The Rise of Gaea

Percy 17

     Percy skidded to a halt in front of Annabeth, a million emotions racing through his veins like the adrenaline that fueled his heart. Her curly blonde hair was scraped back out of her face, her clothes were ripped and dirty, her steel-grey eyes were sharp, and most noticeably, her midsection swelled forward obviously.

     "Are you pregnant?!" Percy blurted in disbelief, as it was the first thought that was able to untangle from the knot of confusion.

     Annabeth raised her eyebrows; her expression uncharacteristically cold. "Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman if she's pregnant, Percy?"

     Percy took an involuntary step back, slapped by the calculated detachment in Annabeth's voice. "I... I'm sorry, I wasn't-"

     "Percy, what's going on?" Luke was squeezing his shoulder.

     Percy furrowed his brow. "You don't see Annabeth?"

     "Annabeth? Where?"

     "Who are you talking to, Percy?" Annabeth inquired condescendingly.

     Percy felt like ripping out his own hair. "You don't see Luke?" he asked, keeping his voice calm. No matter how she was acting, Annabeth didn't deserve his anger.

     Annabeth smirked. "Luke isn't here, Percy. It looks like you're going a little crazy."

     Percy frowned. "Wait, what? You really don't see Luke? But the only reason I can't see him is because of Kronos' curse-" He was interrupted by Annabeth's laughter.

     "Wow, you are crazy. Crazy and hallucinating."

     "Percy, please, what's going on? We're alone here." Luke's voice sounded a little nervous.

     "Luke, Annabeth's right there." Percy took a deep breath. Annabeth was still looking at him condescendingly, the expression wrong on her beautiful features. "What's going on, Annabeth? How are you here?"

     Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Poseidon finally convinced me that you're more use above ground then below. It was a bit inconvenient, as you so rudely assumed." She rested a hand protectively over her womb.

     "So you are pregnant?" Percy exclaimed. "How?!" He and Annabeth had both decided to wait until marriage before partaking in any baby-creating activities.

     "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much..." Annabeth began in a mocking voice.

     "I know how it works." Percy ran his fingers through his hair. "But, we never..."

     Annabeth pointed between herself and Percy, wrinkling her nose. "No, thank Athena, we never. However, Jason and I..." She trailed off suggestively.

     Percy felt like his head might explode. "You and Jason? What about Piper? What about me?"

     "What about you?" Annabeth waved him off. "And Piper died in the defeat of Gaea."

     "Piper... she... dead?" Percy stuttered. "And you... and Jason??" It was like his world was collapsing, shattering into tiny little shards.

     "So, are you ready to go, or what?" Annabeth examined her fingernails.

     "Y-yeah, I know the way out, we just have to follow my senses to the river, and-"

     "I see. You don't need my help." Annabeth snorted derisively. "Of course, the hero can do it all by himself. Have fun, Percy." She turned and exited the corridor.

     "Annabeth, no! Wait, please!!" Percy almost fell in his haste to follow her. But when he reached the next corridor, it was empty. "No..." he breathed, sinking down to his knees.

     She was gone. It was so much to process; her relationship with Jason and subsequent pregnancy, her sudden hatred for him, everything. Annabeth was the keystone to his world. Without her, how would he even function?

     Percy gripped his head in his hands, trying to regulate his breathing. What was the point of escaping Tartarus? There was nothing for him in the mortal world. His girlfriend had left him for his best friend, his mother would be better off without him to bring danger to her life, and his father had only sent someone for him because of how much use he would be.

     Percy was tired of being used by the gods. His whole life, he had only been viewed as a tool; as a weapon. It was time for that to be done.

     "Percy, I'm so confused right now. What's happening?" Luke was shaking his shoulder.

     Percy took in a shuddery breath. "Annabeth... she left. She said you're only a hallucination."

     Luke spluttered. "I am not! I'm real, Percy, I don't know how to prove it to you, but I am. We need to keep going."

     "What's the point?" Percy asked quietly. "There's nothing left up there."

     Luke grabbed his arms. "You know that's not true. What about Sally? What about Grover? And all you friends on the Argo II? You still have them."

     Percy closed his eyes, and then sighed, and reopened them. "Fine. Let's go. But not because of me. I just want to get you up there to see Thalia again. But after that, I'm going away."

     "I hope you don't mean that, Percy, because you'll always have a place with Thalia and I. And we both know your mother is frantic right now, because she loves you." Luke pulled him to his feet.

     Percy continued to lead Luke through the Mansion of Night, but he felt broken inside.

     Despite what Luke had reminded him of, Percy knew there wouldn't be anything for him on the surface. But maybe, just maybe, he could find Annabeth again and tell her he was sorry he had failed her.