Percy Jackson: The Great Army of Chaos

Chapter 25|| Discomforting Questions

Black bags hung under my sleep deprived eyes, as they tiredly blinked every now and then in a motion that could be called slow. I hadn't slept a minute last night all I did was toss and turn before I got bored and decided to get up. Before any wrong impressions come to mind I did not sleep due to stress trust me when I was younger I learnt how to deal with that, no it was Rebel's words who had kept me up.

Last night whilst we were casually sitting around in the tent last night Rebel had asked me, why I was feeling so guilty about actions that I had not necessarily committed.

I feel guilty because I did do bad things and I cannot ignore them like the gods do, I had responded.

That question had my mind racing with the things that I had done, I had captured a harmless huntress for no reason. Actually, there was a reason Percy, they were on your tail.

I sighed in irritation, I combed my fingers through my hair and checked on Annabeth who lay in her bed in a deep daze, gently I dipped down and brought my lips lightly to her cheek, she silently stirred and shifted in her bed. I stood upright and silently walked out the tent. The sun was barely up by the time I was out, I had put on a pair of black sweat pants and a sleeveless grey hoodie, I briefly stretched before I head out for a jog.

I ran along the camp's boundary not daring to stop, I run along Long Island beach and past the Golden Fleece down to the Big House and past the dorms, I ran in hope of clearing my mind, but then the question came back up. I stop concentrating on my feet and trip over a random root, it caught my foot throwing me to the floor. Before I have time to react another root appears and wraps around my abdomen and both my arms, the random root then grew and wrapped itself around my ankles, I tried to get out but stopped once I saw them standing there with looks of victory and success.

"Time to explain" Piper bluntly states, walking up to me and looking down and me still with the same smug smile.

I struggle in the roots grip, "Katie, please can you untie your roots" I say, ignoring the rest.

Katie looks at Piper who gives her a brief nod, when I expect her to release me the roots roughly pull me to a nearby wooden pole and wrap themselves around it.

"Explain" Piper repeats, "Tell us what happened to you, why you did not come back?" She says, pain sung in her tone along with her agony.

I relax realizing how desperate she is answers, I take note of the others the remaining seven stand speechless behind her along with Nico, Will and Chiron.

I sigh knowing that I had to tell them.

"I was ashamed" I let out, "I had left here searching for my girlfriend and I know what many of you thought" I say, they all wear looks of confusion, "That it was me if anyone could find her it would be me, and after the first year I was embarrassed and angry with myself that not even I could find her and honestly I hated myself for that"

Piper's gaze saddened.

"When Chaos approached me and offered me his help in finding Annabeth I couldn't refuse because I was willing to do anything when it came to finding her. So I accepted what Chaos had to offer with only her in mind, but he never really did actually help me. After Rebel was injured I returned to Planet Chaos and put her in the safety of his daughter Paige and headed to Chaos but when I got there behind his door there was this voice that was like electricity because it gave me light again because there she was, like she had been since I joined the army"

Piper gasps, "You found her"

I smile, "Yeah I did, and honestly I plan to never leave her again"