𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 - 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐔

Percy

I barely stepped inside the house before I heard Gabe growling at my mom. I sighed, and closed the door behind me.

"Hey!" I called, walking over to the island, dragging Gabe's attention away from my mom. "Leave her alone, yeah?"

He glared at me, stepping away from Mom, who seemed a little alarmed. I met her eyes as she shook her head at me from behind him, but I had enough.

"Look who's decided to grow a pair now", he started, getting closer to me than I was comfortable with. I could smell his stinking breath and scrunched my face up.

"You had no right to treat Annabeth that way", I insisted, clenching my fists. At 6'1, I was definitely taller than him, which seemed apparent now as he looked a little threatened.

"What do you know, boy? She's a pretty one", he grinned. My nails dug into my skin. "When I get my hands on her-"

A broken nose tends to shut up most people, and it didn't fail now.

My vision tunneled on Gabe stumbling backwards, crying out as he brought both hands to his nose. Blood dripped from beneath his hands, and I derived some savage pleasure from knowing I'd hurt him.

I looked at Mom, who'd covered her mouth with one hand. Her eyes betrayed her shock.

I gestured for her to leave. If she stayed, it would spell out danger for the both of us. I didn't want her to be here when there was a chance she could be hurt.

She shook her head, bringing her hand down. 'I'm not leaving you here', she mouthed, turning her eyes back to Gabe, who'd recovered and was now glaring at me.

He charged at me, but Mom intercepted him. "Gabriel, no, not now, not him-" she started, but didn't get a chance to continue speaking as one of his meaty hands wrapped around her throat. I froze.

"Shut up, woman", he growled out, never taking his eyes off me. Her eyes widened in shock, as both her hands came up to try and move his palm off her throat.

I began to see red.

Mom's eyes met mine, turning to look at me as best as she could. She tried to choke out something, but I couldn't make out what she was trying to say. One arm reached out at me.

She was telling me to leave.

Mom made some kind of a noise as his fingers wrapped tighter, and she went back to attempting to wrench his hands off.

I could hear my heartbeat in my chest. It felt like the entire world had shut off, and only the sound of my heart thumping remained.

A ringing began in my ear, and I felt like I'd forgotten how to breathe.

Move it, Jackson! I heard a voice somewhere in the back of my head. He's hurting her!

I wanted to move, but I felt like I was frozen. Should I leave, call for help, try to fight Gabe, what? What? What?

My breathing became choppy, as I found I couldn't focus on it well enough.

Mom was being held there.

Mom was turning blue.

Mom was starting to lose her energy.

Mom needed me.

I'd never felt so lost in my own mind, lost in my own consciousness. It felt like a hundred years ago I'd kissed Annabeth.

Annabeth.

Annabeth.

Annabeth.

He tried to make a move on her.