Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 45

Percy had no idea how much time passed before he forced his eyes open, ignoring the searing light. The warm feeling he'd fallen asleep to was gone, replaced with a heightened awareness of everything around him.

Maybe it was from being bound and gagged for so long, or the way the drugs had limited his abilities, but everything felt like a sensory overload. It wasn't quite as bad as waking up in the hospital the first time his hydrokinesis started, but it was close. He grabbed his head and moaned as the water's call hammered into his mind.

They were in a city of some sort, a human one, based on the noise and cigarette butts on the ground, in a deserted alley. The buildings looked like they belonged to a different century, and everything was stone, even the street. Annabeth stirred beside her, and Percy breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. Everything would be ok.

"Annabeth," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open and she winced as the light hit her. Then she bolted upright, her face wild. "Percy?"

Their eyes locked and Percy held his breath, hoping she didn't hate him for getting them into this.

She threw her arms around him, hugging him so tight it knocked the breath out of him. "I thought I'd never see you again."

He buried his face in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Annabeth. This is all my fault."

They clung to each other for a moment before Annabeth pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'm just glad you're ok. And I'm so sorry for lying to you-"

"Please. It doesn't matter. Let's focus on more important things, like staying alive."

She nodded, surveying their surroundings. "Did the guy leap us?"

"No. Why?"

She cursed under her breath. "That explains why we're in the Forbidden Cities."

"We're in the Forbidden Cities?"

She nodded. "I can hear all their mental voices. I wish I had the strength to shield."

They both checked their arms and wrists for wounds, but the skin was smooth and fresh. Percy saw no sign of the burns he'd felt during the interrogation. His nexus was gone too. He wasn't surprised the kidnappers took it, but why didn't the rescuer give him one? How were they supposed to get home? Unless that was what the kidnapper gave them...

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as he scoured the ground, searching for anything that looked elvin.

"He gave me something to help us, and I can't find it."

Annabeth helped him look, but all they found was a scroll of paper with the words "Alexandre, Lantern, Concentrate." Followed by the word "Hurry."

"Well, that's helpful!" He crumpled the page, ready to scream.

"Hey, anything we have now is more than we had before," Annabeth argued.

"Four vague, disconnected words. Really helpful." He felt his neck, desperately hoping his home crystal would still be there. But the kidnappers stole that too. Even his bottle of allergy medicine was gone. He had nothing but the clothes on his back, and his stupid blue Foxfire uniform would only make it harder for them to hide among humans. "Why wouldn't he just take us home?"

"Good question," Annabeth said. "I'm guessing that our rescuer didn't want anyone to know he was involved."

Percy sighed. "You're right. That's how the Black Swan operates."

"The Black Swan?"

"I'll explain while we walk. We should get moving, in case anyone's looking for us."