Helpless

Chap 10

Hehe, guess what, demigods? I'm back. I got random motivation to complete this chapter and I am currently working on the next one.
I apologize for my haitus but I had fallen out of the PJO main base for a while; being preoccupied with Good Omens, Doctor Who and Buzzfeed Unsolved. And I still am preoccupied; I'm just... good at multitasking.
So I hope this does you justice while I work on the next chapter. :)
~*~

"Who could possibly be their Lord?" Annabeth asked, clearly going into 'child of Athena' mode.

Perseus glanced down at the table, her expression bringing up memories, usually of when they were about to fight some sort of monster. He shrugged and traced some indents on the Ping Pong table, created by angered demigods throughout the years.

"Well," said Will Solace, a certain blond haired son of Apollo, "it can't be Kronos, or any of the other Titans, right? I mean... they were just killed . . ." The other Cabin Counsellors nodded in agreement.

"I think we have to wait for new information, all we know is that there is a monster base new here and a lord who runs it. But we have no idea of who it could possibly be," she stated once more.

"Yeah," Clarisse snickered, "we could do that. Or we could run in, bust some heads and ask for information." A few agreed to that idea too.

"Clarisse, that's a terrible idea," Perseus spoke up. All heads turned towards him. "The one, I assume is the General, could, with no doubt, beat all of us single-handedly. Possibly even with our powers. And.. the other one.. He could see me. Only extremely powerful beings can do that—like Kronos or Gaea. So the question isn't so much as what they want but how they're going to get it."

The Councillors from around the table stared at him with thoughtful expressions, admiration and horror (from mentioning previous wars, of course) lacing some of them.

Annabeth spluttered, "You're lying." That one sentence shot sharp pains, like knives, through Percy's chest. "There probably isn't even an army! You're just trying to scare us and get your power back!"

"Annabeth." Perseus' face was blank, but his eyes showed nothing but fury. The curly-blonde haired teenager's eyes widened slightly at the cold tone he used. "You know I've never cared  about Power—in fact, I'd rather not have had it at all, but, well," he drawled, "you can't exactly argue with Fate, am I right?"

"It's all a façade, I bet! A set up to make people think you don't like it but you do! You crave it! Don't you?" Annabeth smirked, going on offence.

Perseus slammed his hands on the table, his seagreen eyes raged oceans; in fact, somewhere off the coast of Florida, a tropical hurricane stormed on—the worst they've seen in forty years.

When the raven-haired boy spoke, it was venom and ice, no trace of the twelve-year old boy he once was. "Annabeth Chase. Never would I have thought that, you, of all people, would accuse me of such atrocities. I don't know what exactly happened to you over the past year but I don't like it. At first, yes, we were drifting away. But that's no excuse for speaking behind me behind my back, for pushing me around, for calling me names and accusing me of things I would NEVER do? Why? What's the purpose?"

"Tartarus."

It was only one word, one name, but it sent shivers down Percy's spine. His face whitened, his hands grew clammy and his breath quickened. "What?"

The other Camp Councillors watched warily—after all, this was the power couple of the millennia.

"You heard me," Annabeth glared and licked her lips, "I did it because of what happened in Tartarus."

"Annie.."

"Don't call me that, Perseus," she stuck a finger in his face. The ex-couple were standing, leaning across the Ping-Pong table to get in each other's face. Why nobody was stopping them was beyond them.

"Then what should I call you? Wise Girl?" The entire room seemed to hold their breath as they all turned to watch Annabeth.

"Don't," her voice was gruff and she clenched her fists, "you dare."

"Or what? You'll tell them about what happened.. there? Go ahead! Tell them! Tell them what I did and what I could've done if you weren't there! Wouldn't doubt you'd make it worse than what actually happened! After all, that's all you want, isn't it? For people to listen to you? For people to look up to you and follow you? Well, Wise Girl, they already did but by speaking about others' behind their backs, especially your own boyfriend's, you've ruined your 'perfect little image'. So go ahead, tell them. I'm giving you permission, tell them. Tell everybody. Tell your friends, tell mine, tell your family, tell mortals, tell the gods. I don't care anymore."

By the end of the rant, Perseus was almost yelling. His voice was near desperation, whilst his face stayed blank. He licked his lips and let a breath escape his lips.

After his next words, he left the room, left the camp, left the island;

"Goodbye, Wise Girl."

~*~*~

Annabeth stared after him with raised eyebrows. The other Camp Councillors stayed quiet, shocked into silence—they've never seen the Percy Jackson get so worked up by anything, especially not by his own girlfriend.

Well, ex-girlfriend.

Clarisse was the first to snap, "what was that?"

"I also have some questions," Will rose his hand with a slight frown.

Lou Ellen, from the Hecate cabin, shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, "What did you mean about Tartarus?"

Another girl, Katie Gardner from Demeter, asked frantically, "What was he talking about? You talked behind whose backs?!"

"SILENCE!"

A single word rang out, quieting everybody not from the order but from who it came from.

"I'll answer all questions," Annabeth sat at the edge of her chair. "Now, one at a time. Lou, you first."

"What.. What did you guys mean when you talked about Tartarus?" She grew nervous.

Annabeth brushed some curly hair out of her face and smiled icily, "Well.." she drawled.

And so it began.

~*~*~

Perseus had ran; not away but towards. To calm himself down; the raven-haired boy decided to stake out at the hill.

He took refuge between the branches of leaves of a thick tree, close enough to see but far enough away to be out of earshot. The teen shifted, situating himself to a more comfortable position.

Perseus let out a shaky breath, allowing his eyes to sting and blur. Leaning his head against part of the tree, infamous seagreen eyes, feared by all who knew their wrath, were cut off from the world. Both mortal and mythological.

"Hello~!"