What Did We Do?

Chapter 12

Give up looking. It is hopeless.

I just stare at it, stunned. Before it has even faded a piercing scream rings through the camp. I think it's coming from the infirmary, but I don't care. I knew that it would be hard, nearly impossible, to find Percy. But this has confirmed it.

Slowly, the fog begins to clear from my mind. With a jolt, I remember the scream that I heard earlier. Mentally cursing, I scramble for the door when a small cough sounds from the static Iris Message. I freeze in the doorway. Ahead of me is Luke, coming to get me, I think. But I turn slowly and look at the grey IM in the corner. Except it isn't grey anymore.

Percy is sitting on a grey bench. His sea green eyes, once sparkling and full of life, are dull and broken. Both of his arms are shackled to the wall. Other than that, he looks healthy physically. But mentally, well, that's a different matter.

He takes a deep breath and looks to the side, away from the 'camera', as if looking for reassurance, before beginning to speak. His voice is nowhere near as cheerful as I remember. It is full of depression, as if all the deaths he's caused, whether intentionally or not, are weighing on him.

"Annabeth. Please, don't come looking for me. I spent years thinking you were dead. If you come for me, you WILL be dead. I couldn't handle that. Just- please." His eyes fill with tears but he doesn't let them fall. I step closer, my own tears threatening to fall. "Wise Girl... If you come looking for me, you will be captured. They'll- They'll torture you to death. In front of me." His voice cracks and he catches a sob. I come closer, again. I want to touch him, to hug him and tell him it will be alright. I want to kiss away his tears. But I can't. I can't even touch the IM, or it will dissolve. I'm dimly aware of Luke appearing in the doorway, but I ignore him, and so does Percy. "Love, I- um..." His eyes dart to the side nervously. They're watching him, I know it. Watching to see that he doesn't give too much away.
I feel strong arms around me. I know it's Luke, but I don't turn around. Afraid. Afraid that if I stop looking at him, he'll disappear. "Wise Girl. Just remember, no matter what, that I love you. I promise you that I'll never stop loving you. So you have to promise me that you'll not come looking for me." A tear falls. He can't wipe it away because of the handcuffs. My heart breaks, for the thousandth time since he left.

"I-I can't." How can he expect me to promise him the impossible? He sighs.

"Annabeth Marie Chase. You will not come looking for me." Then he looks to Luke behind me. "Luke. Look after her. Make sure she doesn't come looking for me. You have an important responsibility now. Just... Please, Luke." Luke nods mutely. "And both of you. You- You have a-" He looks at someone off camera and licks his lips nervously. "You have a..." He takes a deep breath. "You have a traitor in your midst." The IM erupts into pandemonium. A streak of white jumps on him immediately, banging his head on the concrete wall behind him, hard. Just before he loses consciousness he locks eyes with me. "Wise Girl I- Love- You..." His eyes shut, but they keep attacking him. Several more guards join the action, smashing his head repeatedly against the wall. It can't kill him though. He's immortal.

A guard draws back his fist and I can see he's wearing a glove studded with sharp spikes. "No! NO! NOO!" I scream hysterically. But that doesn't deter the guard. The glove lands home on Percy's temple. Cuts are opened on his face as the guard continues. Someone is handed a knife from offscreen. No. No. They wouldn't!

As he turns to aim, ready to throw, I catch a glimpse of his face. It's got a look of sheer determination on it. A gruff voice sounds from offscreen.

"Alright, alright. Cut the Iris Message off. The girl's seen enough." Someone obeys instantly and the IM disappears. I still see the knife on its path towards the love of my life. But the worst thing is, I know that voice from somewhere. In my mind, Percy's words come to the front of my mind. "You have a traitor in your midst." This must be the traitor he was talking about!

"Annie. Annie." Luke's voice slowly breaks through my jumbled thoughts. My eyes dart to meet his.

"Luke. Luke!" My voice jumps to a screech suddenly when I realise that what I saw actually happened. He gives me a hug, letting me cry into his shirt. "Luke... Do you know why there was a scream earlier?" I ask when I'm all cried out. He sighs.

"A camper disappeared. Two, actually. They were in the infirmary when one of them- I'm not sure which one- dissolved into pink smoke, which then surrounded the other camper. When the smoke cleared, they were nowhere to be seen." My jaw drops. One of them was the traitor, then. One was an innocent camper, taken by the traitor.

"Who was it?" I ask hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

"I'm not sure. I came to get you straight away but you were... With Percy." Oh no.

"We have to go, Luke. I'm the leader of camp." Luke just nods and walks out the door, me following behind him.

At the infirmary, Hazel kneels at a blackened spot of the floor. She's sobbing her eyes out. I cross the room in a few steps and crouch beside her, rubbing her back as she cries.

"Who was it?" I ask Will Solace, who's standing nearby. He takes a shuddering breath and replies.

"Frank Zhang and Nico di Angelo."

A/N I'm back!!!! I'm taking this off hold but expect slow updates. Unfortunately, I haven't finished my essay and it's due by the end of March. And this is still harder for me to write. It took several days to write it, but it's here now. Also, there's probably five chapters left of this book before it ends. I've had the ending planned out since I started it, really. And I bet none of you expect it! Mwahahahaha!!! Anyways, I love y'all and wish you a good week of school, or work! But unlike you, I don't start this week til Wednesday because today's a public holiday (Adelaide Cup Day bish) and tomorrow's a school closure day so long weekend!
Peace Out!
~Apollo_The_Awesome