Tyrant King - A Percy Jackson FanFic

Chapter 12

The Phelegethon rose high above Annabeth as she walked through Tartarus. She stared at it in disbelief. Why was it getting higher and higher? Then it dropped and fell back down to the riverbank. Annabeth stared at it incredulously, which was when she noticed what was happening on the other side of the river of fire. She gasped as she watched Gaea slap Percy across the face. 
"You can't let it fall!" Gaea hissed. 
"I'm trying," Percy panted. Gaea slapped him again, "You're not trying hard enough. Again."
Percy turned to the river, and when he raised his arms, the Phelegethon rose high above their heads. It lasted mere seconds, and when it dropped down again, Gaea frowned, "This is disappointing."
Percy looked at her, and Annabeth was shocked to see that there was fear in his eyes. Gaea pulled a syringe from her pocket, and Percy's eyes widened, "Please, no!"
Gaea grabbed him and pushed the syringe into his arm. He collapsed on the ground, and Annabeth watched in horror as Percy writhed, screaming. She couldn't move, couldn't do anything as she watched. Percy rolled around, quite obviously in pain. He stopped writhing, but he didn't stand. He just lay there, sobbing as he pleaded with Gaea, "Please, make it stop!"
After a while, he stopped moving altogether, his tears stopped, his pleading stopped. Gaea sighed, and waved her arm. Percy's limp form disappeared, and Gaea was left alone on the banks of the Phelegethon. The earth goddess turned, and her eyes met Annabeth's. She grinned, and held a finger up to her lips.

***

Someone was shaking her. She cracked her eyes open to see Malcom and the rest of the Athena cabin staring at her worredly.
"What?" she frowned. Malcom glanced at his cabinmates, and whispered, "You were screaming."
"What?"
"We couldn't really make out what you were saying, but we did hear you scream Percy's name over and over."
Annabeth grimaced, "Sorry, just a nightmare."
But demigods were never just a nightmare, and Malcom knew it. Thankfully, he told the others to go back to bed. Annabeth climbed off her bunk. Malcom frowned, "Where are you going?"
"To see Rachel," she replied, "I won't be able to sleep anyway."
He nodded and climbed back into his bunk. Annabeth slipped on her shoes and a hoodie. She walked out into the crisp night, heading in the direction of Rachel's cave. The lights inside were on, so Annabeth pushed past the curtain. 
"Hey," Rachel said. She was sitting on a stool painting some flowers.
"That's pretty," Annabeth acknowledged. Rachel smiled, "Are you going to tell me why you're visiting me at three in the morning?"
Annabeth sighed, "You heard about Percy right?"
Rachel's face fell. She stood from her stool and placed down her paintbrush, "Don't get mad at me for not showing you this. Remember the morning he was taken? I showed you a painting?"
Annabeth nodded as Rachel pulled six canvases out fromm underneath her bed. She laid them out on the floor, and then stepped back for Annabeth to take a look at them. The first one, Annabeth had already seen. It was the one of Percy being strangled by Ares' firey whip. The second was of Percy being dragged out of the Cocytus by a flame-haired empousa who looked suspiciously like Kelli. In the third, Percy was kneeling before Gaea as a golden glow surrounded him. That was obviously when he was turned immortal. The fourth was Percy levitating above a group of monsters and gods, holding Zeus' head in his fist. The fifth was Percy sitting on a blue throne, Poseidon's trident in hand, and a golden crown perched atop his head. But it was the sixth photot that made Annabeth gulp. Because Percy was lying on a bed, eyes closed, as though he was sleeping. 
Was he dead?
"That's all of them," Rachel said. Annabeth pointed to the one of Percy potentially dead, "What's that one? Is he..."
"I don't think so," Rachel frowned, "My vision only showed him lying there. It didn't give me any context."
Annabeth bit her lip anxiously. Rachel smiled, "You should go back to bed. It's late."
Annabeth nodded. She did feel quite drowsy. 
"See you tomorrow?" She asked. Rachel grimaced, "I have to show these to Chiron, don't I?"
Annabeth laughed and walked from the cave, back to her cabin, and climbed into bed.