Prologue - Gone
published: Wednesday, 2 January 2019
edited: Saturday, 11 April 2020

Percy Jackson woke up to the smell of lemons and fresh mint. Letting out a yawn, he rolled over on his side to see his beautiful girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, curled up in a peaceful sleeping position.

She'd sneaked into his cabin the night before, and they'd stayed up till midnight just talking in the dark.

Nothing could've spoiled that feeling of happiness that made his heart flutter.

Except perhaps the clock by his bedside. It read 8.42a.m. Percy swore softly under his breath. Breakfast was at 9 o'clock sharp, and if Chiron caught them in alone in the same cabin...

"Wise Girl," he whispered, nudging her in the side. Annabeth stirred slightly, her blonde hair a tangled mess on his pillow. Percy shook her gently again, happy to see a pair of grey eyes looking hazily back at him.

"Good morning, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered back. She shifted into a sitting position and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to move. I just want to stay in bed all day. This moment is too perfect."

Percy chuckled as he played with a lock of her hair. "Well, if someone finds out, we won't exactly be in the best position to have anymore moments."

"You'd be a pile of ashes on my bedside table," Annabeth laughed. "Courtesy of my loving mother," she added. "Don't forget about your underwater mission later."

Percy nuzzled his head into hers. "Operation Find Atlantis," he declared. Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "It's a code name," he clarified.

"It's not a James Bond movie, Percy," Annabeth insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," he droned with a bored tone, drawing circles on her hand. "Chiron wants me to check the waters. Evidently, I'm the only Captain Seawater available."

Annabeth smacked him gently on the shoulder. "I'm serious, Percy. The spikes in ultrasonic waves could mean something. Frank registered the same in the waters near Camp Jupiter and there aren't any whales or dolphins there."

"I know," Percy assured her. "This is my domain, it's the only area which I can beat you in."

"In your dreams, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased. Percy just shrugged. He wouldn't ever admit it, but Annabeth could probably beat him at anything and everything by a large scale.

"Hey, have you got anything later?" Percy asked her. "We can hang out if you want. Take Blackjack for a ride. I'm sure Chiron won't mind." Annabeth looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Saviors of Olympus and all."

She opened her mouth to reply when the sound of knuckles rapping on the door made them jump.

"Percy?" It was Chiron. "May I speak to you quickly?"

Percy shot Annabeth a panicked look, and she quickly dived under the covers, flattening herself out as much as possible.

"Uh-Sure, come on in," Percy called out, stumbling over his words. He felt Annabeth lace her fingers between his and squeeze them for reassurance.

He felt the need to snort. She wasn't the one being faced down by a scary mentor with a girlfriend hiding under the covers. 

Chiron trotted inside in full horse glory and all, holding a stack of papers in one hand. Percy groaned inwardly. He was going to leave a whole indented trail of hoof prints on the floor Tyson just fixed after Jason fried a hole in it.

"Apologies, boy," Chiron said. "Did I wake you?"

"Uh," Percy scrambled for words, any words, but when Annabeth poked him sharply in the thigh, he rapidly fabricated a tale. "No, I was-uh-reading."

Chiron's eyebrows shot towards the heavens. "Reading," he repeated bemusedly. Percy could almost hear Annabeth mentally slapping her forehead.

He blushed and nodded. "So, what brings you here?" Percy averted the subject, shifting uncomfortably in his bed.

"Just files with information that might help you on your trip underwater later on," Chiron said. He trotted over, placing the stack of files on Percy's bedside table. "Mostly the data that Reyna compiled and delivered to us via a Roman Eagle last week. You should read it over before the mission. Maybe you could consult Annabeth. After all, reading isn't exactly your...stronghold."

Percy flushed a dark red again, prodding Annabeth under the covers where he knew she was stifling a laugh. The bed was practically shaking from her efforts.

"Well, uh, okay," Percy rushed, trying to drop a hint, hoping Chiron would just go already. "I'd better get dressed then, see you in the pavilion for breakfast."

Fortunately, Chiron took that as his cue to leave, and after a painstakingly slow goodbye, trotted off to the Big House.

Annabeth emerged from below the covers, laughing hysterically "Reading?" she said incredulously. "The one time you have to lie, and you pick reading?"

Percy could feel his cheeks reddening. "Oh, shut up. Just get out already."

Still laughing, Annabeth walked over to the window behind Percy's bunk. Evidently, it wasn't her first time sneaking out.

She jumped up and caught ahold of the open window frame, hoisting her lithe body upwards. Swinging her torso, Annabeth brought her legs over the window such that she was hanging on the outside of Percy's cabin.

"Wait!"

She paused at his shout.

Percy scrambled out of bed and looked up to kiss her. If anyone had walked in, it would've been a strange sight; Annabeth kissing Percy through a window near the ceiling.

"I love you," he whispered as she smiled at him, jumping down on the other side. When he strained his ears, Percy heard a thud and light footsteps padding away to the Athena Cabin. He could almost hear her smiling.

^^^^

Later in the afternoon, Percy headed out to the beach. The pristine sand and blue skies always calmed his mind. But it also reminded him of his lack of contact with his father, and that the Gods had cut themselves off again. Percy sent his father a prayer before stepping into the water.

In the next second, a few things happened at once.

A crunch in the sand was the only warning Percy received. He whirled around it's Riptide in hand, but a heavy weight clocked him round the head and sent him stumbling backwards. His vision was spinning, but Percy did his best to hold up Riptide.

The same mass smashed into his head once more, and this time, Percy fell to the floor on his knees and keeled over into the sand.

His eyelids fluttered close, and darkness overtook him.

^^^^

Annabeth stumbled through camp, stammering half-formed apologies to the campers she walked into. Practically sprinting inside her cabin, Annabeth slammed the door behind her and slid to the floor, a sob bubbling up in her throat.

Tears burned in her eyes as she leaned her head against the door, shoulders heaving as she furiously wiped the tears from her face.

Stop it, she chided herself dizzily.

She couldn't.

The image was seared into her mind like a permanent scar.

Percy had his arms wrapped around someone, his hands tangled in curly red hair.

He was kissing her. Rachel.

Annabeth couldn't think straight. Her mind felt like a whirlwind of horrible thoughts and pain she didn't want to deal with.

The sun was almost down, the beautiful sky taunting her as she tried to hold herself together.

Annabeth had once thought that Percy would never cheat on her. Part of her wished she'd never seen them kissing on the beach a few minutes ago. Allow her to continue living in denial. She already had so little left, and now she didn't have Percy either?

Footsteps crashed through her reverie, sending Annabeth staggering to her feet, gripping the bedpost of another camper's bed for support.

Just in time as well, for the door flung wide open to reveal a familiar blonde son of Zeus.

"Percy's missing," Jason panted breathlessly.

Annabeth practically felt her heart stop.

Her voice sounded faraway. Was that her speaking. "What?" It was.

Jason's frantic expression didn't help as Annabeth tried to process the words. Missing? In the few minutes between the beach and now?

"No one's seen him since lunch," Jason continued frustratedly, but he paused, studying her face. "Annabeth—Have you been crying?"

Annabeth ducked her head to hide her reddened eyes. No, now wasn't the time.

Before she knew it, Jason had his arms wrapped around her.

It wasn't the smoothest hug. She and Jason had never been that close, but it helped.

"We'll find him," Jason promised, misunderstanding her plight. "I swear to you."

Annabeth plastered on a teary smile. "Yeah, yeah, okay."

As they hurried to the Big House, Annabeth desperately tried to ignore flashes of Percy and Rachel. A small voice in the back of her mind taunted her; why save him? It's not like he'll come back to you.

She ignored it. Above all else, Percy was still her friend. Still the leader of the camp. Her chest ached, as if she could actually feel her heart breaking.

"No, this is like it was with Hera all over again," Clarisse growled, slamming her hand on the table. "Stupid Prissy. He needs to learn some self defence when we find him this time."

The burly daughter of Ares seemed to offer Annabeth a reassuring glance, but Annabeth averted her gaze, not sure if she could take anymore of playing the "concerned girlfriend".

"Okay, so lunch was the last time he was seen?" Chiron asked, his voice booming across the room and lilting with worry.

Annabeth's gaze flickered to Rachel, who was sitting right next to Chiron.

Wasn't Rachel going to say something? How about, "Yeah, I was kissing him five minutes ago. No big deal."

For someone who had gotten pretty good at reading people, Annabeth couldn't spot a hint of deception on Rachel's face. She'd schooled her expression into one of pure worry.

As she readied herself to say something, that niggling voice in the back of Annabeth's head returned forcefully.

Do you really want the whole camp to know that Percy cheated on you?

Annabeth swallowed.

Because let's face it, you know that it was your fault. You've been so busy with work lately, he had to turn to another for affection.

Are you really going to ruin his reputation for something you made happen?