The 12 punishments.....

The Twins

Annabeth

Waking up again.
No gasping at the surrounding darkness.
No moans of the pains of torture.
No frantic search for Percy.
I figured out that this would now be a routine, and apparently end when all the Gods have had their share. At least the twelve.
I couldn't say who was behind it, just that the Gods weren't doing if on their own. Someone was toying with them. With our lives.
Our peaceful lives.
Percy stirred beside me. "Hey Wise Girl!". Still the cheeky tone. His leg was completely soaked in blood, and since my hands were once again strapped to the chair as they used to be, I could get a better look at my wrists too.
The blood was soaked, but both my were broken and in a swollen red plump mess. They defined the word mangled. Percy was trying hard to zone in on my hands, but from the look on his face, he still seemed lost. Almost in a concussion.
"Your hands makes me want to throw up, Wise Girl."
"And your thigh makes me want to die, just to get rid of the pain."
Percy gave a slight chuckle and sat up straight, wincing. His eyes were dull green, focused at infinty, almost in deep thought.
"What are you going over, Seaweed Brain? It almost seems as if you are thinking.", I said, trying to lighten the mood.
His eyes shone for a second, before they returned dull. "Ohk Wise Girl! No need to be surprised. I have a brain too, even if it's filled with seaweed!"
I laughed. He always knew what to say. It helped relieve a bit of my fear, anger and stress.
"Who do you think is next?"
"I don't know. There are only 4 remaining now, if it is only going to be the 12."
"Not the most lethal ones, but one can't say."
After a long silence, Percy said,"I wanted to tell you something Wise Girl."
"And that would be....?", I said, giving him a questioning look.
His eyes held worry. But before be could reply, the show started.
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Percy

I so much as wanted to tell Annabeth about Gaia. But I also didn't want to stress her further. She seemed to have given up making plans for escape, obviously weary from this torture. I didn't want her to suffer any further. I was supposed to save her from everything, to keep her safe. But here I was, and she was sharing this with me, which as much as gave me strength, also broke me from within. Her battered wrists turned my insides out. They were completely mangled, twisted at a really odd and painful angle. Neither was my thigh in a very great position. Haephastus had surely outdone himself. Or rather, Gaia. I just wished that whatever was next didn't involve any fight.

I wished bad.

It turned out to be worse than a fight.

Like always, the room filled with light. And this time, I was greeted with not one, but two Gods.
Two terrific Gods.
Apollo radiated the glow of the Sun, while Artemis was bathed in white of the moon. Both were identical, and held wrath in their eyes. And the thing that took my breath away and I swear I heard Annabeth suck hers in was right there in Artemis' arms.

That bundle of clothes.

I glanced towards Annabeth, and her face had turned white. Her fingers curled into fists and she was glaring straight at Artemis, a deadly glare that sent shivers up my spine. Artemis was wearing a long flowing white gown with a wreath of golden flowers. Apollo was also clad in the traditional Greek costume, indicating a "no fight" torture.
"Annabeth! You were one of the finest maidens I ever knew. I always wanted you to remain one. To become one of us. But still you had to side with the Sea scum and have this!", Artemis screamed, carrying the baby high up, bathing it in moonlight from a ceiling window I never knew existed.
"First thing Artemis! Yes that child is mine. But it was all Hera's doing, not mine or Percy's. And second. You are giving him right to me now!", Annabeth said stubbornly.
If anyone didn't know her, they would be gawking at her courage of speaking up to a goddess, much less Artemis. But I could clearly hear the fear in her voice. She didn't falter, but her eyes were glassy. She was on the verge of crying.
"But of course, Annabeth dear! You do know as well as I this child is Percy's. You wouldn't have it be someone else, right?",Apollo piped in.
He shot me a look and suddenly, my stomach started turning inside out. Literally. My insides were twisting over each other, and horrible pain shot up. It was worse than the Gorgon blood. Worse than the Phlegethon. Worse than Tartarus itself.
I couldn't think. I couldn't feel. It was death once more. I looked over at Annabeth, who was screaming my name, with all that she had in, glancing between me and our child.
Yes! I have finally come to accept it. It is our child. And I would try with all my might to save it. Keep it out of trouble.
I mustered all my strength and screamed at the Gods,
"Cowards! All of you. Torturing us when we are helpless. If you keep the courage of facing our wrath, let us out and we will fight you with the same strength we had when we saved you!

This seemed to anger them further and Apollo stomped towards me, a deadly arrow in his hand, raised above his head. Fear coursed through me as he plunged it into my shoulder.

"Nooooo!", I heard Annabeth scream, distant somewhere.
The good thing: the straps came off.
The horrible thing: the pain deepened.
Annabeth bolted off from her chair and ran towards me, standing me up. I wanted to smother her in hugs and kisses. But not the right time, I very wearily reminded myself. We both stood apart, glaring at the twins. Artemis still held the child, which was silent. And then something behind them moved. And entered many pairs of legs.
Dogs. More precisely, hunting dogs.
Annabeth ran to Artemis, most probably to keep our child safe from the predators. Of course, Artemis slapped her out of the way. Annabeth fell in a mess, already tired, and literally begged to Artemis, "Please! Please give him to me, please. I beg you. Don't hurt him. Please!". I ran over to comfort her. She was sobbing hard, grieving. We both stood up and faced them yet again. Then Artemis did the unthinkable.
She turned around and set the baby amongst the dogs.
Annabeth screamed like she was being burned alive, and ran over, shoving Artemis aside, only to have a nasty cut on her calf by a dog. Before I could restrain her, the dogs carried the baby away into the darkness, his wailing lost in the distance.
Annabeth sat on the floor yet again, helpless. She was on the verge of being broken, going mad.
"That is enough for now I think, seeing that you two aren't interested in each other but the baby!"
And with that, the room filled with light yet again, as Annabeth and I sat there in horror, on the brink of insanity.
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