One-shots

When the Bad Guys Aren't As Bad As They Seem

A/N In this AU Luke steals Zeus' Lightning Bolt a year before Percy comes to camp, and Annabeth runs away with him. Once Percy arrives a year later, he's given a quest to invade the titan base and kill Luke.

Fandom: PJO

Percy walked into the titan base, holding his sword. He expected horrible things to be happening, like hunting people for sport. But, instead, he found something that looked like Camp Half-Blood. People were sparring, playing games, learning first aid. It was what would have happened at Camp Half-Blood. Percy assumed that he could blend in until he found Luke, but he was wrong.

"Intruder!" some kid shouted after noticing Percy's Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

Immediately, all eyes turned on Percy, and a few kids attacked him.

Percy managed to fight them off. Until a girl, with blond hair in a ponytail and storm, gray eyes fought him with her dagger.

Percy tried to fight her too, but it was clear that he couldn't. Annabeth knocked Riptide out of Percy's hands. And when he tried to run away, he tripped on a piece of trash and fell.

The girl approached him, and Percy was sure he was going to die. The girl saw his fear and realized that he wasn't her enemy. He was just another kid who the gods had taken advantage of.

She kneeled next to him. "Shh, it's alright," she said. "You're doing beautifully, and I'm so proud of you. But that's enough now. It was cruel of them to make you fight us - you could never have won. It's not your fault."

She might have had a calm and gentle face as she spoke, but she was furious. She wasn't angry at Percy but at the gods for sending kids and teenagers to fight their battles.

"I'm Annabeth," she told him. "Now come on. I'll introduce you to Luke, and then we can find you a place to say."

Percy went with her. He didn't have a weapon, so it would be pointless to try and fight.

"Luke, I found someone to join the Titan Army," Annabeth told a boy with a long scar over his right eye.

"Is that the guy who just broke in? How do we know he won't betray us?" Luke asked.

"Technically, he did just break in and try to kill us, but I think we can trust him," Annabeth assured Luke.

"And why is that?" Luke asked, unconvinced.

"Well . . ." Annabeth hesitated since she didn't have a real reason to trust him, "he looks trustworthy.

She looked at Percy, "Will you join us?"

"Can you bring back my mom?" Percy's voice was just above a whisper.

"What?" Luke asked.

"My mom," Percy explained. "A minotaur killed her. Can you bring her back?"

Luke thought about this for a second, "Once we win, we'll have full control of the Underworld. So we should be able to bring her back."

"Okay," Percy said. "I'll join."

"Great!" Annabeth said, "I'll go show you where you'll be staying."

Annabeth showed Percy his bunk and gave him Riptide back.

"I never did catch your name, " Annabeth said, about to leave.

"Percy"

"And your godly parent?"

"Poseidon."

Annabeth smiled to herself, remembering the prophecy, "Oh, yeah. We'll win for sure with you on our side.