Work Text:
Mrs. O'Leary was a sight to behold. She barreled through all of the monsters in the arena, effectively freeing Rachel and allowing for Percy's plan to succeed and him to escape back into the Labyrinth.
The only problem: Annabeth was beholding the sight from the viewing box.
Luke has pointed at Annabeth, and told the Laistrygonian, "Spare the girl." His voice quavered just a little. "I would like to speak to her before-before our great triumph."
The Laistrygonian had followed Luke's orders immediately. By the time Percy had blown the dog whistle for Mrs. O'Leary to come to their rescue, Annabeth and her captor the Laistrygonian had been far out of her reach in a back alley staircase leading to Luke in the viewing box. She watched helplessly and in triumph as Percy had made his getaway with the mortal, before coming to the realization that she, like last winter, was now a kidnapped victim of Luke. She knew Percy would try, but now, surrounded by an entire arena full of monsters in the Labyrinth, she didn't know if it was even possible for him to come back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This way!" Rachel yelled.
Finally we stopped and were led into a room as big as a marble gymnasium, with large marble pillars holding up the ceiling.
I immediately looked behind me. There was no Mrs. O'Leary. Worst of all there was no Annabeth.
"Where's Annabeth?" My voice sounded breathless and I wasn't sure if it was because of the running or the fear that gripped me when I realized she wasn't behind me.
Rachel looked up at me with sad eyes.
"That guy Luke said to spare her. The giant, well, he took her to see him-"
"I thought she got out. I saw Mrs. O'Leary run over a Canadian like him. Are you sure she's with-"
Rachel nodded solemnly.
"We have to go back."
Ethan stood up, dusting dirt off his jeans. "I am."
"I'll come with you-" I started.
"No," Ethan interrupted me, "I'm not going back for her. I'm going back for me."
I stared at him shocked.
"Why are you so bent on joining up with the wrong side?"
Ethan sneered. "There is no right side. The Gods never cared about us, Why should I-"
"Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment? Gee I wonder."
"I'm outta here," Ethan said.
"You're going to head off into the maze alone? That's suicide."
"So is going back to save that girl. Don't follow me." Then he was off.
I turned back to Rachel, "C'mon, which way did they go?"
Rachel looked at me remorsefully.
"Percy I can't see where all of them went. We're too far removed. My sight only works on the maze, showing me the path to the workshop, not the path to every person. I have no idea where they might've taken her."
I started off in some random direction. "Well we have to try-"
Rachel pulled me back by the shirt. "You said it yourself, going back into the maze alone with no guide is suicide. We have a much better chance reaching the workshop from here. We're close."
"I can't leave her." I tried to make Rachel understand. "Who knows what they're doing-"
Rachel looked green. I decided to stop talking and not mention how they'd made Annabeth hold the sky in excruciating pain for hours last winter before binding and gagging her in a cell.
"Figure it this way. We're heading to the same place as Luke's forces, right? To find Daedalus and stop them from getting the string? I'm sure we'll find Annabeth there when they come to get it."
I sat down against the wall dejected. I hated that I'd let this happen to Annabeth again. I didn't like leaving her alone with Luke. I knew she was a strong girl and could take him, but she had always had a special bond with him that I envied. If I didn't know Annabeth any better, I'd be afraid they'd convince her to join like Ethan.
"You're right," I finally told Rachel. I knew Annabeth would never forgive me if I let camp be attacked because I was too busy trying to save her. "Let's get some sleep. We'll find Annabeth in the morning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The arrival of Mrs. O'Leary had caused chaos for the surrounding monsters. As she and the Laistrygonian had reached the viewing box she watched Luke yell to his army, "Continue on my soldiers! This hellhound is not worth our precious time! To the exits, to our Titan Lord!"
He turned back to face his new arrivals.
He nodded to the Laistrygonian. "Thank you Jasper. I can take it from here."
The Laistrygonian released his hold on her neck and arms and Annabeth fell to her hands and knees on the floor. Luke immediately hauled her up by her arm while the Laistrygonain fled the scene, no doubt going to join the monster army in what Annabeth hoped was not the same direction of Percy and Rachel.
When Jasper had finally left the room and both Luke and Annabeth could no longer hear his footsteps, Luke began moving, never relinquishing his hold on Annabeth's arm.
"Let's go." he whispered, deadly quiet into her ear, and began quickly pulling her along in the opposite direction of the monsters. Annabeth stumbled, torn between simultaneously trying to keep up or stand her ground.
"Go where?" she protested as he continued to drag her along until they reached the ever uncommon corridors of the Labyrinth .
"We're leaving. Now."
Annabeth struggled to pull her arm away, "Leaving?" she questioned.
"Yes," he seemed annoyed at her lack of understanding, "We're getting far away from this place."
Annabeth balked, "You don't mean-" she stopped dead in her tracks, or at least tried to, but Luke, with all the muscle mass of a 21-year-old adult overpowered her whatever strength eight years of camp had given her. He managed to drag her along albeit at a considerably slower pace.
"I already told you I didn't want to run away with you Luke."
He rolled his eyes. "You left me no choice Annabeth."
"So what? You've decided to kidnap me again? Real clever Luke, I'll definitely want to come willingly now."
"Gods Annabeth! It's for your own good as well as mine! If we don't leave now, I might not have a chance to spare you again, and I can't-"
"Like you cared so much about sparing me in the past."
"This will be good for us, Annabeth." He looked pensive as if he was trying to convince himself as well as her. "I can't stay and I'll need someone with me, I'll need you with me, just like the old days. We can do it, I know we can. We'll head north, maybe Alaska-"
"No!" she ripped her arm free from his grasp, but he didn't seem to notice, instead he pushed a glowing blue triangle on the wall and shoved her through the entrance that had created itself.
Annabeth would like to say she did something heroic and fought Luke off or at least continued to thwart his reasoning for their escape attempt, but she was blown away by Daedalus's workshop. The room was gorgeous, filled with architectural design that showed the outside world even underground, and too many projects for her to completely focus on. She stepped towards what seemed to be an architectural design for a new building that showed a moving monument and statue, and tried to disconcert how it would even work.
"Annabeth." Luke said her name calmly. Now that she had stopped actively fighting him, she could see the desperation in his eyes, but his tone was calm. He was outfitted with the most gorgeous pair of bronze wings she had ever seen, and in the light of the workshop he looked as the one true savior and guardian angel she'd once thought him to be. Only the scar ruined the perfect image.
He held up another pair of the five bronze wings outlined along the wall. "C'mere," he told her, moving towards her with the wings, "Time to get suited up."
Annabeth held her ground. "I'm not leaving with you Luke."
He huffed, exasperated with her. "I can't stay here Annabeth and neither can you."
"Let's go to camp," she tried pleading the solution with him once more, "Chiron will understand-"
"I can never go back there Annabeth, not after this. They'll find me, and I know you won't be welcome to the Titans. This is our only option." His voice was angry, but his eyes remained sad, desperate.
"No Luke," she shook her head sadly, "This is your only option."
"C'mon Annabeth. Do you really think this isn't the safest option for you too? What with your infatuation with that Poseidon kid? You know he's fated to die next summer, who's not to say earlier. And you, in your quest for glory have put yourself next to him at every step of the way. He's going to get you killed Annabeth, with nothing to show for it. He's not good for you."
Annabeth could barely believe her ears. "Not good for me? Who are you to talk about what's good for me? You have tried to get me killed, numerous times in the past three years and Percy has done nothing but have my back. You are the one who isn't good for me!"
"So you're going to do it? Stay and fight for the Gods in a war that was created because of their bad behavior? What has your mother really ever done for you Annabeth? Nothing! The exact same my father had done for me my entire childhood! We're family Annabeth."
He sighed. "It'll be like it was before, just you and me against the world. Put the wings on."
Her eyes stung. "I can't leave everyone behind Luke. My dad, Chiron, everyone at camp, Grover…"
"And Percy?" he sneered, "If he really had your best interests at heart Annabeth he wouldn't ask you to fight this war with him."
"I volunteered," she heard herself say back.
Luke's expression softened. "I know you did, Annabeth. You were always so determined and resilient."
He moved closer to her, touching her arm. "But we are family Annabeth. I need to leave, and I want you here with me, on the run, where we belong. I don't want you to die. I was angry before. You-You're my little sister and I care about you so much."
She stayed silent staring at the ground. She could feel feather light touches on her back and arms.
Her eyes downcast, she answered, "No you don't."
Luke seemed taken aback.
"If you really cared about me you wouldn't try to hurt me, have me killed. If you really cared about me you wouldn't have kidnapped me last summer."
"It was for your protection! They were going to kill you!"
"If you really loved me, cared about me, and my resilience you would let me make my own decisions." She turned to face him. Her eyes were bright but red as they stared into his. His were desperate.
"Please Annabeth. You're all I have left."
"I'm sorry. I'll support you if you come back to camp, but...I have more left to fight for."
He was angry. He was hurt. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he never thought, she little Annabeth Chase, who had adored him at 7, would hurt him this much.
"So that's it? You're going to choose them over me?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We're here," Rachel announced, "Daedalus's workshop."
I pressed the triangle symbol on the doors and they slowly began to open.
I put my hand on the door to open it completely when we heard voices.
I motioned for Rachel to get down, then leaned over to see through the small crack of light in the door to see what was happening.
There stood Luke and Annabeth, both outfitted with golden wings, the kind I had seen Daedalus and Icarus wear in my dreams. Luke looked angry, standing over Annabeth with his arms crossed, while Annabeth kept her head down. They both seemed to be angry but there was a solemn tension in the room I didn't seem to understand.
Then I heard Luke speak.
"So that's it? You're going to choose them over me?"
Annabeth's eyes were still downcast. When her head rose again I saw they were brimming with tears, a few of them falling over her cheeks.
I had never seen Annabeth cry, not in the three and a half years I'd known her, except once when our friend Zoe Nightshade had died last winter, and when I had walked in on my own funeral, which I'm sure she felt partially responsible for. The way they were talking, with Luke fidgeting and Annabeth in tears was reminiscent of Zoe's death. They were talking like...like this was Luke's last chance at life. I wanted to pulverize Luke for making her cry, but I shallowly couldn't help but notice how much she cared for him.
"Please don't make me choose." Her voice was softer than a whisper. "I can't choose. I'm not ready."
Luke stared at her, his eyes sad, but his scarred lip was twitching and Annabeth knew that meant he was angry.
He grabbed her arm again and began pulling her towards the window.
"Let's go."
Bewildered, she glanced back at her shoulders. Over each one she could see arches of bronze. Annabeth seemed confused, like she hadn't even realized the wings were there. It seemed like Luke had secured the wings to her while he had stood behind her, without her knowledge. Some part in the back of Annabeth's mind seemed to registered the feather lightness of them, how they seemed to be an extension of her back. The majority of her mind was focused on pulling away from him.
"Let go of me!"
Annabeth seemed to think Luke would never intentionally hurt her, but he had convinced himself this was for her own good. Just like how the Titans were for the better. I wasn't so sure. I had seen Luke try to kill me enough times that I knew he hadn't given a second thought to whether Annabeth was caught in the crossfire. Like last winter when he had kidnapped her. And Annabeth didn't know how to convince Luke that his ideas weren't for the better, though she seemed to think he may soon see sense.
He pulled harder.
"Luke let go!"
I let the workshop door burst open.
"Let her go!" I yelled. Bronze glinted in the well-lit room, making them squint, but I could see Annabeth recognize my voice.
She looked up, eyes shining.
"Percy" they seemed to say, relief evident in them.
Abruptly Luke let go of her arm and stared at her, intently, like he was trying to figure out the puzzle of why she was so reluctant to go with him. There was something else there too. He looked for far too long. Annabeth got the impression he was trying to remember her face.
"You're going to choose them." His voice was dejected, but there was a steely undertone to it that she recognized, the one when he was determined and reckless.
She stared back at him, trying to form the words, but none of them came.
He finally tore his gaze away from her face and looked around the workshop, steeling himself as he did so, convinced his next move would make the world a better place even if Annabeth was too naive to see it.
"There's nothing left for me here."
He took one last look at Annabeth, then jumped out the window and flew.
The next time we would see him, his eyes would be golden.