Chapter Text
PERCY
"Percy! You said you would never leave me!" Annabeth shrieked. I reached out for her as she blindly felt around to get to me.
"I'm trying! It's the curse that cyclops from the Sea of Monsters put to your name! Annabeth! Annabeth!" I screamed as a giant crack appeared in the ground and Annabeth tripped into the dark oblivion...
•••
I wake up yelling Annabeth's name. I jump out of my bed and run outside, into the fresh air. I bend over with hands on my knees, my breaths ragged. My hair is matted to my skull with sweat. I walk down to the river to clear my head, but when I reach the edge of the copse of trees that lay near it, I see Annabeth sitting at the creek. She has her head in her hands and her back is shaking.
"Annabeth?" I say softly. I slowly walk over there as not to startle her. The neck of her shirt is wet, and her hair is stuck to her neck slightly. "Nightmares, huh?" I say as I sit next to her, gently putting my arm around her shoulder and drawing her into my chest.
"They're so bad, Percy. I can't stand them. Why won't they go away? I mean, it's been months since we got out." she whispers. I shake my head. She sighs into my shoulder and shuts her eyes. Her cheeks are splotchy and red, her lips cracked and voice hoarse.
"Hey, it's okay. We're fine now. Do you want to go back to my cabin? We can sit for a bit, if you want." I suggest. She just nods lightly. Silent tears still run down her cheeks as we walk. In the distance, lights of the city start to brighten, signalling early morning rush hour for the early workers.
We reach my cabin, and as soon as I open the door the scent of the ocean hits my face. I smile lightly. Annabeth audibly sighs in content. I place my hand at the small of her back and guide her in. We walk over to my bunk and sit down. We just sit there basking in the silence of early morning. We eventually fall asleep, her head on my shoulder, our hands intertwined.
---
PIPER
"Awe! Jason, look how cute they are!" I squeal at Jason. He raises an eyebrow at me, probably because I'm on my toe looking into the Poseidon cabin. He slowly walks over and looks over my shoulder.
"Hmm," he hums. I turn around a start walking to the dining pavilion. "Hey, Pipes, wait up!" he laughs. I slow down a bit so he can catch up.
"Piper! Jason! Mr. D wants you at the Big House in ten minutes!" A little Apollo girl says when she reaches us. "He said you need to get the others; Percy, Annabeth, Leo."
"Thanks!" I say to her, smiling. I turn and look at Jason. "Well, off we go to find Leo. Then we'll get Percy and Annabeth. Right?" He just nods at me and starts towards the forest, towards bunker 9. The walk doesn't take long, and we reach bunker 9 in no time.
"Leo! Mr. D wants us! Be there in ten minutes!" I yell. A really loud bang reverberates through my head. Jason jumps, not expecting the loud sound. Leo curses very loudly in Greek and walks out from the bunker.
"Do you mind, Piper? I'm busy," he says. I raise my eyebrow at him.
"Just come with us, we need to get Percy and Annabeth as well." I tell him.
When we reach the Poseidon cabin, Percy and Annabeth are already awake and walking towards the dinning pavilion. "Percy! Annabeth! You guys have to come to the Big House! Mr. D needs us there!" Jason yells.
---
PERCY
"Hey, time to get up. Breakfast," I say as I shook Annabeth awake. She groans and shifts onto her elbows.
"Not hungry," she mumbles. "Tired. Get back here." she says and puts her hand out. I shake my head.
"You're ridiculous, you know." I tell her, laughing lightly. She hums and lightly smiles.
"I like your laugh. And your smile. The one where your nose scrunches? That one." Annabeth says quietly. She open her eyes, but closes them almost immediately. "It's bright out there."
"It is morning, Annabeth, of course it's bright. Come on, I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too." I whine, and gently poke her cheek.
"Oh, fine, Seaweed Brain. Let's go." Annabeth relents, sitting up and whacking my arm. She jumps off the bunk and walks over to the dresser, where she keeps some spare clothes incase she doesn't feel like going back to the Athena cabin.
Laughing, I walk over to the fountain in my cabin and throw a drachma into the spray. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me Grover Underwood in Sydney, Australia." I say.
"Perrrcy!" Grover bleats when he sees the Iris-message.
"Grover! How's Australia?" I ask him. He grins at me, and picks up a mug.
"It's great! Lots of coffee shops here! No Starbucks, but a weird place called Zaraffas*." he tells me.
"Oh, geez, no Starbucks, how will you live?" I grin at him. My talk with Grover is interrupted when I jump ten feet in the air, a feat caused by Annabeth. "My gods, Annabeth, you gave me a freaking heart attack!" Both her and Grover are laughing at me. "Neither of you will be laughing when I blast you with water."
"Sure. Isn't it almost Breakfast there, guys? You should go." Grover says.
"That's what I've been telling Annabeth. So, bye Grover!" I exclaim. He laughs and swipes his hand through the Iris message. "As páei*, Annabeth!"
"Allons-y, Percy!" she laughed. We were both laughing our heads off as we walked to the dining pavilion, when Piper and Jason came running up to us.
"Percy! Annabeth! You guys have to come to the Big House! Mr. D needs us there!" Jason calls out. Annabeth and I whip around at the sound of his voice.
"Why?" Annabeth asks him. "Haven't we done enough?"
"A little Apollo girl told us. Leo is coming, and Nico. I'm pretty sure Calypso, Hazel, Reyna and Frank are coming too." Piper tells us. I look at Annabeth and shrug.
"Okay. What d'you think Mr. D wants?" I ask them as we walk towards the Hades cabin. The Hades cabin, where Nico is. The same Nico who admitted he had a crush on me in the past. After that, our friendship got kind of awkward, but not by much. I knock lightly on the door, peering into the cold and lonely cabin. Jason does the same, Piper fiddles with the feather in her hair and Annabeth thwacks my head for peering in on Nico.
"Is he even there, guys?" Piper mumbles. I shake my head lightly, a few chunks of hair falling into my eyes. I frustratedly run my hands through my hair to move it. I huff and grab the doorknob, yanking it open before anyone can stop me. Everyone outside makes a yell of disagreement. I stomp over to the bunk and rip the blankets off the lump. Nico's hand shoot up yo his eyes and he groans.
I pick him up with little effort; throw him over my shoulder and storm out of the door. I flick my head towards the Big House, indicating for our friends to follow us. We all move up the hill and knock on the door. "You can put me down now." Nico mumbles. I obey him and put him down quickly. Chiron answers the door and lets us in, shaking his head at Nico's attire. We all tumble into the lounge and sit, waiting for him to speak.
"I have a quest for you."