Percy POV
What in Hades was Luke doing with her, Percy thought to himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but Luke raised a finger to his lips. Percy knew what he was trying to tell him, 'Stay quiet, you'll be safer that way. I have a plan.' It should comfort Percy, but it just fills him with rage. It was easy to make the plans when you weren't the one locked in a cage like a fucking animal. Luke probably did have a plan, but judging from the positions they were in, the plan might not be a very nice. A few hours, a day at the most, that was how long it took Luke to turn on him, to betray, deceive, and double-cross him, to sell him out to a girl he thought was dead for half a decade. He never knew he could feel anger this strong. And in the anger, he couldn't even find words, he sat there, stunned and mute.
"I'm rather sorry on the conditions of your arrival," the girl said, her tone laced with sarcasm, "but there was no way I was going to be able to get you alive without bringing down the plane."
"Why do you even want me?" He asked, his voice little more than a croak.
"You'll find out soon enough," she replied sharply. She lead the cuffed man to the cage on the end of the row and threw him onto the floor of it, and locked the door.
"Luke," he addressed the boy, hoping that there was just some elaborate prank going on, "what's going on, please." He didn't answer, he only averted his eyes, staring at the floor.
"He's not going to talk to you," Annabeth spoke for him, "I told Luke about everything, and he's agreed to help me."
The anger once again filled Percy, "You bitch!" He shouted at her, "How the fuck are you alive, why am I here, and what's he helping you with?!"
She sighed, "I guess telling you won't hurt. Why I'm alive is pretty simple, I escaped the cyclops all those years ago, and I've been on the run ever since, that's all there is to that. You however, Percy, have a much more interesting story: you've been the talk of the town. Ever since you were claimed, I can't go anywhere without hearing about Poseidon's new son, and it only got worse after Hades put that bounty out for you. But don't worry, because in about 12 hours, servants of the Lord of the Underworld will arrive for you, and that'll be the end of it."
"Why are you doing this? You could've just went back to camp after you were freed from the cyclops."
"That's the thing," she says coolly, "I wasn't freed, I escaped, all on my own. And what good would going back to camp do? There would still be demigods dying on their way there, or dying on quests that the gods sent them on, and things wouldn't be any better off. As payment for your life, lord Hades is granting me an army of fallen. I'm getting an infinite, untiring army, and I'm going to use it to bring down Olympus and destroy the gods. If they're gone, then the demigods that are still alive can live in peace, and there won't be anymore of them born into suffering."
"You're insane if you think that you can destroy Olympus with a bunch of dead people."
"You stupid boy, it's not just the dead that will be fighting for me, I have access to Tartarus, to every monster, giant, titan, and any other mythical being that has ever been wronged by the gods. Now I'm sorry to end this pleasant chat, but Luke and I must go, we have planning to do." The turned and headed for the door, Luke still facing the ground
"Luke," he shouted after them, "don't listen to her, she's on some insane power trip. Luke, please, come back! Luke! Luke, you're better than this." He didn't turn back around. "Luke! You motherfucker, don't you dare leave me here. Luke!"
They walked through the door.
"Luke!"
It locked shut.
~
I am so sorry for how poorly written the dialogue in this chapter is. I had the whole scene planned out in my head, but when it came time to write, my brain just went dark. I hope everyone enjoyed it anyway.