwaymen. They're more than likely aware of our little ambush at the hotel, so there's gonna be a lot of them. Probably more than we've ever handled as a team. If I had to guess...three squadrons of trucks, maybe even a chopper."
Everyone's waist touched the table, surrounding it in a square. Annabeth took an empty spot at the end closest to her. Percy joined her shortly after, backpack strapped on and sword sheathed in a makeshift belt loop attached to the side.
"A chopper?" Percy spoke, his voice still groggy, "I've never seen them operate something like that."
"Believe me, they have them. The HRM is Project Atlas's number one obstacle, and while we haven't been with the group for very long, we've been briefed on what they're capable of. They have hundreds of thousands of agents, maybe even in the millions, all of them armed to the teeth. They have planes, helicopters, boats, tanks, outposts, fuel, advanced technology, and I've even heard rumors of a giant airship the size of a skyscraper."
Annabeth thought it seemed a little overexaggerated. Probably propaganda from whoever runs this HRM place to keep survivors on their toes. But then again, judging from what she's seen recently, it's safe to say that even if those are overestimations, they're still a massive force to be reckoned with.
She could see the strained look on Percy's face from her peripheral. Though he hid it the best he could, the panic was evident. With the cure, all of what Thalia just listed would be targeted at him now. An entire military like organization versus one man.
She'd like to think that if it were her, she would make the reasonable choice and hand it over to Thalia. To be free of such a burden. A herculean, impossible task that sounds like a pipe dream. But asking him to give up the cure would be like asking her to give up on returning to her family. Without her mission, she has no hope, and if she has no hope, what is she but a husk no better than the infected?
No, to take that away from him would be far too cruel.
Thalia began drawing on the notebook with a pen she retrieved from her pocket, making quick strokes with the ink to form representations of the city outskirts. "They'll have trucks waiting for us with snipers high up in the surrounding buildings. That's what we need to watch for. One good shot and they can take out our drivers, leaving us vulnerable. I think our best bet is to go at night, use the darkness to our advantage, and conquer their posts and trucks."
Each member of her team nodded with agreement, not questioning the plan whatsoever. Percy looked visibly skeptical, and Annabeth probably wasn't far off either. If she thought a strategy had errors, she would voice her opinion. But the fact that Thalia and these girls were going out of their way to help both of them when they didn't have to made her hesitate.
Percy, however, didn't hold such reservations. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful...but I don't think that's such a good idea."
The other girls' eyes lit aflame with fury, directing a cohesive string of negativity towards Percy. Thalia however, just cocked her head, curious. "How so?"
"Well, I just don't think it's smart to divide and conquer. Besides, you don't even know if they'll have snipers in the buildings or not. Putting manpower towards a task like that could be a complete waste, leaving the ones on the road vulnerable. No, if anything, they won't have any boots on the ground. They'll stay in their trucks and block every escape route but one...the direct path out of the city."
"Don't be ridiculous," said the girl to Annabeth's right, "We've dealt with Project Atlas before. We know how they operate."
"Besides," said another, "What gives you the right to question Thalia's plan? We're volunteering to help you out. We don't have to do this."
"What gives him the right?" Annabeth asked rhetorically, a bit of venom in her tone, "He's spot on. You're the ones that have it backwards."
Silence. The girls' tight, angered expressions simmered, clearly surprised that she'd spoken out in his defense.
"If I'm them, I already know what our next move is. A straight shot out of the city towards upstate. I'd have that path open and cover all side routes."
Nobody spoke for several moments. The girls weren't sure what to do here. Percy is an outsider, but Annabeth is close to their leader. Arguing with her could be seen as insubordination.
"Why would they leave the path open?" Thalia asked.
"They wouldn't. They'd only make it seem so to give us hope. Beyond the curve of the street, they'd have all their manpower set up to stop us. They'd wear us down before we could get there."
"Okay...then we need to avoid the straight path."
"No. Our best chance of getting out is going straight. We have to do it, even if we're playing into their trap."
Everyone but Percy made skeptical faces. "Why would we do that? They'll pick us apart."
"If we go about it the wrong way, but with the right position, we can last and save our firepower until the end for the final obstacle. Can I borrow the pen, Thalia?"
Annabeth gently took the pen and drew small squares at the bottom of the page, symbolizing the HRM vans. What resulted was an arrowhead configuration, all of the vehicles surrounding a single one in the middle, spearheading from point A to point B.
"The Phalanx strategy," she said, the corners of her lips twitching. Annabeth used to love reading history, especially past battles and fought wars. The Macedonian Phalanx was one of her favorite strategies.
The very last person she expected to catch on did. Percy crossed his arms and smirked at her, "Alexander the Great. Good thinking."
The comment caught her so off guard she nearly forgot about everyone else, fighting off the urge to beam at him and begin spouting knowledge from her memory. Detailed images of page after page, volumes of history text and essays written for pre-college courses. She felt a strange swell of connection toward him in the moment that snapped her back to a version of herself long forgotten. That person in the corner of the library, or the one laying on her bed absorbing American literature. Someone that held herself to a standard based purely on intelligence.
She wasn't sure why it was such a big deal. Maybe because it's been a long time since she forgot herself. Since time escaped her priorities.
Realizing eyes were on her, she cleared her throat, "Yeah...like the drawing suggests, it prioritizes protecting an objective and moving at the same time to reach a goal. It keeps all of the manpower in one place, using kinetic force to remove anything in our way."
Thalia considered it, "Straightforward approach. I like it. What do you think, girls?"
Annabeth couldn't blame them. The idea was more daunting than in practice. The girls were holding their tongues.
"Well?"
The one to her left piped up lowly, "We respect your judgement, ma'am."
Thalia accepted that as approval, "Alright then, that's what we'll go with. If we move quick enough, we should be able to come out without anyone getting killed. Get the vans set up, girls, make sure you've got plenty of ammo, we're heading out in ten."
The room became filled with the sound of footsteps and bustling bodies, grabbing arrows and equipment and hauling them towards the outside of the mall. Annabeth looked at Percy. His eyes were glazed over in self conflict. Something drew his mind away to a different world.
"You're familiar with the Phalanx," She said, impressed, "You're not as dumb as I thought, Jackson."
"Mom kept some of Dad's old books and portraits. He had one of a bunch of Greeks using that position in battle." He smiled fondly, "Kinda wish I kept some."
Thalia interrupted the moment by coming over and offering a duffel bag dangling from her wrist. Annabeth blinked at it.
"What's this?"
"Supplies. We packed you some extra sets of clothes, a spare bow and some arrows if you want to hunt without attracting infected, some food, water, and hygiene items. Gotta keep those teeth extra shiny."
Percy grinned gratefully, "Wow, thanks Thalia."
"Yeah, but I doubt any of the clothes will fit you, Fancy Sword. The rest is up for grabs, though."
Annabeth shook her head, "No, I can't accept this. You guys have already done more than enough."
Thalia only thrusted it toward her again, "Take it, Blondie. Get to your family."
Hesitantly, she accepted the bag, shooting her friend a thankful look. It only felt right to pull her into a tight hug. It may be the last they share.
"Thank you for everything."
Thalia returned the embrace, "Of course. Maybe when I get some time, I'll come visit you and your folks someday."
Annabeth smiled, "Please do. And hey...we don't have to go with the plan I came up with. It was rude of me to even say anything at all when you guys are risking your lives for us."
Thalia shrugged, "You're a smart girl, I trust your strategies. Besides, everyone here knows what they signed up for, the HRM doesn't turn its back on people that need them. That's what drew me there in the first place."
Annabeth nodded. Thalia stuck her hand out for Percy to shake. He did.
"It was nice to meet you. Be sure to watch her back out there, okay?"
When their hands fell apart, he slipped his in his jean pockets, "I will...at least, for however long we travel together. I'll probably figure something out when we get further along."
Thalia smirked, blue eyes darting between them, "Trust me, I can tell you from experience that it's much safer going with a partner. Annabeth will warm up to you and let you tag along. She's like a cat. Tough and cold on the outside, but purring like crazy on the inside."
Annabeth's face got hot, "Alright, we should probably get going!"
Percy and Thalia laughed at her embarrassment, the latter slinging her bow and arrow quiver over her shoulders while Percy carefully presented his hand, dangerously close to her chin.
"Cats like it when you scratch their chin, right?"
"Touch me, and I'll kill you before any Project Atlas agents get the chance."
She'd never been a part of a sports team, but Annabeth imagined this simulated the same feeling.
The adrenaline hadn't stopped coursing through her being since they left the mall. Thalia and her team loaded up the vans and drove in a neat, straight line, putting Percy and Annabeth in their own vehicle with him driving.
Annabeth thought he looked better than before. More focused, less worried about the bigger picture. There were still anxious ticks every now and then, though. She'd notice how during the drive, he'd reach his hand beside his leg to make sure the assault rifle Thalia gave him was still there, that it was still loaded. He'd take the other hand and run it over his messy hair, attempting to slick it back and keep it off his forehead, but it was no use. The raven locks had minds of their own.
Those words came back to her. It's much safer going with a partner. Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about the idea. Her restraints were slowly slipping away with every minute she spent with him. She was getting used to the idea of being looked after, of having someone ease that burden just a little. It felt right with Percy. It felt comfortable. He annoyed her in an endearing way, she enjoyed his stupid comments, she even somewhat craved the sense of security that came with him being next to her. Infected on my left? Percy can handle it. Don't have time to scavenge that area? Percy can handle it. Twice the number of hands, twice the number of resources.
Not that she only viewed him as an assistant. Though she wished that were it, it was more than that now. It shouldn't be called friendship. Annabeth doesn't like the word, especially these days, because friends betray you. It hurts when they betray you.
But Thalia may have a point. How long can Annabeth continue living like this? Travelling this lonely path? What kind of toll will it take on her if it continues?
Then she thinks about the rare moments where it surpasses the label of friendship. Those moments she's tried her best to push away. When he said she had a nice smile, or when he told her that her parents would forgive her no matter what...in her eyes, he changed. His entire face glowed like an angel. Like a majestic being bestowing grace upon her. It made her heart skip a beat.
The voice on the radio shook her from her thoughts abruptly, making her flinch. "Everyone, do you copy? This is Thalia doing radio check. Please respond if you can hear me."
Her team all responded immediately. Percy grabbed the small microphone without taking his eyes off the road, "We copy."
"Good, we can communicate through here. Project Atlas won't be able to intercept it," There was a short pause on her end, "We're almost at the Brooklyn Bridge. If we can get you two past that, it shouldn't be hard to get this city behind you."
She could hardly believe it. Behind her. It wouldn't be a minute too soon. She'd grown sick of its giant, invisible cell bars, keeping her trapped in a jungle of steel and ash, locked in with thieves and animals. Annabeth missed the calm, simplistic beauty of the countryside.
For an hour, nothing disturbed the convoy. They drove at a good pace, the dusty orange sky above them, buildings passing by quicker than the wind, some fallen and some standing tall. If any infected wandered around, they'd been moving too quick for her to spot them.
"I'm sorry," said Percy, suddenly.
"For what?"
"For getting your friend involved. For risking everyone's life. They shouldn't be helping us for the wrong reasons. I should just give them the cure."
For a second, Annabeth waited to make sure the radio wasn't still on. Thankfully, it wasn't. "Why now? Last night, you said-"
"I know. But this is about way more than just me. It's about the entire world."
"Exactly, which is why you're going to get it to where it needs to be. They're not helping us for the wrong reasons. They're helping us get the cure away from the wrong hands."
He wasn't convinced. This must've been what was bothering him earlier.
She stopped him from saying anything else, "What did Brunner tell you?"
"To not let anyone else hold it, I know, but Annabeth, it's-"
"He trusted it to you. He told you to deliver it, and you promised him you would. It's your mission, Percy. No one understands that better than me."
His lips tightened in a thin line. He didn't let loose another doubt, but she could tell it still prodded at him. At the end of the day, she only had one priority, so it didn't really matter what he decided. She just wanted him to be focused until they could get out of the city. One slip up, and the formation could be put in jeopardy.
"Don't think about that right now," She said, "Think about getting us out of here."
He nodded, letting out a quick breath, "Okay."
"Approaching the bridge!" Thalia's voice buzzed, "Get in formation!"
Immediately, the trucks reacted, swerving out of the neat line and forming a triangle around Percy and Annabeth's vehicle, staying in close proximity to shield them from attack. It looked promising. With each one being equal height, the only real damage they could take would be from an aerial attack, or like Thalia suggested earlier, a sniper from a building.
The others accelerated their speed, reaching sixty miles an hour, ignoring any stray debris or potholes strewn by the damage caused from the bombings. Percy matched their pace and everyone kept control. So far, so good.
Thalia's voice came again, calm and informative, "Alright, we've got some action ahead. Annabeth, it looks like you were right. They've got trucks set up on every side route, the path ahead is wide open. They're going to try to wear us down before reaching the last obstacle."
Annabeth leaned up in her seat to look out the window. Ahead, looming over them under the morning sky, sat the Brooklyn Bridge, tall and inviting. On their right and left, through the cracks in the Phalanx, she saw black shapes approaching, getting closer with time. Any second now, the assault would begin.
"Alright everyone, pay attention. Our goal is to endure the gunfire and keep moving. With the amount of armor on these vans, it shouldn't be an issue unless they use explosives. Then and only then are you permitted to return fire. We need to try and save all we've got for the last line of defense."
"And if they try to form a roadblock?" A voice asked.
Annabeth grabbed the microphone, "Hold formation and ram through them. With us moving as one unit, it would take a lot to stop our momentum."
"You heard her. If they pull anything of the sort, increase speed and obliterate them. Good luck, everyone, here we go."
No sooner than she said it, it began. A collective, horrible rapping pierced her eardrums. All at once, thousands of bullets attacked the vans like enraged metal wasps, the sound reminding Annabeth of the rain's pitter patter on a tin roof, only far more violent.
However, while the sound was terrifying, nothing resulted from it. The vans stayed perfectly in place, ignoring the metal wasps without second thought.
"All but Percy, release smoke trail," Thalia ordered without urgency. At her command, white plumes of smoke burst from the tail ends of each van around them, ascending and expanding faster than Annabeth could blink. It not only left an afterimage behind them, but followed them as they continued. A personal, protective cloud.
The bullets kept coming, and Thalia kept paying them no mind. Annabeth could picture her now. Her smug, challenging expression, unseen by the enemy. Silently saying- is that all you've got?
"Almost home free!" She cheered, "Keep pushing!"
But Annabeth didn't fall for it. It wouldn't be that easy. The bullets had stopped, all together in coordinated effort. Something had changed, a new part of the plan was being made on the other side.
"Something's coming..." She whispered, then grabbed onto Percy's shoulder, "Something's about to happen!"
Keeping her eye on the crack in the Phalanx, something darted in her line of sight. Two trucks appeared parallel to each other, fifty feet oncoming. Satellite shaped discs at the top, aimed at them. A ball in the center for each began glowing white, not from the sun's reflection or a trick of the eye, but a purposeful gathering of energy.
Someone, maybe Thalia's voice boomed over the radio, non-discernable, cut off by the release of that white energy in the air. Whatever it was, the invisible force, smacked three vans in the air like the hand of a giant swept over the street, flipping one on its side and knocking the other two off course.
"Shit! Pulse blast! Get back in formation!"
The two still upright jerked back in front of Percy and Annabeth, but the other was already in the rear view, being swarmed by a flurry of agents.
Percy scrambled for the mic, "What about them?! We need to go back!"
"No!" Thalia boomed, "If we go back we're all dead! They went out for the cause! If we die, it'll all be in vain, so keep moving!"
"She's right," Annabeth added, "The point of the Phalanx is to keep moving. We can't slow our momentum."
Ahead, the satellite shaped discs began glowing again. Thalia saw it this time, "Another one's coming! Break formation! Break formation!"
The Phalanx fell apart, spreading away from each other as far as possible, to the edge of the sidewalk just as the second blast came. It had no color or shape, it came and exploded against the asphalt, this time giving a slight push to the sides of the vehicles.
"Full speed! They won't have time to fire another blast!"
Thalia's van and two more lined up in front of Percy and Annabeth like a black shield, giving no view ahead. Three seconds passed, then the two Project Atlas trucks were sent tumbling from the hundred mile an hour collision. Undeterred, Thalia pressed on, reaching the bridge. In the distance ahead lay temporary freedom.
"Alright, we're past the trucks! Keep this position!"
It stayed strong for the majority of the bridge. In the parameters of the window, Percy and Annabeth could only see the rears of the vans in front, and a sliver of the sky above, but nothing ahead.
The final obstacle.
"Ma'am, something's rising above the road. Looks like a chopper."
"No freaking way..." Percy muttered, placing his head so close to the window his forehead was touching, "They actually have them."
Annabeth matched him, seeing for herself. Peering halfway up the arch, was the chopper, a black beast of a bird glaring at them, missiles cocked on either side like sharp talons.
They didn't even see it coming. The van next to Thalia's wasn't there anymore, only a wall of orange fire covering a chunk of metal, and even that only stood for a single second, the next, it was thrown over the bridge and hurled in the water.
"Bring it down!" Thalia screamed, "Launch the hook and keep it in place! Load the explosive arrows!"
Annabeth got her answer on what the "hook" was in the next second. Thalia's van shuddered, then a line of ropey steel flew from the front, outstretching from it to the helicopter, latching on the bottom of the landing gear. The impact threw off the next missile, sending it sideways into one of the bridge pillars. It barely missed the van to their diagonal left.
A volley of arrows followed, expertly shot. They burst on impact, five, six, seven of them all attacking the vulnerable points with brunt force. The chopper instantly lost control, spinning like a top until it collided with the bridge. Once the blades stopped working, it plummeted, blocking half of the road.
Every van broke formation, creating a gap for Percy and Annabeth to go straight through. They did, but Thalia and the others stayed behind, skidding to a stop, drifting sideways and forming a wall so the Project Atlas trucks couldn't get by.
And they were coming. Annabeth unbuckled her seatbelt and twisted around, her heart rate escalating by the second. The rear-view window offered a wider view than the front. Beyond the van wall, every truck set up on the side routes left their post, all racing toward the bridge in an intimidating array. They were outnumbered ten to one.
"No, no, no, no..." Annabeth spun back around, desperately snatching up the radio mic, "Thalia! Thalia, what are you doing?!"
A moment of silence. Annabeth's heart was beating out of her chest. Suddenly, this all became very real. The consequences of their actions, of involving other people in their affairs. It was always supposed to be on her. Getting back to her family was her struggle. Nobody, especially Thalia, should have to die for her mistakes.
"Thalia!" She cried again.
"Go, Annabeth," Came the muffled voice, "Go and really live, like we talked about."
She hadn't realized her eyes were welling up until a tear fell on the mic. She dropped the mic and trembling, made her way to the rear window again. Thalia and the remaining Hunters were out of their vans, standing guard with arrows knocked, staring at the oncoming army.
Thalia was facing them, her hand above her head. She was giving a thumbs up.
"No..." Annabeth hadn't felt such panic in a long time. Dealing with infected, Scavengers, even Luke himself, all could be adapted to. It became a routine. Her loved ones dying because of her could never be dulled. It elicited a terror within so great, she began making deals with a superior being. If only she could trade places or do something to stop this.
She can. She can go back and help. Her family aren't going anywhere, but Thalia...Thalia has to stay alive.
Annabeth returned to the front, leaning on the middle console and tugging on Percy's shoulder, "Stop the van, Percy, we have to go back."
He did nothing.
"Hey!" She roared, shaking him, "Stop the van, now! We can't just leave them!"
When he still didn't budge, Annabeth scanned the interior frantically, finding handguns strapped to the roof. She grabbed one and pointed it at Percy.
"If you don't turn this van around right now, I swear I'll kill you! Don't make me do that!"
"You're not going to kill me." It came out softly. A monotone.
"Excuse me?!"
"She's doing this for us, Annabeth!"
The outburst took her by surprise. She backed away from him, gun lowering to her thigh. Her vision tunneled; her stomach became queasy.
"We both know that if we go back, we'll get killed! Your family will never see you again and I'll never deliver the cure! It'll all be for nothing!"
Yes. She knew that. But that didn't make it fair. Even if Percy told them about the cure, this was always the result. Thalia was someone that went all in on everything she did. She wasn't afraid to die, especially for something that could save the world.
Percy turned back to face the road, grinding his teeth in frustration, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Annabeth felt another tear slide down her cheek as she melted in the seat's cushion. This should've been the victorious moment she imagined. The moment where she'd look back at the fading city she reluctantly called home for several months and grin, even cackle while she smacked the steering wheel. She'd whoop with excitement and gun it all the way to Virginia. Seeing the dreadful place get smaller in the glass would be so satisfying.
But now, she couldn't bear to look, because it wasn't just the city. It was her one friend.
Annabeth closed her eyes.
-x-