Inevitable | PJO

Annabeth

Nico's canon goes.

I have won.

I sink to my knees.

No. No. No.

I lie numb in the snow.

I have won.

I've won.

It doesn't feel like a victory.

An annoying Capitol voice courses though the speakers. A hovercraft lowers itself into view, and I place one hand on the ladder. It freezes me in place, so I don't bother to climb it. I just dangle off the end as it rises up. Out of here.

They take me to a white room. Doctors in full-body suits check me all over, putting stinging stuff on my scars, sticking warm gel-things to my sides, dabbing at my skin with cotton buds, and then giving me over to my old prep team. Seeing as I'm not too injured, they start on me immediately. My straggly hair and body are thoroughly washed, my legs get more pain-inducing wax on them, despite the facts that there's hardly any hair on them. They shape my nails, wash my face, and stick some more eyelashes on me. I let them. I have no fight left.

A few hours later, we land in the Capitol. They seal me into another white room, hook me up to machines and leave me with a Capitol man who claims to there to heal my mind. I let him and his smelly, swirled red-and-yellow hair ask me questions. I don't answer them, preferring to stay silent and bury my head in my pillow.

That's until he asks me, in his annoying, twittery voice, to tell him about Percy.

That's when I explode.

Why do they try so hard to heal me? They couldn't heal him. They couldn't heal Sherman or Reyna. They let them die. And now they want to help me!

He simply presses a button. White plastic belts lower over my ankles, waist and wrists. The man talks some more. I'm not listening now. I'm crying, I think I'm crying...

Finally, he leaves. I press my pain button, and sink down into deep black sleep.

_____

About a week later, they think I'm ready. My stylist dresses me up in a pretty, lace-and fur dress. Thankfully, it's yellowed lace. I don't think I could cope with any more white. It's still a bit unnervingly like the tribute outfit, but I leave it.

Artemis clasps my hands in hers and hugs me. I think she understands too. I will never escape from Percy's face, or snow-coloured dresses. She will have her own nightmares, and yet again, the Capitol have dressed her in a dark forest green. Another reminder of the arena she won in.

She holds my hand until I'm shoved under the lights and interviewed again. Phorcys asks simple questions about what I'm going to do at home - not really touching on the arena. He must have been warned that I'm mentally unhinged.

But the real problem is the three-hour video of my Games.

I watch the many, horrible deaths in the bloodbath. I watch as Jason and his pretty friend, Piper, set up a little home in a cave. I watch Leo and Calypso escape our grasp. I'm told all their names. Nico fights too - his sword cleaving through anyone stupid enough to cross him.

The mountain in the west is blown up. The Bears get Leo, Piper and Hazel. I watch Calypso die from her injuries. Frank falls to pieces. Reyna escapes.

But now, I see the true horror of the Games.

Reyna stabs herself.

Will Solace soldiers on, despite the blue-green colour of his legs.

Frank walks into the path of a Bear. On purpose.

Jason jitters and convulses on the floor as the cold rips through him.

Travis, the male tribute from 7, sets up his fire when he sees me and Percy approaching.

Percy himself falls to Nico's black sword.

Nico jumps into the sea.

They finish with my face, staring into the sky in shock.

In the end, they cut the cameras on my last interview.

I'm loaded onto the train.

Home.

_______

Six months later.

"Annabeth!" Thalia greets me. "Hey, Annie!"

"Thalia."

"Annie, please. You don't want the Capitol doctor to have to come back."

"I don't care."

"Yes, you do. I heard you yell at him last time."

"I was cross."

Thalia taps her fingers on the stone doorframe, evidently wanting to be let in.

"Let me in, and I might have some motivation for you."

I stomp back inside, attempting to slam the door.

Thalia drags me outside into the rain instead, pulling me along behind her until we're in the square.

"Annabeth, have you ever heard of the Rebellatis?" She whispers.

"No."

"Good." She sighs. "You shouldn't have."

Then: "Do you want to know who they are?"

"No."

Thalia nibbles her lip, nervous. She drags me up to the mountain, trying to most private place she can. I'm missing a coat, and I'm really not bothered about this Rebellatis. Finally, Thaila finds a large open space, the grass squelching under our feet, the rain turning to sleet and making a cacophony around us. It's the perfect place when you don't want to be caught on camera. 

"They - well we - are a rebellion group. We're trying to get information about the Capitol. We just see what we can do. The younger members are here in 2, training until we can move into the Capitol. Artemis is our leader here."

I stare blankly at her, my thoughts swirling up again.

"Annabeth, I can't actually promise anything, but, you could avenge Percy. All the others, too." She practically mouths it, her lips almost touching my ear.

And all of a sudden, I have purpose.

I smile for real, for the first time in over six months.

"Count me in."

Fin.