The Fall of Jackson || EDITING

Prologue 0.1 ✅

...three days later...

CAMP HALF-BLOOD was bustling as its inhabitants began to wake. Overhead, the magical borders of Thalias tree kept the rain that poured down from the sky wetting the hidden lands, and instead casted a golden glow across the clearing.

Unbeknowst to the campers, a man determined to get his revenge stood atop their hill, his hands pushing against the invisible force of the barrier guarding the camp.

The sun had begun to rise by the time the man gave up. For three days he'd observed the camp from above; looked for any chinks in the border that he already knew did not exist.

It was at noon on the fourth day when the man finally had success in the form of a mysterious lady draped in black.

"You seem to be having trouble?" The lady laughed. Her dress floated just above the dirt and a dark shawl covered the upper half of her face.

"It won't let me in." He confessed and made a show of kicking the border, only for his foot to rebound harmlessly off of it.

"Use your head, boy." The woman hissed. "Why isn't it letting you in?"

Of course, he'd already figured out why he kept being denied access. The thought had made its way into his mind long before he'd even neared Long Island.

"The real monsters are inside." He told the woman and pushed his hand hard against the border.

"Are you going to introduce yourself?" The woman said, but was answered by silence. She huffed, "I am Chaos."

"Yeah, and judging by the fact your name's Chaos, you should already know my name."

"Awfully arrogant," Chaos laughed. "But, yes. I've heard your name many times; mostly a final curse muttered by your enemies.

"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, two time hero of Olympus, survivor of Tartarus, one of the prophesied Seven, disowned by his father, family and friends, banished to the depths of Hades, doomed to a life of-"

"I get it." The man groaned, hands falling helplessly to his sides. "You don't have to remind me." He grumbled and ran a hand through the long, tangled mess of hair on his head.

"Ah, I'm sure you remind yourself in the dark corners of your mind every now and again."

"Bingo," Percy watches the material that floats around Chaos as the pair fall into a deep silence.

"What have you left in this world, Perseus?"

Percy shrugs, "Some revenge, a bit if death, but other than that: nothing."

"Come with me." Even though Percy can't see, he practically hears the mocking grin hidden in the shadows of Chaos' face. "Find something worth fighting for. Become my champion."

Something to fight for, Percy scoffs. He hasn't had something like that in years. There was once a time where he fought for others, but that had blown up in his face, so he'd resorted to fighting for himself, but that hadn't worked well either. He didn't need anything to fight for, he knew that, just something to do for the rest of his existence. "I'm in." He agreed.

"But first," Chaos said, "you mustn't look homeless."

Slowly, Chaos extended her hands. Two low hanging sleeves fell from her arms as she floated towards him. A dull black smoke emitted from her palms and Percy could only guess what she wanted him to do with it.

So he reached out and grasped her hands in his.

It felt like lightning racing through his every muscle bone and vein. The pain brought him to his knees. He felt as if his skin was being burnt away. A blinding light filled his eyes as his screams rolled down into the clearing below them.

•~°~•

IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL and uncontrollable, the urge that ran through her body and the thoughts that raced into her mind.

The small group of people sitting with her looked confused as she shakingly forced herself to her feet. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

The screams stopped briefly, but then there they were again, this time resonating with ten times the intensity. A lump formed in her throat and it felt as through her heart had fallen into her stomach.

"Annabeth?" The small Latino hanging from the tree asked. "Hey, what's up?"

"You can't hear them?" She wasn't even sure why she felt this way. It had been decades since their last encounter.

Leo dropped from the tree and Piper reached out a tentative hand for her friend, "Hear what?"

Annabeths head snapped in the direction of the cries as they rang out again. "Percy."

Her body moved on its own and she found herself pushing and shoving through the crowds of demigods walking. Her mind wasn't her own as it settled into tagtical mode. Her dagger was now gripped in her hands as she barreled through the trees and into the forest.

The screams became louder the farther in she ran, her ears distantly heard her name being shouted in the opposite direction, and it was almost enough to break her out of her frenzied trace.

Almost.

She stumbled into a clearing just outside the protection of the camp's borders. A man was leaning against a tree for support as a woman, covered in black, turned to look at Annabeth.

"Where is he?" She half whispered, half demanded. Annabeth saw the man freeze and his body go still.

The woman turned to fully face her. The man had turned his head straight down, and Annabeth couldn't help but study his features.

He was wearing everyday clothes. Black jeans and a shirt of the same color. His hair was shorter on the sides and longer on top. Her eyes lingered too long on the muscles that adorned his body.

"He is not here, demigod." The woman said and Annabeth snapped her attention back to her. Hovering slightly above the ground.

"No, I- I heard him!" Annabeth heard her name being called as her friends broke into the clearing. The man's fists clenched.

"Simply a trick of the woods." The woman said not-so-convincingly. "A sure way for monsters to lure stupid children of the gods into the woods. Much easier to kill then."

Annabeth shot out at the woman before any could stop her, her dagger drove down towards the woman - who didn't even look aftaid for her life.

A hand closed tightly around Annabeth's forearm and she hissed at the grip. Then man had moved faster than she could comprehend. He was now looming infront of her, and Annabeth finally got to see his face. The breath was knocked out of her. He threw her aside and she crashed into the dirt.

The other demigods surged forward, but a swirl of blackness blew into the clearing and into the mysterious man and woman. When it disappeared, they had vanished.

Jason tried pulling Annabeth back up to her feet, but it was useless. The face she'd just seen haunted her at night, but they had lessened when she learned he'd died. But he hadn't, she knew now, and eventually the nightmares would start again.

"You can't do this! Annabeth, don't let them do this!"

It had been Percy. She was sure of it. Physically he'd completely transformed, but Annabeth would recognise those eyes anywhere - even if one now had a scar across it.

"Annabeth, what's wrong? Should we get Will?" One of Annabeth's friends asked.

Percy Jackson was alive and that should have made Annabeth happy with glee.

Instead, she shook with fear that soon he would return and kill everyone she cared about.

edited: October 3rd
(lol)