Annabeth
Only a few short minutes ago, Percy and I boarded a plane at Terminal 3 in the John F. Kennedy airport, and since then, I had been bombarding him with questions. He hadn't told me anything about our secret honeymoon destination, and I was getting irritated. Percy had been avoiding answering me throughout the entire day; he steered me away from any airport signs that indicated where we were going. He wouldn't let me see the airplane tickets, and made sure I didn't hear anything about the destination, no matter how hard I tried. I guess he's smarter than he seems.
"Percy, tell me where we're going, right now." I demanded, pouting like a little child as he simply looked at me and smirked, annoyingly. I blew a sigh.
"Tell me where we're going or I promise you-" I began, while a young flight attendant made their way to our seats.
"Excuse me, is everything all right?" The petite woman asked, analyzing our recently-fastened seatbelts and carry-ons, stowed beneath our seats. She nodded approvingly.
"Yes, thank you, I was just wondering how long is this flight to...?" I asked cleverly, waiting for her answer. Percy looked at me, shocked, realizing what information I was trying to gain. I smirked at him.
"The flight to Florence will be approximately ten hours and forty-five minutes. Any other concerns, ma'am?"
I smiled gratefully, "No, thank you very much."
She responded, "Have a wonderful flight." The attendant then strode off down the walkway, checking up on our fellow passengers. Percy tapped my arm and looked at me, dissapointedly, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"This is why you don't keep secrets from Annabeth Chase." I said to him, expecting him to respond.
He shook his head, "You always find a way of outsmarting me, Annabeth Chase-Jackson."
I groaned, "What a horrible last name, please, must we make it a double surname?"
"Why, should I call you Annabeth Jackson instead?" He smiled.
"Ugh," I groaned.
"I'm conflicted between my feministic attitude and my wish to be considered legally yours, although you don't own me, just so you're aware." I looked at him accusingly, and he laughed.
"Yikes, sorry, we can figure that out when we get back if it's such a big deal to you."
"I don't know how we got into this discussion. Don't worry, I'm not accusing you of anything predominating, just wanted to make sure you're mindful of the fact that I am still my own individual. You're my partner, but you don't control me or my views. Got it?"
Percy looked confused, "I'm a feminist too!"
I laughed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, his face reddening. I decided to change the subject.
"So, Florence, huh?"
Percy looked at me worriedly, "You don't want to go to Flor-"
"Percy," I interrrupted, "Of course I want to go to Florence! I'm so excited! Florence is known for their renaissance art and history, how could I not be thrilled? It's beautiful there!"
Percy's tensed face relaxed, and he smiled at me, "We're not only going to Florence."
My eyes widened. I looked at him, astonished, then questioningly.
"Percy...?"
His mouth curved into a small grin, and he laughed as I lightly punched him in the arm.
"Tell me!" I ordered, my patience wearing thin. Why did he think it was fun to keep me in the dark? It was my honeymoon too, after all.
"You'll have to wait and see." He smirked, once again. I gave him a disapproving look.
"You're lucky I'm in love with you, because I would so kill you right about now."
Percy
It had been roughly four hours since our plane had taken off to our destination. I could feel my palms growing sweaty as I choked on my nervousness. I had been okay during the first few hours in the sky, but now, as we rose higher into the cloud-filled atmosphere, I could feel my anxiety kicking in. Soon enough, I was shaking with nervousness, my face distraught, the realisation that I was going to be on this plane for ten hours striking me in the gut. The sky was becoming darker, and Annabeth was dormant, her head resting on my shoulder as she napped. I too began to feel sleepy, but my fear of being unconscious while in the air took over me. I could feel myself sweating again, shaking ever so slightly. I told myself to calm down, to relax. An hour later, when the sky was completely ink, I fell asleep.
As I slept, I began to think about the day Annabeth and I had had a discussion on the deceased monsters who would eventually be returning to their habitual state, the ones I had originally destroyed. After Jason and Leo had told me about it, I informed Annabeth. Subsequently, we never spoke about it again. I didn't even know why I was concerning myself with it now, until a nightmare arose from the depths of my brain.
"Annabeth!"
I shut our front door as I walked into the kitchen, expecting to greet my wife and our little toddler. Instead, the space was empty, and I cried out once more.
"Annabeth, Sophia! I'm home!" I walked up the stairs, my work still in my hand as I entered our daughter's bedroom, expecting Annabeth and Sophia. Nothing. I walked over to our bedroom.
"Annabeth! Baby, I'm home!"
I opened the door to no one. Nothing but blood, strewn across the floor, and the wall. I grew even more worried.
"Annabeth!" I screamed, my breath coarse and irregular. I could hear the blood pounding through my ears, as I entered the bathroom.
It was a gory sight. Blood, two lifeless bodies. Annabeth lay across the bathroom tile, her arms enclosed around our child. Surrounding them, were the most repulsive things I had ever encountered; Lamia, a demon, and the Sphinx, her human eyes staring at me lethally. Instinctively, I ran to the bedroom to grab Riptide. Turning around, I was greeted by Lamia and Sphinx. I glared at them with disgust, my body heating up with anger. They were supposed to be dead, like the rest. I hadn't killed them myself, but they were supposed to die with the rest. They all were. Instead, they were alive.
I jumped up to attack, my sword raised at Lamia's throat, she simply smiled.
"Young demigod, we don't wish to hurt you, Sphinx and I were ordered to complete a request, here in your home. We mean no harm to you."
I clenched my teeth, "Mean no harm? You killed my family!" I lashed out, my sword swinging in mid-air, missing Lamia as she ducked to avoid the tip.
"Young one, calm down, I was asked to come here! You shouldn't be trying to kill me, you'll be unsuccessful! Just listen to what Sphinx has to say."
I turned my head to the Sphinx, her beady eyes staring at me, her lips forming a word, a sentence. A riddle.
"Young one, son of the sea, look not upon the messenger, but those who scheme. The ones who eat the flesh of those dearest yours, are paying an indebtful debt, to one, truly sore. Need not seek revenge, for all is resolved. Yet, if you seek it, your blood shall sprawl. Need we repeat this to you, we will end all. Determine this conundrum, and you shall see, your life will be spared, by the one who schemes."
They waited expectantly, but all I could see was the trace of blood dripping down both their thin, human-like mouths. Lamia killed my daughter, Sphinx killed Annabeth. I owed nothing to these despicable monsters, nothing. Anger surged through me like a volcano, about to explode, it's poisonous smoke and hot fire spilling out.
I gave it hardly a second before I slashed my sword through the neck of Lamia, her body disintegrating. I could feel myself losing focus, my body a burning body of hatred, and revenge. No later, I killed Sphinx with one foul swipe through her abhorrent body. I stood in the middle of my bedroom, staring at the two remaining piles of what looked like dust, situated at the death spot of both monsters. Blood boiled through my veins, I could sense it. I could feel myself slowly reaching my regular state, and I realized; I had taken the lives of two, to avenge the two lives lost. I was as much of a monster as they were.
Author's Note
Oh dear, that went from fluffy to frightening! I hope you all enjoyed! This is just a lead-up to all the excitement that will happen in the next couple of chapters, so get excited! I want to thank you all for your patience, while awaiting the new releases of the story, I really appreciate your support! And don't worry because I haven't taken your requests on honeymoon destinations for Annabeth and Percy, I have! I've chosen to go along with what a lot of you suggested, which was Italy! I thought Florence fit Annabeth perfectly, so I decided they're going to stop there and explore. However, they also will be going to a beach area, which many of you suggested! I just thought that Greece was definitely too typical, and why not do something different? Let me know your feedback in the comments! Thanks again!
-Elisa Marie