Chapter 9 - A Painful Reunion
published: Wednesday, 23 January 2019

Annabeth held her dagger out to light up her path. The glow was hardly anything, but it was all she had. She regretted not taking Leo with her. Not only was he a human torch, he would also have calmed her down with his terrible jokes.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute from fear, but also in anticipation at the idea of seeing Percy again.

She didn't know whether to be angry at him, or to be relieved. To hug him or to throw him off the highest castle tower. She really wanted to do the second.

Annabeth ignored her hammering heartbeats. She chided herself for being so ditzy. This was a rescue mission. She couldn't afford to be distracted by anything.

This was the third of three towers she had to search. If she was going to find Piper or Percy, it was going to be here.

The staircase leading up to the tower was nearby, but Annabeth had to walk along an entire corridor to get to it.

Glass cabinets lined the walls, displaying items that nearly propelled her stomach out of her mouth.

There were limbs hacked off from their owners – still bloody – displayed like prizes. It was disgusting.

She tried not to look at the eyeballs as she walked briskly past them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth suddenly saw something that glinted in the light of her dagger.

She halted in her tracks.

It was Riptide.

She would recognise that pen anywhere. It had been Percy's sword since they were 12, and always reappeared in his pocket. They must've taken it off of him when he was kidnapped.

Just looking at it brought back a rush of painful memories that Annabeth forced out of her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to slow down her pounding heart.

After a few moments, Annabeth took in another shaky breath. She had to stop going off like an alarm every time she thought about Percy, but she couldn't help it.

He'd betrayed her; not just broken her heart, but shattered it into a million pieces.

Stop, Annabeth told herself. You're an independent, intelligent woman, and you don't need him.

She stared at Riptide as she took another deep breath. It was shrouded in some sort of black mist, probably to keep it from returning to Percy.

In a split second of relapse against her better judgement, Annabeth smashed her dagger through the glass cabinet. The shatter echoed around the hallway.

As soon as she'd done it, Annabeth silently chided herself for her reckless actions.

"What was that?" a voice came from another room further down. Footsteps started to increase in volume.

Annabeth froze. She quickly grabbed Riptide and ducked behind a wooden cabinet, waiting with bated breath.

Someone walked out into the corridor.

"Maybe it was the kitchens, Master," someone said. Their voice sounded male, like a regular human's.

"Maybe," a deeper voice mused.

Annabeth felt her heart speed up once again.

Tartarus.

She would've recognised his voice anywhere. She'd heard it in the hardest quest of her life, and frequently in her nightmares.

Annabeth clutched her dagger closer to her body and squeezed her eyes shut, praying to all the gods that he wouldn't find her.

"Is Jackson ready for another round?"

Annabeth shivered as Tartarus spoke again. He had to be talking about Percy.

"Not yet, Master," the other voice replied. "You cannot overexert him, or he will die. As weak demigods do."

Tartarus' sinister laugh echoed around the corridor. "Now, now, we can't have that. He continues to refuse to give me information, even when I have my knife against that girl's throat."

"How will you persuade him?"

"Soon, Phillip, soon. I will get him to tell me about that useless camp of his, and they will be destroyed by the time July dawns."

Annabeth bit back a gasp. Camp? Tartarus was planning to attack Camp Half-Blood?

All her friends were there; they were her family. If he obliterated them like he did Camp Jupiter—

Annabeth shook the alarming thoughts out of her head. No, she wouldn't let him. She couldn't.

A shrill scream resounded throughout the castle, making Annabeth jump in her hiding place.

"What was that?" came Tartarus' sharp demand.

"One of the monsters, Master," Phillip notified him. "I doubt it is anything important."

Tartarus fell silent for a moment. "It could be something. I have learnt not to underestimate those pesky demigods."

The way he used "pesky" reminded Annabeth that they were just annoying flies to Tartarus – a primordial. It made her heart sink with negativity. How were seven demigods going to defeat him?

The footsteps retreated and grew softer as Tartarus and Phillip started walking down to wherever the monsters were. Annabeth hoped that they wouldn't find her other friends.

Once she was sure they were gone, Annabeth struggled up from her hiding place and quickly ran to the stairs.

After the entirety of the winding stairwell, Annabeth reached a splintering oak door.

She swore that people in China could probably hear her heart palpitating wildly against her ribcage.

Annabeth uncapped Riptide and it sprung from pen form into a massive bronze sword. She felt a pang of familiarity at the sight of it.

After smashing the lock with the sword, Annabeth hesitantly placed her hand on the door. She wasn't sure what she would find once she stepped inside.

For camp, Annabeth decided. She lifted up her foot and kicked down the door.

Bang!

It slammed open with a loud crash, leaving Annabeth staring into a small stone room with a single window and no light.

Chained to the wall was none other than Percy Jackson. His arms were spread out and his wrists were bound in metal manacles, and he was on his knees with his head hung low.

His orange shirt was in tatters and nearly unrecognisable among the dried blood, and his jeans were ripped and dirtied.

Annabeth wanted to cry out as she saw the bloody bruises imprinted along his bare arms, and the small scars and slashes that covered his skin.

His raven black hair, matted with blood and perspiration, hung down to cover his face, his raspy breaths echoing around the cell as he stared pointedly at the ground before him.

The door closed behind them with a small click.

"What do you want?" Percy's voice reverberated around the tiny room. It was cracked and monotonous from a lack of water. "If you're here to ask me about camp, I've already told you — I don't know anything."

Annabeth swallowed and blinked the burning tears out of her eyes. She sheathed her dagger.

"Percy."

Percy's head snapped up within a split second, and incredulity was written all over his face. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh my gods," he murmured feverishly. "Is this a dream?"

Annabeth wanted to run forward and kiss him harder than she'd ever done before, to tell him that she was real.

Come on, Annabeth, she mentally scolded. A few words from him and you're ready to melt?

Annabeth forced herself to glance away from him, and she quickly slashed through his chains with Riptide.

Percy remained kneeling, his eyes following Annabeth's movements in silence. "A-Annabeth–" he stammered. "You're here—You're really here."

Annabeth capped Riptide and rolled the pen over to him, refusing to meet his eyes. Yeah, to rescue your sorry ass. She bit back the remark.

Percy struggled to stand up, the manacles on his wrists weighing down. He studied her face carefully.

"Come here," Annabeth said sharply. She pulled a bobby pin from her back pocket and yanked his wrist towards her. Within a few seconds, the manacles clicked open and fell to the ground, leaving Percy a free man for the first time in five years.

"I believe this is yours." She tossed him Riptide, and Percy caught it easily, gripping his pen tightly, though his eyes still drifted to Annabeth.

Percy slipped Riptide back into his pocket and slowly approached her. "Annabeth–"

"Don't," Annabeth interrupted, clenching her fist. "Percy, please." Her voice broke on he last word and she ducked away from him to hide her burning eyes.

Percy felt his heart break as her soft cries  filled the room. She wiped her tears away furiously, running a hand through her curls in frustration. 

Percy had never loathed himself more. She couldn't even look at him.

It's because you left her, Percy reminded himself bitterly. You promised her you'd always be there, and you disappeared. You left her alone.

"We should go," Annabeth said curtly. "The others are waiting for us."

Percy knew he should've been ecstatic about seeing the rest of his friends again, but seeing Annabeth again had destroyed all that.

He'd dreamt of their reunion before, early in his capture when he was delirious from torture. How they'd kiss like nothing else mattered, and how they would hold each other tight and whisper "I love you".

"Yeah," Percy managed. "Let's go."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the door to the prison cell fling open with a loud crash.

A low maniacal chuckling filled the room as Tartarus strode in in all his glory and might.

Percy felt the usual jolt of terror that always courses through him whenever he saw Tartarus. He could almost feel the bruises and cuts forming on his skin.

He threw a glance back at Annabeth, whose red-rimmed grey eyes had widened in panic as her hand instantly went to her dagger.

"What a touching reunion!" Tartarus snickered. "A lover's spat after years of separation? Now this is the stuff they should show on Hephaestus TV."

Tartarus' beady red eyes narrowed as his gaze raked over Annabeth.

Percy instinctively took a step forward to block Annabeth. "Don't touch her," he growled through gritted teeth.

"I can take care of myself," Annabeth snarled.

Percy ignored the hurt he felt at her words, never removing his eyes from Tartarus.

"Now I see my mistake," Tartarus said airily. "This is Annabeth Chase. I would've recognised your eyes anywhere." He continued to pace around the room. "I suppose that is why Perseus never obeyed my commands; it was never you at stake."

The cold expression on Annabeth's ace never slipped. "We'll never tell you anything."

Tartarus scoffed. "Do really believe that he wouldn't break with the love of his life under the whip?"

"If you're looking for the love of his life," Annabeth said quietly. "Then you've got the wrong girl."

Tartarus fell silent as his footsteps echoed around the cell, his eyes fixed on the floor in determination.

Percy felt something brush against his hand.

He discreetly glanced behind and saw Annabeth slowly angle her eyes towards the tiny window in the cell.

It was her 'I have a plan' eyes.

Percy slowly started to move his hand towards his pocket, where Riptide was still capped and in pen form.

"But you are still his friend," Tartarus suddenly voiced, making Percy jump. "And his fatal flaw will never let him live instead of you."

"My fatal flaw?" Percy asked. He was using Annabeth's favourite ploy; distraction. That would give her some time to make calculations or whatever her plan was. Jumping out of a ten-storey high tower window wasn't something Percy would usually do, but it was Annabeth, and he would've trusted her with his life.

"Indeed," Tartarus smirked. "Know your friends, but know your enemies better."

Annabeth stared at him. "That isn't even close to the actual saying."

"Bah! Mortals and their stupid quotes." Tartarus glared at her. "You aren't getting in anyone's good books, girl. You might want to watch that mouth of yours if you want to live."

Percy clenched his fist.

Tartarus took another step closer to Annabeth. "You don't know how much I would like to see your demigod blood run along the stones until the floor is stained red with your blood – just like your boyfriend here."

"He's not my boyfriend," Annabeth said angrily.

"It doesn't matter," Tartarus spat. "You're both insignificant annoyances in the way of my plan. Like flies." He was just one step away from her. "And you know what happens to flies?" he growled. His hand flew out and gripped Annabeth's wrist, making her gasp in alarm. "They get crushed."

Percy let out a yell as he pulled his fist back and punched Tartarus straight in the nose.

The primordial of the pit let out a feral snarl, as he staggered back from the impact, clutching at the golden ichor streaming from his face.

"Now," Percy said urgently. "Now!"

Annabeth seemed to unfreeze from her shock and scrambled towards the wall. Using the jutting stones as footholds, she hoisted herself up and over the window sill.

As Percy made to follow her, a blow knocked him over from the back.

The sound of Tartarus' massive sword swinging through the air instantly turned Percy to battle mode, his senses ringing and his old training kicking into action.

Percy rolled out of the way, the sword slamming down into the ground and missing him by a hair's width. Scrambling to his feet, Percy raised Riptide instinctively to block Tartarus' swing.

The swords clashed with an assonant metallic clang, resounding throughout the cell.

Percy staggered back by the sheer strength of Tartarus' blow, panting from the effort. His first fight in five years was with a primordial — not the best idea. It was a good thing training those warriors had given him a memory resurge and kept him in shape.

"Percy!" came Annabeth's shout.

Percy glanced behind just as a metal object sliced through the air, slamming into Tartarus' torso and pinning him to the wall behind.

Wasting no time, Percy swung up and through the window, then quickly pulled himself onto the roof of the tower. It was made of slanting brick and was only a few metres wide.

"This is your plan?" Percy asked incredulously as he crept towards Annabeth.

Annabeth glared at him. "Like there was any other choice."

A loud growl pulled their attention away from arguing and to Tartarus, who was pulling himself up towards them, his eyes flashing murderously.

Percy backed up to the end of the roof, his foot nearly slipping and making him fall over. He peered over the edge; at least a six-storey drop to reach the ground. He squinted to see what hid beneath the fog and dust.

"It's a moat," Percy realised.

Annabeth nodded, her eyes still on Tartarus.

Percy slowly understood what she was getting at. 

"You're crazy," Percy said decidedly.

Annabeth had drawn her dagger. "There's no other way." She glanced at him. "I've done the calculations. If you can control the water, we probably won't die."

Percy looked down warily. "Probably." He turned back to Annabeth.

Her grey eyes were hardened with determination, and blonde curls had come loose from her ponytail to frame her face.

The only visible difference were the bags beneath her eyes and how prominent her cheekbones and jawline had become. Percy could see her collarbone protruding above the neck of her Camp Half-Blood shirt.

But she was still Annabeth.

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay, I trust you."

Annabeth seemed to avoid his gaze even more.

"Now?" Percy whispered as Tartarus stalked towards them.

"Now!" Annabeth shouted as she grabbed Percy's hand and jumped off the tower with him in tow.

As they hurtled down the tower, air rushing past him at maximum speed and images flashing before his eyes, Percy reached his arm round Annabeth's waits to pull her into him. He didn't want to risk them getting separated.

As the murky waters of the castle moat came nearer and nearer, Percy let out a yell and the water erupted, swallowing Percy and Annabeth whole into the deep waters.