Fatal Flaw (a Percy Jackson AU)

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Annabeth
I screamed as I saw his face; It was guy who I killed. "You killed me," he spoke in a rasping voice. "You can't escape your punishment. You can't escape your guilt. You're no better than Hitler or Bashar-al Assad. You're just a common, filthy criminal. You've stole to stay alive. You even killed me."
"It was a mistake!" I cried. "It was all a mistake."
"It was no mistake, Wisdom's daughter," he sneered. "You embraced the savage nature that you posed. You let the evil in you win. You chose instinct over wisdom. You broke the law and you thought you got away when the charges were dropped, but you will never be truly free from the horrible deed you have committed. You are a filthy, savage beast with no more brains that a lowly dung-beetle. Your only purpose is to create misery. You, Annabeth, are the world's worst enemy."
"You're dead," I realized. "You're dead! You can't do anything to me. You don't even exist; you're not real."
He laughed loudly. "I am very much real," he said in a tone dripping with malice," and I will make you suffer. You are destined to live and watch everyone you love die. You are destined to spend your lives starving on the streets. You're destined to die alone and hated. You cannot escape your destiny, Annabeth, any more than you can get a 36 on the ACT."
I woke up, in bed, screaming. My throat was hoarse and my screams echoed through the halls. The blinding lights flickered on and I squinted my eyes as I adjusted to the glaring brightness of the room. I saw Juniper, one of the nurses, skirt into the room and stand beside my bed. "What's wrong?" Juniper asked.
"I had a nightmare," I admitted.
Juniper gave me a small smile. "Sometimes, our worst enemy is our imagination, Annabeth," she said. "You are very smart and your imagination is one of the best here. Don't let a nightmare control you. It won't come true; it's just your subconscious at work."
I nodded, although I felt unsure. "It's time to get up," Juniper said briskly. "Dr. Chiron has some important news today."

Thalia
Dr. Chiron got up while we were in the middle of eating. He stood in the center of the left wing of the amphitheater. "Children," he began.
"We're teenagers!" Connor protested.
"Teenagers," Dr. Chiron continued. "Today, I have good news. Our hospital had reviewed a large grant from multiple donors for a new project. Our hospital is building a year-round school that will be open in three months. We have already begun construction. The tuition is free for anyone here as long as you keep your grades up to at least a C. The purpose of this school is to adjust you back to non-hospital life without thrusting you back to your old lives to fast. We also noted that a few of you are homeless or in unfavorable conditions. The Child Service Department will appoint you a guardian who will okay the scholarships for you and allow you to live at our school."
"Is this some joke?" Percy said.
"No, Perseus Jackson," Dr. Chiron said with a smile. "I am not lying or joking to you. The school with be an experiment funded in part by the federal government. If it is successful beyond a year, then we will not only continue to receive federal funding, but other schools like it might open up around the country."
"Will there be a library?" Annabeth asked.
Dr. Chiron nodded. "Who will watch us?" Silena asked.
"I will still be here, but I will also be your principal," Dr. Chiron said. "Dionysus, the vice principal, will be in charge most of the time while I am gone. Grover and Juniper agreed to hold staff positions at the school and we are hiring some remarkable people. There will be clubs, dorms, sports, a cafeteria with good food, and exciting classes. I hope you will enjoy it. If you do not wish to attend, then you can opt out of it by telling your appointed guardian, thank you!"
He sat down to a standing ovation. Excitement fizzed through my veins. I was so afraid that one day we'd all be kicked out and I'd be forced into the streets again, but my fears were not to be realized. I was safe and, for once, I had a future to look forward to.