Chapter 8
Percy
Percy and Annabeth got a ride from Argus, the hundred eyed security guard, to the city. When they got to Percy’s apartment building, Percy felt a little nervous.
“Are you nervous?” Annabeth asked as they went in the elevator.
“Yeah,” Percy admitted.
“Don’t be,” Annabeth assured him. “When your mom got that phone call a few days ago, she was a little relieved.”
They stood outside Percy’s apartment. He held Annabeth’s hand for comfort.
“Relax,” Annabeth told him, knocking briskly on the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. She looked thoroughly depressed. She had bags under her eyes. She looked thinner. Her eyes widened when she saw who was standing in the hallway.
“Percy?”
“Hi, Mom,” Percy whispered.
His mom threw his arms around you. “Percy, I was so worried! Where… how…”
“I’ll explain,” Percy said while his mom hugged Annabeth.
“You better,” Sally almost growled. “Get inside.”
Once inside Percy’s apartment, his stepfather Paul came out. They sat down at the table while drinking lemonade.
“Ms. Jackson,” Annabeth began. “As I already told you, Percy was taken by Hera.”
“Hera?” Sally asked. “Annabeth, you once said she did that to get the Greeks and Romans to trust each other.”
“Yes,” Annabeth agreed. “Today or tomorrow we’re going to Rome. We have to close the Doors of Death. And then we need to go to Greece.”
Percy touched the glass of his lemonade. “I didn’t remember anybody.” Annabeth elbowed him. “Okay, fine. I only remembered Annabeth.”
“Isn’t this dangerous?” his mother asked anxiously. “Percy…”
“I know,” Percy said glumly. “I thought I was done with prophecies. But when we defeated the Titans, Gaea woke up, well, kind of. She wants to destroy human civilization.”
“Who is this Gaea?” Paul asked.
“Mother Earth,” Annabeth told him. “She’s the mother of the Titans.”
“And she wants to kill her grandchildren?” Paul asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes. Gaea is not nice like you see in movies. She’s evil.” Annabeth stared at her lemonade glass.
“That’s why we need to stop her,” Percy said. “Annabeth is one of the seven demigods. So she’ll keep me alive.”
Annabeth looked smug. “I promise to keep him as safe as possible.”
Percy’s mom relaxed. “Well, that’s reassuring.” She looked at Percy. “I’ve missed you. But I know you have to go to get ready for this quest.”
Percy’s throat felt thick. “Mom… I’ll Iris message you and Paul.”
“I know you will.” They hugged. “Stay safe.”
Paul shook Percy’s hand while Annabeth hugged his mom. Then they were gone.
“You did great,” Annabeth told Percy as they went down the elevator.
Percy leaned against the elevator wall. There was a mirror. He looked serious and older. Annabeth… well, she looked like herself.
“Argus isn’t expecting us for another thirty minutes. Wanna hang out in Central Park?” Annabeth asked.
“Sure.” Percy took her hand.
Central Park was only a five minute walk. They sat on a bench. Annabeth looked at the surroundings.
“Annabeth…”
“What?” Annabeth turned to look at Percy.
“Why did you yell at Hazel yesterday?”
Annabeth’s face darkened. “I don’t know if I could even trust you.”
“Please?” Percy put his face close to hers. Her breath smelled like peppermint.
“Oh…” Annabeth’s eyes filled with tears. She reached in her pocket and took her hand out. It was in a fist.
Percy put his hands on her fist. He uncurled her fingers. Annabeth’s palm held a little thing made of wood. Percy saw it was an owl with a shadow over its eyes like a mask. He ran his finger over the wood.
“What is this?” he murmured.
“Last month, Athena came to me.” Annabeth’s eyes were a million miles away. “It was the most unpleasant visit ever. She gave this to me and told me I had to go to on the Argo II. She said I was special and that I read the signs that could lead everyone to the Doors of Death. Then she said this: ‘Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me.’ Then she went away again.”
Chills ran up Percy’s spine. “Thanatos told Hazel and Frank that we needed a special guide that could read the signs to lead us to the Doors of Death. There’s only one sort of demigod that could do that.”
“Who’s Thanatos?” Annabeth asked.
“He’s Death.”
Annabeth closed her eyes. “My mother told me I was unique. I’m… I’m a wise child. I can see things that others don’t."
“So what’s this wooden carving?” Percy took it in his own hands.
“The prophecy,” Annabeth breathed, close to tears. “Wisdom’s daughter walks alone, the Mark of Athena burns through Rome.”
Percy felt frozen. “This is the Mark of Athena?”
“You’re looking at it.”
Now Percy understood why Annabeth was so paranoid. She was going through a time where she knew she was going to be responsible for the Mark of Athena burning through Rome.
“I’m sorry,” Percy whispered to her, hugging her.
“It’s okay,” she mumbled into his chest. “I don’t know why my mother chose me. It’s going to be me…”
“Shh,” Percy shushed her. He put his hand under her chin so he could look at her gray eyes. Annabeth gazed sadly at him. “I’ll be next to you the whole time.”
She started to say something else, but Percy kissed her, so she couldn’t speak. She shook her head when she pulled away.
“Why can’t it be someone else?” She started to cry silently. “Percy, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to have the Mark of Athena!” She put the wooden owl back in her pocket. “Why do I have to avenge my mom?”
“Your mom picked you,” Percy began, holding both her hands, “because she knows your special, just like I do.”
Annabeth sighed, her head dropping. “I might as well tell the others when we get back on the Argo II. Argus will be waiting for us.” She stood before holding out her hand to Percy. The two walked in the front of the apartment building. Argus arrived two minutes later. The van ride was quiet.
Camp Half-Blood was buzzing when they got back. But it was a worried buzz. Right when Percy and Annabeth got to the arena, Connor Stoll came running up.
“Percy, Annabeth,” he began. “Piper got hurt in capture-the-flag.”
“What?” Annabeth asked, sounding outraged. “What happened?”
“Piper had the flag,” Connor said. “Leo was with her. Clarisse went up and slammed herself into Piper. Her electric sword brushed Piper’s arm. So she got electrocuted.”
Percy was stunned. “Is she okay?”
Connor shrugged. “Hazel and Frank came outside. But Leo and Jason are still in the infirmary.”
“Thanks, man,” Percy called as Annabeth and he ran to the Big House.
In the infirmary, Jason and Leo were playing Go Fish. Piper was clunked out on a bed and she looked pale.
“Is she all right?” Annabeth asked, leaning over the sleeping girl.
“Yeah,” Jason said, looking at his cards. “She woke up a while ago. She got tired so she went to sleep.” To Leo, he said, “Got any fives?”
“Thank the gods,” Annabeth sighed.
Leo grumbled and slapped a five on the table. Jason grinned and added his new pair on the table.
In her sleep, Piper shifted. She face ceased before her eyes opened. That’s when Percy noticed her empty expression and the tears in her eyes.
So Percy asked hesitantly, “Piper?”
“I’m fine,” she answered, though her voice broke. With her hands, she scrubbed away the tears. “It was a stupid demigod dream.”
“Tell us about it,” Annabeth said softly.
Percy had never seen Piper so horrified in her life. Her face was chalky, and her eyes that usually danced with color seemed just dark and empty. Her lips quivered.
“Porphyrion,” she muttered, staring off into space. “He’s in Rome. He’s guarding the Doors of Death. The Mark of Athena must have been burning. There was fire everywhere. I was with Jason. It was dusk. And then…” She gripped the bed, like she was afraid she was going to fall off. “The earth… it was suddenly everywhere…”
Piper’s vision popped into Percy’s brain. He could see Jason with Piper, walking through Rome, horrified by the fire. The sun was setting, creating splashes of color in the sky. One moment, Piper was with Jason. The next second, the earth was swallowing her up.
Jason buried his face in his hands, dropping the cards. Leo was so stunned he didn’t make a joke about the dropped cards. Annabeth’s soothing hand was frozen on Piper’s arm. And Percy felt like he was an ice cube.
“Porphyrion,” Percy repeated. “Isn’t that the giant who was created to oppose Zeus?”
“Yes,” Jason answered, his voice muffled. “After we fought Enceladus, the anti-Athena, on Mount Diablo, we went to the Wolf House to fight Porphyrion.”
Percy nearly choked as he asked, “The Wolf House? I was asleep there…”
“No way,” Leo groaned. “Everyone was looking for you, and you were where we were! And you were asleep?”
“I wonder how I slept through that fight,” Percy mused.
“Anyways,” Jason said. “Right before Hera showed her divine form, Porphyrion got away. We were told he would be back for another fight.”
“Thanatos told Hazel and Frank a giant would be guarding the Doors of Death,” Percy recalled. “I never thought it would be a giant some of us had faced before.”
“So,” Leo started. “Does that mean Piper has to charmspeak a cage again?”
Everyone looked at Piper. She was staring into space again, and she didn’t move to Leo’s question.
“So far we’ve defeated Polybotes, Alcyoneus, and Enceladus.” Percy looked up.
“Who are those other two?” Leo asked.
“Polybotes is the anti-Neptune,” Percy explained. “Alcyoneus is the anti-Pluto.”
“Poseidon and Hades,” Annabeth whispered.
“Yeah,” Percy muttered, nodding. “Gaea is bringing back the monsters. There could be more giants in Rome than we know about.”
“We’re going to die,” Leo said, shuffling the cards. “Is that why Hera said she needed the seven most powerful demigods? So we wouldn’t die the first second?”
“We’re going to close the Doors of Death,” Piper whispered, sounding depressed. “Well, you guys will. I’m probably not going to be around that long.”
Jason took her hand and said, “I’m not letting you die.”
“Sparky, there’s nothing you could do about it. I’m going to go missing, get the other six friends back together so you could look for me. The prophecy never hinted if I was coming back.” Piper looked away.
It looked like Jason was going to argue, but the dinner bell rang. Piper was being careful as she eased out of bed, but she clenched her teeth like she was holding back a scream. Looking pale but strong, she stalked out of the room.
Sighing, Jason said, “I’m guessing she has Aphrodite’s fury.”
The four of them went to the pavilion. Campers still called out to Percy, saying the same thing: “I’m glad you’re back!”
At the Poseidon table, Percy thought for a hamburger with fries. He got his comfort drink- blue fizzy soda. He stared out at Long Island Sound, inhaling the ocean breeze. He was glad to be where he belonged for once. Tyson didn’t speak as he scarfed down peanut butter sandwiches, leaving Percy time to enjoy silence.
Tomorrow, he would leave his home to go to Rome. He would have to speak –he shuddered- Italian. He hoped someone spoke Italian for him.
Hazel sat at the Hades table alone. She was eating shrimp gumbo. She looked so lonely it made Percy sad. She was probably thinking about Nico being Greek.
Frank looked uncomfortable at the Ares table. The campers were asking him –no doubt- about his shape shifting powers. He answered unwillingly. But when Clarisse patted him on the back, he smiled.
Jason was used to being alone at the Zeus table. He kept stealing glances at Piper. He was more worried than she was.
After dinner, a little time passed, and then it was time for the campfire. Percy saw his friend Rachel, and they said hi before going their separate ways. He remembered the time last summer when life with Annabeth and Rachel seemed impossible. Everything went perfect right when everything went bad.
The campfire warmed Percy to the bone. He was aware of the wind blowing harshly, but the warm flames were hot. Annabeth must have felt the breeze, because she shivered and put her head on Percy’s shoulder. Usually when he got nervous, he concentrated on the little facts. Right then, he noticed how her hair still smelled like lemon shampoo. Her silver owl earrings were still in place. She was playing with her bead necklace.
Chiron walked by the fire, looking at the campers. “I know we do the bead ceremony later in the year, but since some of our campers are leaving, I decided to do have the bead ceremony tonight.”
The campfire went from five feet to ten feet in excitement. “Who designed the bead this year?” many campers muttered.
“It was not a whole cabin who designed the bead,” Chiron continued. “It was a single camper. Annabeth, do you mind helping me hand out the beads since you designed it?”
Annabeth moved from Percy’s side and scuttled down. Percy was stunned. Annabeth designed the bead? He didn’t move until he received his bead. He glanced down at the clay bead in his hand.
The background had orange and purple meeting in the middle. In the orange side, it had Percy’s name. On the purple side, it had Jason’s name. In the middle was the Argo II. It was special. Percy took off his leather necklace before adding the new bead on. He had five beads now.
While walking back to his cabin, he heard, “Percy, wait up!”
Annabeth ran to his side. “Did you like it?”
He nodded. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to enjoy our time left while we had it,” she answered, fingering the beads like she said when she was nervous. She had ten beads now. “You have no idea how scared I am.”
“I have some sort of idea,” Percy complained lamely.
“Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain,” she retorted. She kissed him before he could protest. But before he could say goodnight, she was gone.
“Yeah, see you in the morning,” Percy muttered, touching his lips with his fingers. As he turned to his cabin, he wondered why she always seemed to be saying goodbye.
Snap crackle pop! Annabeth is worked up about the Mark of Athena. And actingoutmylife guessed that, so I promised a dedication to the person who guessed Annabeth's secret. So congrats for getting a dedication!
Leo: Yeah, yeah, yeah, so say the words.
Me: *Sigh...* Disclaimer: Is my name Rick Riordan? No...? Then these characters don't belong to me. Got it? Got it.
Piper: You're as crazy as Leo.
Me: I'm not the one who got hurt in capture-the-flag!
Piper: *scowling*
Question. I need 2 actors who can play Leo and Frank. So the person who gives me 2 actors, you'll get a dedication and a shout-out in the disclaimer, just like actingoutmylife did.
Attention please. Thank you. I know most people do their MoA's in order, but my chapters are at random. So any demigod could be narrating at any time. Like the next chapter is... Piper! Finish! *bows*