Chapter Text
"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up before she could lose her courage. "Sir, you have to trust them."
Her voice reverberated from wall to wall in rhythm with her palpitating heart as Zeus turned his steady, searing gaze on her. Annabeth swallowed. Please don't smite me, she thought.
Here she sat, with Percy stiff at her side and Thalia and Grover across the room, listening to the gods debate whether to kill them. How ridiculous was that notion, considering Annabeth had just held the sky and fought Atlas?
It sparked irrational anger in her. Annabeth knew the gods could be unreasonable, but sometimes...
Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"
"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. Her silver eyes were piercing, and an expression that could only be described as reluctant fondness crossed her face. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."
Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.
Something brushed over Annabeth's wrist. She tilted her head to the left to see Percy's face an ashen shade of grey and fear seizing his eyes. "Annabeth," he breathed. "Don't."
Trying to ignore the electricity coursing through her arm from the contact, Annabeth's brow drew together. "What?"
He was trembling. "Look, I need to tell you something," he continued desperately. "I couldn't stand it if... I don't want you to—"
Annabeth frowned worriedly. "Percy? You look like you're going to be sick."
"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"
Something like dread formed a boulder in the pit of Annabeth's stomach. No, no, no—
Her head whipped wildly to the side, staring imploringly at Thalia. But the other girl had already stepped forward, blue eyes glimmering and standing tall. "I accept," came her clear voice.
Annabeth wanted to burst into tears. No, she'd just gotten Thalia back — barely a year with her best friend, and she was about to lose her all over again.
"And," Artemis cleared her throat. "I shall have a new lieutenant," she said. "If she will accept it."
"No," she heard Percy murmur.
"Annabeth," Artemis said confidently. "Daughter of Athena. Do you accept?"
The breath caught in her throat, leaving Annabeth staring speechlessly at the goddess.
What?
A vivid memory flashed through her mind. The pamphlet Zoë had given her as a child; the resounding 'NO' that echoed in her heart at the thought of leaving Luke.
Annabeth returned to her senses and realised that everyone was still staring at her, awaiting her response. It was an honour — lieutenant — certainly not one she had ever expected to be offered, but an honour nonetheless. A Hunter, her? Really?
Annabeth's gaze flickered to Percy, and he looked more terrified that she'd ever seen him. Percy had marched into the Underworld, killed a massive Cyclops, held the sky, but never had she ever seen this jarring fear in his eyes.
Her throat was dry. She knew the implications of joining the Hunt; leaving everything and everyone she had ever known behind. Including Percy.
But her family — this was her last chance at a family. Luke was gone, but maybe she could still have Thalia. It was a chance, no matter how small, and no way in hell was Annabeth going to give that up. She couldn't—couldn't be alone any longer.
"I accept." Annabeth's voice wavered. She shoved aside the lingering doubt in her mind. No, this was the right choice. It was Thalia; her sister and her only family.
She wouldn't meet Percy's eyes. But in her peripheral vision, Annabeth saw the way he sunk into his seat, the way his shoulders sagged, all hope leaving him. Percy was always so full of life, full of jokes and impertinence and determination — but never this-this dull void.
You broke him, her body screamed.
Everything that happened next was a blur. Annabeth was ushered out of the throne room, heart hammering as she was congratulated by a grinning Thalia, a tearful Grover, and proud Olympians. Her mother looked pleased, for the first time in Annabeth's life. Annabeth should've jumped at that, but she felt like a massive hole had been burrowed into her heart. Percy hadn't said a word, not to her, not to Grover, not to his father as he numbly paced out behind them.
Annabeth was vaguely aware of what was occurring around her. There was a celebration party on Olympus, but the Hunters wouldn't be attending — apparently, there were a lot of monsters to kill — and Artemis was preparing to whisk her off to the campsite.
"But-but Camp," Annabeth stammered. "My
things—"
"You won't need it anymore," Artemis said smoothly. "The Hunt will provide you with everything you need. Your Yankees' cap will be all you need, and it has already been delivered to the tents."
Annabeth nodded silently, unsure of why something like horror was starting to overwhelm her.
"You okay?" Thalia's urgent voice broke her out of her thoughts. The other girl's excitement seemed to have died down, and she now looked on Annabeth with concern.
Plastering a smile on her face, Annabeth nodded, throat clenching up. She was staying with Thalia; of course, she was fine.
"Wait," the words tumbled out in a frantic mess. Annabeth's gaze scanned the room. "I-I need to say goodbye to—" She hastily broke off when she saw something like suspicion cross Artemis' face. "P-My friends."
Artemis waved a hand and Annabeth plunged into the crowd, desperately searching for Percy. Come on, come on, come on.
"Percy," Annabeth almost sobbed when she found him, pulling him back by the elbow. And in a moment, Annabeth wasn't sure how it happened, they were hugging.
Her face buried in his shoulder, in his ocean scent that provoked a sense of agonising longing in her heart. She heard Percy wracked inhales as his arms around her tightened.
"I don't want you to leave," she heard him choke out in a tone so low that Annabeth wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.
Annabeth closed her eyes, basking in this warmth as she willed the tears back. No, she wouldn't cry. Not here in front of everyone.
They drew apart slowly. "I'm really gonna miss you," her voice cracked.
"You're gonna be a really good lieutenant," Percy returned, his lower lip trembling and voice shaky. "I'm happy for you," he said finally, offering her a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Annabeth forced herself to return it. She didn't know what to say. There were too many things she was bursting to say, but she couldn't bring herself to voice any of it.
This could very well be the last time she would see him for a long time, or, and Annabeth hated to even think it, forever.
"Percy, I—" The words died in her throat, and Annabeth locked gazes with him. She didn't want to ruin this with words. No, she took the moments to memorise his face. The way his hair fell over his eyes when he looked down, the exact shade of his eyes — a beautiful mix of blue and green, churning like the ocean — the lopsided grin that he would flash, the way his brow furrowed when he got confused (which happened a lot).
"Annabeth," Artemis interrupted from behind. Thalia's hand came up and tugged at her arm.
"We have to go," Thalia whispered.
Annabeth swallowed. This was harder than anything she'd ever had to do. Feeling herself nod numbly, Annabeth took a step back — a step towards Artemis and a step away from Percy — as Artemis' iron grip came to settle on her shoulder.
The last thing she saw before she dissolved into wind and the world disappeared around her was Percy.
Annabeth's surroundings rebuilt itself piece by piece as they arrived at their destination. Wind-travel was a funny thing, a strange sensation, but Annabeth was too caught up in her thoughts to realise what was going on.
First were the trees to her right, then the blue sky above, the wispy clouds, then the sparse grass and the ground slammed into her feet. The impact made Annabeth stumble upon landing, Thalia catching her before she could fall.
"Annabeth Chase and Thalia Grace," Artemis declared. "Welcome to the Hunt."
The Hunters' abode was astounding. Five silver tents were pitched in a semi-circle around a campfire, where animals were expertly strung above, being cooked for a meal. Women and girls alike dotted the scene, most of them laughing or chatting with each other. They came in every shape, species and form; a tree nymph, a mortal, and a water spirit among the crowd. Annabeth counted maybe twenty of them, the rest of the Hunt off participating in their own activities.
"Hunters, gather round," Artemis called, and the bustling girls obliged, curious gazes sweeping over Thalia and Annabeth. "I have two new Hunters to introduce you to."
There were awed choruses of "wow" as Artemis gave them a brief description of Thalia's quest and their efforts against Kronos. A moment of silence was given for Zoë Nightshade, whom the other Hunters mourned with dismay. When Annabeth was announced as the new Lieutenant, the girls began to bow respectfully, and Annabeth was stunned still at the foreign attitude.
Once everyone was caught up to the current events, Annabeth was ushered into the tallest silver tent in the centre — presumably Artemis' — where the oath to join the Hunt was conducted.
"I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." Annabeth repeated the words thickly. A warm glow flooded her from head to toe, filling her with a new spurt of energy and feeling like she could kill Kronos with her bare hands.
"Woah," she heard Thalia marvel, looking down at herself. Annabeth knew the rules of the Hunters; immortal except in battle. It was strange thinking she'd never catch a cold again. This was probably the closest she'd ever come to godhood, and Annabeth didn't know whether she liked or hated it.
The rest of the night seemed to pass right by. It wasn't Annabeth's fault that she was too overwhelmed by anything to really take in what was going on. She was officially appointed Lieutenant by Artemis, who placed the silver circlet on her intricate braids (courtesy of Phoebe).
Annabeth felt pride swell in her. Maybe she'd done this for Thalia, but it didn't meant that wasn't proud of this accomplishment. A goddess trusted her to lead a troop of all-powerful hunters; that had to count for something.
Instructions for her first mission were given out, and Annabeth followed Thalia back to the tent they would share with Phoebe and another girl, Willow. Willow was — as the name hinted — a tree nymph. She had frizzy hair pulled back into two pigtails, dark skin and bright emerald eyes. She looked friendly enough, and Annabeth hoped that she would fit in with this band of warriors.
They sat around the bonfire for a few hours in the dark once Artemis had left, exchanging stories of battles. Annabeth found herself laughing despite the heaviness in her heart and accepting hugs from various other Hunters. They were all lovely people, and Annabeth was gradually growing more and more confident that she was going to make it as a Hunter.
It wasn't until they retired for the night that Annabeth started to realise the exact consequences of the decisions he had just made. Knowing she had to get up at dawn, Annabeth went to bed at the same time as the other Hunters.
Thalia slept in the bunk across from her, Willow above her and Phoebe above Annabeth.
The tent was empty and void of any personal items. Annabeth spotted her Yankees' cap on her bedside table and felt a pang in her heart.
"Ready for tomorrow?" Thalia asked in a low voice, turning under her covers so they were facing each other. Unlike Annabeth, Thalia was practically thrumming with adrenaline, looking determined to excel at this as much as everything else.
Annabeth forced herself to nod. "Nervous to lead," she whispered back.
Thalia flashed her an encouraging thumbs-up. "You're gonna be great."
They talked for a few more minutes before Thalia turned over and went to sleep. Annabeth could hear Willow's light snores, and Phoebe had crashed the second she hit the bunk, leaving Annabeth to stare up at the wooden planks above her head and lose herself in her thoughts.
Tears that had threatened to spring forth the entire day finally had the chance to trace paths down her cheeks. Annabeth brushed furiously at her eyes; she hated crying alone as much as she hated it in front of other people. It felt pathetic and only made her feel even worse.
Choosing Thalia and the Hunters may be the right choice, but it meant sacrificing an awful lot, Annabeth was starting to realise. Her father, who'd swept in to save her, her two brothers, who adored her, and Helen, who she was starting to understand more. She was losing Chiron, who she hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to — the only father figure in her childhood — Grover, Travis, Connor, Beckendorf, Silena, even Clarisse, and dozens of other campers who had been her friends since she was 7 years old.
Most of all, it meant losing Percy. Giving up the boy who had become her best friend in the recent years. She still remembered him, all gawky teenager and awkward angles who dropped in his sleep. His face was clear in her memory, the expression of horror when he realised her decision.
Annabeth sat up suddenly, eyes springing open as she shook the thoughts out of her head. The clock by Thalia's bedside told her it was an hour past midnight. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Annabeth stumbled blearily out of the tent, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she got this suffocating feeling out of the way.
The campsite was peaceful and silent. Some bushes rustled and the lull of chirping animals filled the background. Annabeth traipsed towards the river, seeing the moon's reflection in the ripples.
Something about water refreshed her, renewed her strength and comforted her. Annabeth tried to ignore the obvious answer to that; Percy. She sat down on the riverbed, moss brushing against her bare feet as she held her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.
She'd lost and gained so much in a day. A family of hunters who would protect her fiercely as their own. Immortality that meant she could live to see sights others could only dream of. Having Thalia at her side for the foreseeable future. Leading the Hunters at the side of a respected goddess.
So why did she still feel apprehension?
Brushing her hands over her face, Annabeth rubbed at her eyes. Take it one day at a time, she told herself sternly. Tomorrow would be her first mission. If she could lead them through that successfully, she could make it through the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, even if she didn't have the demigods at her side.
"You are sad."
The soothing voice made Annabeth jolt in surprise. Swivelling her figure, Annabeth saw the silhouette of a woman against the night sky. Artemis emerged into the moonlight, a thoughtful expression etched into her features.
Annabeth looked down at her palms, laid over her lap. She didn't think she looked any different after immortality. "It's a lot," she finally managed. Annabeth made to stand up and bow.
Artemis held out a hand as she approached, settling down to sit beside Annabeth. She took the form of an older woman today; maybe in her 30s, auburn hair in a low bun and smile lines around her eyes.
"My Hunters are my sisters," Artemis said quietly. "My equals. Especially my lieutenant." The goddess lips turned into a frown as she studied Annabeth's expression. "You miss your friends."
"Among other things," Annabeth tried to steer her away from that. She didn't know if the gods could read her mind, but she doubted that Artemis would appreciate some of her thoughts.
"That is your old life," Artemis said. Her voice was firm, not mean, not judging, but stating facts.
"I know," Annabeth fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. This was weird. Having a conversation with a goddess like it was normal. Was this what being a Hunter was like? Annabeth didn't know how much she could trust Artemis with. The gods were usually so unreachable and looked down on them, but Artemis had stood up for them in front of the council, hadn't she?
"The oath implies that you are ready to turn your back on them." Artemis paused. "But it is alright if you are not. No one ever is."
"But it gets better?" Annabeth asked before she could stop herself. It stops hurting, right? she wanted to plead.
"Eventually," Artemis said with a shrug. "My other Hunters have rarely had issues. I have faith in you, Annabeth. I saw the way you braved the sky just to save your friend. That is true loyalty, true courage." The goddess looked over at her. "Mull over your thoughts, but not too much. We leave when the sun comes up."
Annabeth made to ask just what she meant by that vague riddle, but the goddess had disappeared in a shower of sparkles. She sighed. Annabeth supposed she should just be honoured that Artemis had taken time out of her day to actually check up on her. She struggled to her feet, trudging back to her tent.
<<< >>>
Annabeth's first mission was to hunt down scattered remains of Atlas' army before they had the chance to regroup with Luke — Annabeth tried not to think about him either. This consisted of skeletons, the occasional large panther and various other monsters.
It was strange at first, being the leader of the Hunters. The circlet garnered respect, and the other girls listened to her out of protocol, but Annabeth was determined to win their actual loyalty.
And she did, gradually. The first mission brought them face-to-face with a ring of stray skeletons, harpies, and hellhounds. Annabeth had never been the biggest of the bow and arrow, but contrary to popular belief, the Hunters did use other weapons. She was permitted to use her dagger, and Annabeth was relieved; it was the last sliver of her mortal life.
The archers followed her command to pull
back and shoot rows of arrows in the monsters' ranks, while Annabeth brought up the left flank, Thalia emerging from the right as they ambushed the monsters, slashing them to dust in seconds.
No casualties and minimal injuries. Annabeth's nerves had calmed during battle, her mind slipping into the mindset for fighting, and after it was over, she received congratulatory pats on the back and praise from her peers. Annabeth beamed as Thalia gave her a wink. She spent the rest of the day discussing battle strategies with Thalia and the others.
The Hunters of Artemis were a whole different experience to anything. The whole 'swearing of romance' was not like Annabeth had ever imagined. They interacted with men when they had to without difficulty, and Phoebe would point out a good-looking mortal every now and then. "I have eyes," the huntress would say with an eye-roll. "Not like I'm going to act on it. I've been celibate for decades; I'm not about to break my streak."
Immortality blurred the lines between reality and imagination. Before Annabeth could blink, spring arrived. Gone were the bare branches and streets swamped with snow. Colourful flowers dotted the scenery and the sound of chirping birds filled the air as the sun came out from behind the clouds. They monitored Mount Tam for anymore mo event of Kronos' troops, but they couldn't sense anything.
In fact, Kronos hadn't made a single move in the months following their recapture of Atlas. "The calm before the storm" Annabeth had insisted, and Artemis agreed with her.
Annabeth still wasn't used to the way the other Hunters looked at her — like they would throw themselves in front of a raging bull for her — but she was starting to get the hang of this leadership thing.
The Hunters were a formidable force, made stronger by her coordination of their fighting skills. Thalia helped in this case. Annabeth knew her fighting style almost better than her own, and they could jump into a battle without a word to each other, and still come out victorious.
Evenings were filled to the brim with chanted songs and lively tales. Annabeth sat at Willow's feet, surrounded by her friends and sisters in arm, smiling widely and swapping banter.
And if something was still missing, Annabeth ignored. And if the smell of the ocean still made her choke up, no one had to know.
There were bad nights. Of course, there were. Maybe they had lost a Hunter. Maybe Annabeth couldn't seemed to get past all that she had lost. She and her three roommates would sit in a tight huddle, falling asleep in a heap. Simply knowing that someone else was going through the same thing was enough.
May brought warmer temperatures and Annabeth's fifth month with the Hunters. She swapped her thick gear out for lighter grey layers and warmed up to archery. She managed to beat Phoebe during target practice, much to the other girl's chagrin. Thalia lost the bet and had to dye her hair pink for a week.
Artemis brought a few select Hunters — Annabeth and Thalia among them — with her to see the gods for a war council. Having followed the same train of thought, the Olympians agreed that Luke seemed to be biding his time, preparing to make his next move.
Chiron was present at the council, and Annabeth couldn't help the massive smile that spread from ear to ear when she saw him. She gave the old centaur a familial hug, and it took all of her energy not to ask about her old friends at camp. Athena commended her battle strategies, and even Ares begrudged her a compliment.
Poseidon sat in his throne, trident in hand as he peered over the lot of them. Annabeth felt his gaze sadden when it brushed over her, but when she looked over, she must've imagined it, because the god had already looked away. The colour of his eyes squeezed her heart painfully; it was the exact same as Percy's.
Aphrodite stood by Ares' side, her features flickering. Annabeth blinked, and Aphrodite had messy black hair and piercing green eyes. Then she blinked a second time, and Aphrodite was once again blonde with blue eyes.
They left Olympus with strict orders from Zeus. Chiron had put some campers — Clarisse, he clarified — on a suspicion he had involving Daedalus' Labyrinth. Annabeth hated how intrigued she was by the notion, but it wasn't exactly her place to be involved. No, she had monsters to hunt.
Summer was hot, blazing, but Annabeth didn't find herself as affected by it as she usually was. They had successfully defended Bessie from a full-scale attack — that had been interesting, fighting underwater — by the time August curved round the bend.
Then September came and time halted at a standstill.
"What the hell did you just say?" Thalia demanded, grabbing Kayla, one of the newer Hunters, by the shoulders, pale with fear.
Kayla stammered, "I-I'm sorry. We were helping these nymphs who'd been attacked by monsters — water nymphs. They-they said," she cast a worried glance at Thalia. "That Percy Jackson was dead."
The world crumbled. Annabeth blinked, as if her vision had suddenly cleared after months of being in a daze.
"No, no, no, no," someone was saying, tearful and voice brimming with palpable terror. It took Annabeth a second to realise that it was her repeating the words over and over in a hysterical attempt to disprove the huntress.
She gasped. "No, he's not—" Annabeth cut herself off, already taking off out of their temporary campsite, Thalia cursing and at her heels.
Annabeth's feet hit the ground in a steady rhythm. In the background, she could hear Thalia urgently Iris-Messaging Artemis, the goddess' immediate approval of their leave, with Phoebe and Willow following.
Annabeth tore through the country, disbelief and denial hammering through her brain. No. He's not. Not dead. Can't be dead. She refused to believe it. Not until she had prove. She wouldn't. She couldn't.
It was almost a week before Annabeth arrived at Half-Blood Hill, scaring the campers around them into silence.
The atmosphere was heavy with despair, but Annabeth refused to believe that it was a result of what she thought.
Most of the campers were outside, all heading towards the amphitheatre, but they stopped in their tracks, hushed whispers sweeping across the camp as Annabeth burst in.
"Chiron!" she almost yelled, voice desperate and this close to tearing out her hair. "Chiron!"
"Annabeth?" It was Silena who recognised her first. The daughter of Aphrodite sprinted across the field, attacking Annabeth with a cry and a hug.
Annabeth returned the embrace, almost sobbing at the sheer relief it brought. Camp was still here. Camp was still her home. It was unmovable, unaffected.
The campers were a blur around her. Annabeth hugged Beckendorf, Travis, Connor and Will before the sound of hooves drew her away.
"Chiron," Annabeth's voice shook dangerously. "It's not—He isn't—" Even as she denied it, Annabeth knew that there was one demigod she hadn't seen yet. "Tell me Percy isn't dead," she begged for the first time in her entire life.
But no, Beckendorf's pained expression and the Stolls' sombreness told her otherwise. Chiron shook his head mutely.
Annabeth didn't break down. She'd been holding back tears the entire way here, but now that her worst fears had been confirmed, all she felt was a numbing emptiness inside. Like someone had wrenched her heart right out of her chest.
She listened wordlessly as Chiron explained how it had happened. The Oracle gave him a prophecy. Percy went into the Labyrinth with Tyson and Grover before they had split up. Grover and Tyson off on a hunch about Pan, and Percy on his quest to find Daedalus.
Hephaestus had informed Chiron of Percy's arrival at Mount St. Helens. The volcanic explosion had been all over the news, and Percy never returned.
Annabeth remembered seeing the television displaying video footage of the explosion. Fiery, pyroclastiques flow, ash spraying up into the sky. It had to be a horrible way to die.
The last words she'd ever said to him hadn't even been what she'd wanted to say.
Gods, two whole weeks. Annabeth just thought she would've...felt something. She knew it was stupid, but Percy had become more important to her in the last three years than she'd realised, and to think that he was just dead—
To make matters worse, Grover and Tyson had disappeared without a trace. For all they knew, the two of them could be dead too.
The memorial for Percy was today. That was why all the campers were heading to the amphitheatre. They were burning his shroud; the demigod version of 'officially dead'.
Annabeth tossed the drachma into the fountain. Artemis came into view, brow furrowed with concern. Thalia, Willow and Phoebe stood behind Annabeth.
"Annabeth—"
"We're staying for the memorial," Annabeth interrupted. It was disrespectful and rude and Artemis had every right to smite her, but right now, Annabeth didn't care. "My lady," she added abruptly, remembering her manners. "We'll be back at the campsite by—"
"Annabeth," Artemis said, more forcefully this time. Annabeth fell silent, looking up at the goddess. "I'm sorry," Artemis said quietly. "For your loss. He was a brave demigod."
Annabeth averted her gaze. She couldn't do this. She couldn't imagine never seeing Percy again. Being a hunter had meant the high possibility of that happening, but his death sealed the deal, and Annabeth simply couldn't accept that.
Artemis seemed to give the other three hunters a looked, because they padded away quietly. "Annabeth," Artemis said again. "You know that this is your old life. This is a good way to say goodbye to it. Your friends will die while you live on. It is the nature of your oath."
Annabeth felt her chest ache. She knew that. But it hurt too much right now for Artemis to tell her off.
"Which is why I am confused as to the despair I feel on your behalf," Artemis said gently.
Annabeth glanced up. "What?"
"My Hunters are my sisters," Artemis reminded. "I care for you. And you are hurting. Despite everything I said before, a part of me wishes you didn't have to say goodbye."
Annabeth swallowed. "Is there any reason to tell me this other than to confuse me?"
Artemis didn't seem offended, merely musing over her words. "I just thought it was something you should know." Her expression rearranged into something more serious. "In other matters, Daedalus still has to be found. Luke's invasion must still be stopped. Chiron will have to organise another quest soon, and I recommend that you four stay behind to aid in the effort."
Annabeth saw the silent message behind her words. This wasn't just for the camp. Artemis had seen her cry over her old life over the last few months. Maybe the goddess really did care about her.
Annabeth settled for "Thank you, my lady." Artemis nodded curtly before cutting through the mist and dispelling it.
"Ready?" Thalia asked. Her eyes were stormy and dark, and Annabeth remembered that she had been close to Percy too. He had somewhat idolised her, and Thalia had become fond of him during their search for Atlas.
Annabeth nodded silently, walking alongside her fellow Hunters as they approached the amphitheatre.
Smoke rose from the fire at the front of the amphitheatre. There was a long green silk burial cloth with a trident embroidered on it — Percy's shroud — in Chiron's hands.
"He wants you to do it," came the gruff voice of Clarisse La Rue. For someone who claimed to hate Percy so much, she certainly looked as grim as the rest of them.
Annabeth glanced over at Chiron, who was looking imploringly at her. Her feet propelled her forward as if of their own accord. Annabeth took the shroud from her old mentor, trailing behind him as he approached the fire.
"As you all know by now," Chiron said, tone grave. His eyes were dimmed but unsurprised, as if he was far too used to heroes who didn't come home. "Percy Jackson disappeared over two weeks ago. With no word at all, we have no choice but to assume he is dead." Chiron sighed. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."
Annabeth stepped forward, fingers grasping at the silk in her hands. 'Best surviving friend'. Was she? She had abandoned him and hadn't seen him in nine months. But at the same time, Percy was so much more than just her 'friend'. Annabeth didn't know how to describe it, but she'd never felt another person's loss as strongly as this. Not even Thalia's back then.
As she looked out at the seated demigods, Annabeth was reminded of the toll the war had taken on them. Another hero lost.
She set the shroud down on the flames.
"He," Annabeth faltered, staring at the shroud. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had," she choked out, forcing herself to look up. She knew she looked terrible; puffy eyes ringed red, but she could do this. "He..."
And right there, behind the throngs of campers, shaded enough to go unnoticed, was Percy Jackson.
For a moment, the words died in Annabeth's throat as she simply stared at him. Her first thought was, this isn't happening.
Percy knew that she had seen him. He knew. In fact, his features had crumpled into something like wistfulness mixed with pain. His hair was longer, he was taller — almost three inches taller than her now — his shoulders broader and facial features more defined.
The words tumbled out. "He's right there!" Annabeth cried, almost collapsing at the relief that hit her mind and blurred her vision.
Heads turned as gasps flooded the amphitheatre.
There was Beckendorf cheering "Percy!" and Clarisse muttering "I can't believe it", but Annabeth really didn't give a damn about any of them.
Before she even realised what she was doing, Annabeth was surging forward, roughly shoving her way through the crowds of people as she raced forward, blood pounding in her ears.
Chiron was at the front, shoulders sagging with relief. "Well, I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me—"
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" The demand tore from Annabeth's lips in a shout as she burst out in front of Percy, closing the distance between them.
This close up, she could see the alarm in his eyes with joy, and it should've made her feel lighter than air, but Annabeth was too busy deciding whether to punch him. For a moment, she thought she would, but then she flung herself on him, hugging him tightly enough to crack a rib.
The campers fell silent. Annabeth drew back, ignoring her own red cheeks matching his as she said feverishly, "I—we thought you were dead, S-Percy!"
The nickname almost slipped out, but Annabeth bit it back before she could forget herself. She was still a Hunter. Phoebe and Willow were still watching her. She could almost feel Thalia's smirk emanating from behind her.
"I'm sorry," Percy had the nerve to say, eyes never leaving her face. "I got lost."
"LOST?" Annabeth yelled again. Seriously, she needed to stop, but she had gone through more emotions today than she had in her entire life. "Two weeks, Percy! Where the hell—"
"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"
Without waiting for them to protest, he picked up the two of them up as easily as if they were kittens, slung them both on his back, and galloped off toward the Big House.
Once they were seated in Chiron's office, Percy started to explain.
He'd been marooned on an island. Then Hephaestus had found him and told him he could leave. A magic raft had carried him back to camp.
But his expression told her otherwise. Maybe he could've fooled other people, but Annabeth wasn't stupid, and she knew Percy better than anyone.
There was a flicker of wistfulness in the way he spoke, the words he avoided saying and kept pausing before he continued. The myths were true, Annabeth guessed. Calypso, the beautiful Titan, and her island Ogygia, where heroes she fell in love with were stranded. A bubble of anger expanded in Annabeth's chest at the thought. She pushed it away.
Once Percy had finished, he seemed to grow even more serious — almost impossible, Annabeth had thought. Just how much had he changed? — as he said, "But I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth. I talked to Hephaestus."
And then he proceeded to tell them about his plan which involved relying on the presumed Sight of the redheaded mortal girl Rachel Dare, whose name made Annabeth want to scream and punch a wall.
"Percy, that's crazy!" she said firmly.
Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and stroked his beard. "There is precedent, however. Theseus had the help of Ariadne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."
"And this is supposed to help? Please! It's wrong. It's cowardly. It's—"
"Hard to admit we need a mortal's help," Percy said, not looking her in the eye. "But it's true."
Annabeth glared at him. It was irrational anger she knew, but now she really wanted to punch him. He spoke of Rachel with the utmost confidence, like he trusted her with his life, trusted her with all their lives.
"You are the single most annoying person I have ever met!" was all Annabeth could get out before she stormed out of the room.
It was a few seconds before Percy's voice broke through the ringing in her ears. "...Annabeth!" he called.
"What?" she snapped harshly, whirling around. Too late, she realised that he'd been catching up to right before she stopped, and now she could actually see the flecks of blue in his eyes.
He stared stupidly at her. "Your hair is longer." Percy seemed to play back what he just said and promptly went a deep shade of red.
Annabeth felt her heartbeat slow as she gave him an incredulous. "What?"
"I mean," Percy stammered. "You-you look older. I thought you were immortal."
"I'll age until I'm 18. Then stop."
Percy nodded slowly. "Right." It was a special circumstance for Annabeth when accepting the oath. She hadn't wanted to remain a 14-year-old forever.
Annabeth didn't know what to say to him. Had it ever been this difficult to speak to him? She couldn't just at "I'm sorry I left" or "I missed you".
"I think I liked the ponytail better," Percy said suddenly. He was doing that thing again where he looked like he didn't quite know what he was saying.
Annabeth lifted a hand up to touch the braids in her hair, blushing as she took in his comment. "Oh."
The tension was palpable and thick enough to cut with a knife.
"So, Rachel," Annabeth regretted saying it as soon as the name slipped out. All it did was make her angry. "How are you gonna find her?"
Percy hesitated. "Actually, I was hoping you'd come with me."
Annabeth would be lying if she said she didn't feel a spurt of joy when he said that.
"I just thought that if you could be here, then Artemis would be okay with you coming along," Percy said hastily, but he didn't hide his hopeful tone.
Annabeth was nodding before she even knew what she was doing. "Yes," she blurted out, maybe a bit too eagerly, but there was no one else around to hear. "I-I'd like that."
<<< >>>
At first, it was good. Annabeth was quickly caught up in the easy flow of conversation. Percy informed her about the swordmaster Quintus, Chris Rodriguez's insanity, Geryon's ranch, about Nico, his dreams of Minos and Daedalus, about Grover and Tyson and Pan, and Annabeth didn't know if she was imagining it, but he sounded immensely relieved to have someone to talk to about this.
None of that meant she wasn't still mad at him. Things were still a little awkward between them, despite how quickly they'd return to their usual back-and-forth.
Having been given Artemis' blessing, Annabeth agreed to join Percy in his journey to get Rachel to guide them through the Labyrinth, despite how much she hated it. Thalia, Phoebe and Willow were to stay behind and offer extra defence should Luke launch an attack in the meantime.
Thalia gave her a knowing look that Annabeth promptly ignored before she and Percy set off to their first stop; Sally Jackson's apartment.
When Percy asked Sally about her abilities to see through the Mist, she sighed. "Not so much now. When I was younger it was easier. But yes, I've always been able to see more than was good for me. It's one of the things that caught your father's attention, when we first met. Just be careful. Promise me you'll be safe."
"We'll try, Ms. Jackson," Annabeth said. "Keeping your son safe is a big job, though." She folded her arms and glared out the kitchen window. In her peripheral vision, she saw Percy pick at his napkin wordlessly.
My mom frowned. "What's going on with you two? Have you been fighting?"
Neither of them said anything.
"I see," Sally mused. "Well, Percy, given that you have spent the entire year wallowing—"
"Mom!" Percy interrupted with a horrified wail.
Annabeth couldn't help the smirk that tugged at her lips as Percy purposefully looked away, face burning hotly.
"Well, remember," Sally said, "Grover and Tyson are counting on you two." But no pressure, Annabeth thought nervously to herself.
Things pretty much went downhill from there. Annabeth's first impression of Rachel Dare was that she was gold. As in, painted gold for a charity project, standing still and unmoving as a statue.
"Maybe if we push her over," Annabeth had suggested, feeling pleased with herself, but Percy shot her an alarmed look.
It wasn't difficult to get Rachel to join them after that. She changed into a fresh set of clothes, discovered the coincidence that was a Labyrinth entrance in the basement of the hotel, and led them inside.
Annabeth didn't know what to expect, having heard about a hundred different myths about the Labyrinth, but this large, brick tunnel wasn't it.
Rachel said she could see a glow in the floor, which neither demigod could see, but Percy seemed to trust her, so Annabeth forced herself to follow the redhead, shoving down any feelings of dislike toward her.
Then heavy footsteps started towards them, and Annabeth found the one thing she and Rachel could agree on; "Run."
Unfortunately, the mortal sent from the heavens apparently wasn't that useful, because they ran right smack into two dracanae and an empousai, whom, from the way she licked her lips, knew Percy very well. He paled and said, "Kelli."
In the back of her mind, Annabeth had the stray thought, how does a monster also like Percy? It was ridiculous. Rachel clearly did, from the way she looked at him, and if that made any intense feelings bubble up within, Annabeth refused to acknowledge it.
They were marched into an arena, which Annabeth should've guessed — she chided herself inwardly for not having thought of Antaeus earlier. Luke sat in the upper stands, looking at her with a piercing stare that made her feel sick, made her feel like he could read every single one of her thoughts.
Antaeus claimed to be Poseidon's favourite son, and Annabeth was faced with the horrifying realisation that there were two sides to the sea god; people like Percy, and people like Antaeus. Antaeus represented everything bad about Poseidon; an unquenchable thirst for blood and an affinity for violence.
When Percy failed to please him, Antaeus challenged him to a duel, and Annabeth's heart leaped into her throat. Any thought of Luke dove out of her mind as she was stricken with fear at the thought of Percy dying here, underground, at the hand of his half-brother. She had just been through a day of thinking he was dead; she didn't know if she could take it if it happened for real.
"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "His mother is Gaia! Gaia—" The Laistrygonian giant behind her slammed a large paw over her mouth, muffling her shouts. Percy was basically useless when it came to myths. Antaeus' parents were Poseidon and Gaia, which made him a whole lot stronger than the average demigod and possibly unbeatable for someone like Percy.
Percy pissed Antaeus off a little bit more — a habit he really should get rid of — before his next opponent, a demigod this time, emerged. Behind the eyepatch, Annabeth was suddenly prodded by the feeling of familiarity, though she couldn't put her finger on it.
When Percy refused to kill the demigod, Antaeus lumbered to do his own dirty work, and Annabeth wanted to scream at Percy for being so dumb to do this. Don't die, she prayed silently.
By some sort of a miracle, Percy didn't. In fact, he beat Antaeus — which Annabeth took a little credit for with her 'Gaia' tip — which, unfortunately, meant that they were now faced with a very angry crowd.
Luke pointed at Annabeth. "Spare the girl." His voice quavered just a little. "I would speak to her before—before our great triumph." Annabeth burned with curiosity, but Percy had reached into his pocket and blown into a whistle.
A massive hellhound — Mrs O' Leary, Annabeth guessed — leapt out from behind him and attacked Kelli, stunning the crowd.
Percy's gaze raked over the arena until it landed on her, and something like relief spread across his face at the sight of her unharmed. "Let's go!" he yelled. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!"
"The far exit!" Rachel cried. "That's the right way!" Annabeth whirled around and slashed at the giant with her dagger, grabbing Rachel by the arm and racing towards Percy, the demigod he refused to kill at his side.
This way!" Rachel yelled as they re-entered the Labyrinth.
"Why should we follow you?" Annabeth demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap!"
"It was the way you needed to go," Rachel insisted. "And so is this. Come on!"
Annabeth didn't like it, but she followed her anyway — they didn't have time to argue right now — until she was sure that they'd lost Luke. Panting, they came to a stop. She recognised the demigod as the undetermined Ethan Nakamura from years ago. Jabs were exchanged and he promptly left them, running off into the darkness despite their insistant protests.
The three of them were so exhausted we made camp right there in the huge room. Percy found some scrap wood and started a fire. Shadows danced off the columns rising around us like trees.
"Something was wrong with Luke," Annabeth muttered, poking at the fire with her knife. She frowned, unable to budge from the unsettling feeling. "Did you notice the way he was acting?"
"He looked pretty pleased to me," Percy snorted. "Like he'd spent a nice day torturing heroes."
Annabeth gritted her teeth. Percy had the unmatched ability to annoy her."That's not true! There was something wrong with him. He looked...nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something."
"Probably, 'Hi, Annabeth! Sit here with me and watch while I tear your friends apart. It'll be fun!'"
"You're impossible," Annabeth grumbled.
Percy and Rachel started talking, exchanging thoughts and notes from the battle, and Annabeth couldn't take it any longer, excluding herself to go find more fuel for the fire.
As she walked off, she tried to suppress her anger. She had no right to be territorial of Percy. First of all, he was his own person. And secondly, she'd left, hadn't she? Left him to hang out with redheaded, pretty, funny Rachel and Titans on faraway, mythical islands. So why did she still feel that way?
There was something about Percy and Rachel's easy dynamic that pained her. Rachel was mortal and uncomplicated. Of course, Percy would want to be with her. Rachel wasn't the leader of an immortal group to warriors, sworn off romantic attraction, and more importantly, men, forever.
But that wasn't the issue...right? Annabeth didn't have time to dwell on that terrible thought as she arrived back at the clearing. Rachel was curled up, facing the wall, while Percy bitterly picked at stones on the floor.
She tossed some more sticks on the fire. Her gaze flicked to Rachel, then to Percy.
"I'll take first watch," she said. "You should sleep, too."
"You don't have to act like that."
"Like what?"
"Like," Percy sounded frustrated. "Never mind." He lay down and was asleep within seconds.
Annabeth leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. When had everything become so complicated?
A lot of things happened next. An earthquake ushered them to run again, Percy spouting unintelligible sentences about Grover and Tyson before they arrived at Daedalus' workshop, whose location left Annabeth bewildered.
Then they stepped inside, and Annabeth was faced with an aged, burly man — "Quintus", Percy said dangerously — who could only be the missing swordmaster. Surprise, surprise, Quintus turned out to be Daedalus, the long-lost inventor.
Annabeth could only ogle him in disbelief. Daedalus was a legend, a genius, and a personal hero of hers. She hated that the man she'd respected for so long turned out to be this slimy traitor.
And on an even worse note, Quintus had already given the magic ball of string to Luke, so he and his army were now able to navigate the Labyrinth without any issue. No wonder he'd been in such a good mood at the arena. And Percy had killed Antaeus, Luke's only obstacle.
Then the doors to the workshop burst open, and Kelli and two dracanae marched in, shoving a young boy in chains forward, while a ghostly man hovered beside them.
Annabeth's eyes widened. From Percy's description, this could only be Nico di Angelo. But this brooding, dress purely in black, pale as death teenager was almost completely unrecognisable from the boy Annabeth remembered just last winter.
Nico took in her Hunter's gear and a new world of hurt crossed his face. Annabeth winced, recalling his hate of Percy due to Bianca's death.
The ghost had to be Minos, the evil king hellbent on pursuing Daedalus.
Arguments were traded until all hell broke loose. Rachel rushed to the wings in the side of the workshop while Percy jumped in front of her protectively. Nico and Minos struggled for control over the dead spirits until the son of Hades prevailed, dispelling Minos.
Annabeth fought back-to-back with Quintus, parrying strikes from the dracanae and stabbing periodically at the giant.
She cursed under her breath when she saw Kelli pounce on Percy in a moment of distraction. Quintus urged her away, and Annabeth spared him a wary glance before she raced to Percy's side.
Kelli was drawn back, showing her hideous true face, claws and fangs bared as she prepared to prey on Percy.
Annabeth flung herself forward sinking her dagger into Kelli's back. "Hope you like Tartarus, you bitch," she snarled.
The empousai erupted into bronze dust, leaving Percy sprawled on the ground, staring at her with rounded eyes and astonishment. Annabeth grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet.
They made their escape with Daedalus' wings — Nico, Percy, Annabeth and Rachel — by leaping out the single window in the tower, leaving the inventor behind at his demand.
Annabeth got a prism from the gift shop of the museum that had landed at, contacting Chiron. She informed the others of what he'd said, "They're doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. They're going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?"
Somehow, Rachel seemed to command the cab driver, and they drove around for an hour before she spotted a Labyrinth entrance in an abandoned tunnel.
As they strolled through, Annabeth struck up a hesitant conversation with Rachel. She didn't know what to think of Rachel. She seemed nice enough, yet evoked a foreign feeling of fury in Annabeth. They talked about architecture, while the two boys hung back.
When they came up to a diversion in the path, Rachel said that the energy was evil, and Annabeth realised with a start that this had to be an entrance to Mount Tam — Luke's stronghold.
Percy insisted that he go in to check it out, and after an intense staring contest, Annabeth reluctantly agreed. He told them to stay behind, but, of course, Annabeth wasn't going to do anything like that. She led them as they followed after him, slowly enough that he wouldn't notice.
It was a few more minutes before the sounds of a fight started to echo down the hallway. Annabeth drew her dagger worriedly as a shadow emerged from the corner and Percy appeared, Luke at his heels.
"Percy!" Rachel yelled frantically. Her hand drew back in a blur, and before Annabeth knew what was happening, she had thrown a blue hairbrush at Luke, hitting him in the nose.
"Luke?" Annabeth said, concern leaking into her voice. "What—" Luke's eyes were gold.
Percy sprinted past her, grabbing her by the hand and hauling her behind as they stumbled along. Nico called out and an obsidian wall jutted our between them and Luke.
They didn't stop running until Rachel was sure they were safe, and Annabeth didn't know how long they'd been moving for, but she collapsed to her knees, sobs ripping from her chest.
Annabeth lifted her head. "What...what was wrong with Luke? What did they do to him?" she pleaded.
Percy was ashen. He told them what he'd seen in the coffin, the way the last piece of Kronos's spirit had entered Luke's body when Ethan Nakamura pledged his service.
"No," Annabeth shook her head furiously. "That can't be true. He couldn't—"
"He gave himself over to Kronos," Percy said harshly. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. But Luke is gone."
"No!" she insisted. "You saw when Rachel hit him." No, Luke was still her family, no matter what he did — there was still a chance—
Percy said something to Rachel that sounded a lot like, "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."
Rachel looked embarrassed. "It was the only thing I had."
"But you saw," Annabeth insisted stubbornly. "When it hit him, just for a second, he was dazed. He came back to his senses."
"So maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the body, or whatever. It doesn't mean Luke was in control."
Annabeth tugged frustratedly at her hair. "You want him to be evil, is that it?" she yelled. "You didn't know him before, Percy. I did!"
"What is it with you?" Percy demanded. "Why do you keep defending him?"
"Whoa, you two," Rachel said, alarmed. "Knock it off!"
Annabeth whirled on her angrily. "Stay out of it, mortal girl! If it wasn't for you..." The words died in her throat, and Annabeth buried her head in her hands again.
Annabeth was still numb as they continued. She was only shaken back to her senses when they found Grover's Rasta cap. As it turned out, Percy's dreams had been right; Grover and Tyson had found Pan.
Except that now the god of the wild was dying in front of them, and none of them could do anything. Pan offered them each advice before he died, and Annabeth couldn't help that his voice kept echoing in her head; "Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined. Listen to your heart, to your head, to yourself. Remember that it is never too late."
She mulled over his words as Percy summoned the pegasi and Rachel left. When they arrived at camp, Annabeth could sense the tension in the air. This was the biggest military operation they had ever prepared for.
Annabeth placed each of her three Hunters at distances along their defensive front line. She didn't have her entire force here, but four of them was better than none at all.
"Hey," Percy said breathlessly, returning from his conversation with Chiron. "This is great, isn't it? Two of us, back together. The deadly duo—"
"Percy," Annabeth interrupted before he could ramble even more.
"Right, sorry."
Annabeth felt instantly guilty. He was anxious — they all were. This wasn't like any other battles they'd experienced; this was the first fight in an imminent war.
"For the record," Percy said, clearing his throat, like this was difficult for him to say. "If I'm going to die here, I'm glad I'm with you."
Annabeth's breath caught in her throat. Why did he have to be so...
"Me too," she said, despite her better judgement, offering him a light grin. Percy responded in kind, green eyes piercing again, and Annabeth was momentarily lost in them.
The ground rumbled under their feet as she exchanged a wary glance with him.
"Stick with me," she told him before she could back down. "It would be unfair of you to die when you owe me so many favours."
The corner of Percy's mouth quirked into a grin.
Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.