Lifeline ~ percabeth

one

Annabeth was six and sat in school with a protractor pressed to her wrist. She was halfway, her Mark was the perfect semicircle, stopping a perfect 180 degrees from where it began.

But then she was seven and she didn't care anymore, because the monsters had found her and she had to go, she had to run. With nothing but a hammer, she'd gone as far as she could. Her pyjamas were torn, her blonde hair was dirty and tangled and her heart was beating much too fast, but she'd managed for a few days.

Thalia and Luke welcomed her with open arms, ready to protect this little girl with the startling grey eyes and more determination than they'd been able to muster between them.

Grover had found them before long, trying to lead them to a safe haven for people like them. Annabeth would recall one night before the end, she'd sat with Thalia and asked about her Mark.

Thalia she admitted she was disappointed that Luke wasn't her soulmate, for his was still on a hollowed circle, waiting to meet the person for him and she was already close to her final deadline. Annabeth had quietly asked how long she had and Thalia had answered softly.

"About a year? Less?"

Annabeth had then nuzzled into Thalia's open arms and closed her eyes to sleep. "I bet they'll be everything you want them to be."

Neither of them mentioned the fact that if they carried on like this, running from everyone, there was no way Thalia would meet anyone she could potentially love.

Barely a week later, they'd been racing up the hill. Thalia had stumbled and Annabeth screamed, dragging her to her feet again. And then Thalia held of the monster as Annabeth kicked and cried from where she was hauled upon Luke's shoulder as she was carried over the boundary to camp.

She lost her voice from screaming that night, probably waking the whole camp. But then everyone was there to witness the glow from the sky as Zeus transformed his daughter into a tree to protect camp.

Annabeth refused to leave the tree that night, falling asleep at it's trunk.

It stung when Annabeth thought about it. Not just that her friend died, but that she wasn't even out of time. She'd only had a year but then she'd not even had that. Annabeth glanced at her remaining 5 years on her wrist, a reminder etched into her skin that if nothing else killed her in the next however many days, the Mark would eventually.

At twelve, her first Mark was almost out, only a small dot of ink remained. Her heart was in her throat, or maybe it was bile. She wasn't sure. She felt sick.

If being the daughter of Athena with a dozen targets on her back merely for her heritage wasn't enough, another death sentence was the last thing she needed. She would die from her next Mark, she was sure. A war was to come and she would fight, not sit around waiting for her soulmate.

A small spike of guilt hit her gut at the realisation that her refusal to love this person would kill them too, but she wasn't stupid. The prophecy foretold enough information to suggest there would be a war. A war she'd win if her Mark didn't get there first.

<~>

Percy was eight before he'd considered the consequence of his Mark. His mother had explained that eventually, within the next four years, she had to rediscover her soulmate, who she'd supposedly met at a concert when she was fourteen. The feat would be nigh-on impossible. There were thousands of people there that day that were new to her. She'd have to find hers and learn to love them before her Mark would kill her.

Percy has asked what would happen if she couldn't find that person, but he was only met with his mother's sad eyes.

He knew from then that this wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to meet someone that he had to fall in love with. He wouldn't. How could anyone.

He swallowed the mucus that was rising up his throat on the day of the school trip. His Mark was gone. It was today. All morning, he was wary of who he spoke to, who was new to him. Everyone he met today. By lunch, the only new person had been the museum tour guide, a 70 year old man with a cane and a pair of spectacles that hung around his neck so he wouldn't lose them. Percy gagged.

As much as he hated the concept of The Mark, he hoped that at some point today, he'd meet a supermodel. The Mark was a death sentence, he knew. But maybe a supermodel wife that had to love him wouldn't be such a bad thing?

Then the shit hit the fan and his bat-lady-math teacher-substitute was attempting to claw his face off as she hissed about a bolt and Percy couldn't help but think that he hadn't been dreading today anyway near enough. He was going to die. This was it. Maybe the old tour guide was his soulmate after all.

Then he was home with his Mom and Gabe Ugliano was drinking and playing poker and there was nothing new about this scenario. Except he hadn't met Patrick before, Gabe's new poker buddy. Maybe Patrick was his soulmate.

And suddenly nothing mattered. Because his mom was gone and the minotaur was after him. He had no sword and Grover was out of his line of sight. And Percy was alone with a monster.

Somewhere in the back of his brain, he knew he was being surveyed by Mr Brunner and a pretty blonde girl with quite possibly the most terrifying eyes he'd ever seen. But his mom was gone. He didn't care that his stomach had some reaction to this girl that was hovering above him. It didn't matter. Nothing did. His mom was gone, despite the fact that she'd been promised a few years to meet her soulmate. She was gone. What hope did Percy have?