𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

the labyrinth gems

ANNABETH CHASE
ANNABETH WAS FEELING DISTINCTLY ILL.

Obviously, her two companions weren't feeling much better. Hazel sobbed and scream and cursed and pounded on the rocks till her fists bled. Leo just stared, looking shell-shocked and confused, as if unsure how he had gotten here.

Annabeth hugged her stomach, stumbling a few paces away from Leo and Hazel. She retched, trying to clear the fog from her mind.

She had seen Luke's ghost. Percy and Erith were just in reach. Piper, Jason, Frank, and Nico were probably dying. And the Roman camp was attacking the only home Annabeth had ever known.

She keeled over and threw up on the rocks.

When her brain finally reconnected with her skull, she felt a hand on her arm and she turned, wiping her mouth with a shaking hand.

Leo furrowed his eyebrows. "You okay?"

She didn't trust herself to speak, so she gave him a half nod.

He obviously didn't believe her, but he was smart enough to know now wasn't the time, so he gestured at Hazel. "We should probably go stop her from attacking the rocks anymore. I'm starting to feel bad for them."

So Annabeth nodded, and together they stepped back over to Hazel.

She was silent now, staring at the rocks as if willing them to move with her mind. Finally she murmured, "Sorry," and raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"Hey, you know..." Leo shrugged. "I've attacked a few rocks in my day."

She swallowed with some difficulty. "Frank is... he's―"

"Listen," Leo said. "Frank Zhang has moves. He's probably gonna turn into a kangaroo and do some marsupial jujitsu on their ugly faces."

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed, her voice weak and ragged. "Piper is killer, and Jason has been trained as a Roman for years. and Nico... that kid knows what he's doing. They'll be fine, Hazel." She was half speaking for the benefit of herself, anyway. The idea that any of the four of them could be dying right now absolutely crushed her. 

She had felt responsible for Nico since he had run away from camp after learning his sister had died, and especially now that she had learned his secret. He was like her little brother, as close as any of her siblings in the Athena cabin back at camp. Helplessness had never worked well with Annabeth, and now it threatened to tear her apart from the inside.

Piper had been one of the best things to ever happen to Annabeth. They had quickly become good friends, and Annabeth would trust that girl with anything. And Jason... she hadn't trusted him at first, but he had quickly proven himself a good ally and valiant friend, and Frank was a sweetheart whose advice had saved her life. If they died...

She turned to the side and retched again.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Hazel said, struggling to her feet with Leo's help. "I shouldn't―I mean―I'm having a breakdown when your boyfriend and girlfriend are in Tartarus, for gods' sakes."

Annabeth gave her a wan smile. "Believe me, I'm worried too. But we can't do anything but move forward. We have to trust they can do it. If we stay at these rocks, we've failed Percy and Erith and the rest of them. Okay?" She tried to be gentle, but there was an insistent nagging in her voice that told her she wouldn't rest until Percy and Erith were back in her sights.