At Mercy to the Sea ［Rewriting］

[UNEDITED] XXVIII- The odds are not in our favor

Annabeth POV

I look around the room I was in seeing it furnished, it seemed more like a home than a rebellion base. The owner of the home was a doctor that assured us that he can help. He made it extremely clear that he has the right to betray us at any moment.

Such a strange group we were when we showed up at his home. We all came in with a rush half carrying half dragging an unconscious person behind us. You could have sworn that we were the murderers.

Percy's body now laid on his back on the couch of the doctor. The doctored leaned above his body examining him.

My hands shook uncontrollably as I watched Percy's shaky chest rise and deflate. I half expected him to stop moving at all. His face was a dangerously pale shade and his lips were pressed together into a thin smile. Every time he took a breath there was a sigh of relief in my chest. I must have really cared about him.

Then there is Luke, the member that joined us with loads of hesitation and no doubt once I appeared in the picture. He seems to be always walking us, waiting for something. Strangely his main focus seems to always be on me. In the edge of my peripheral vision, I can feel Luke's eyes bare into my soul. It seemed like he was watching me, waiting to see when I would do next.

Even though I barely know him now, I feel like I had a deep connection with him before. Before I woke up in a pile of dead bodies before whenever I walked somewhere new everyone looked at me like they saw a ghost. Something happened to me and I don't know what.

The third member of our sad little group is really someone that joined last minute. He didn't question us when we showed up in his little shack. He just knew that we were a group of travelers in need when one of us literally collapsed at his doorstep.

With him, in our sorry group, it put my heart at rest. He is the only person that I'm absolutely certain won't stab me in my sleep. When I look up at him it makes me want to smile because he is living proof that there are good people in this room.

Then again I shouldn't trust him that easily because he is two times my height and weight. Though I shouldn't assume his weight because that's just plain rude. He also always carries a giant broom with him everywhere. The way he holds it in his hands with confidence is the same one would hold a sword.

Last but definitely the most skillful out of all of us is the doctor, that I recently found out is named Damesen. Though he hasn't officially joined our group I like to think that he did. It makes me feel a lot less worried about our odds of survival if someone here has medical training.

I hear a groan forming from the couch, I snapped my head around turning to see if something bad was happening.

Percy had a big goofy smile on his face as if something amazing happened. His voice was in a faint whisper but I could hear it very clear.

"I'm hungry, I want some blue cookies." His voice was Winny like a kid that didn't get their dessert.

Hmmm. Already think about food, huh. I think that he is going to be perfectly fine.

~~~

Damesen's hands were rough, it seemed like his family was a farmworker before he became a doctor. They had many creases in them, it was obvious that he frequently held to something. He handed me a worn map from his cupboards, he pressed it into my hands telling me to keep it.

"This is one of the only maps of this certain underground headquarters. I drew it from memory in my free time." He gives me a hesitant smile as if he wasn't sure if this was the right time.

"I am entrusting this copy to you because I believe that your group will need it for your travels. Also, I don't trust that blonde kid because he looks too suspicious and the other one needs rest. I'm pretty sure that Robert doesn't know how to read."

I give him a soft chuckle and tuck the map into the waistband of my skirt.

"You would be an amazing asset to our team, we need someone like you."

He laughs at my comment, "You think I want to join a team of a janitor, a shady male figure, a supposedly spoiled prince, and the glue of the team a blonde girl who doesn't seem to remember what she's doing."

"When you put it that way we don't sound that impressive."

"You were not that impressive in the first place. Plus didn't Robert mention that I couldn't leave this place. I know all the routes and paths of this base but whenever I head out this is the only destination I can see."

I tied the new cloak that Damesen gave me around my neck, "If you change your mind you know where we are heading. Remember my face and think of me as your destination, and you should be able to get there."

"I'll keep that in mind if I do change my mind. Not that I will."

I give him one last smile before I turn around to the group that I'll be traveling with.

Luke was standing by himself in the corner, his arms were crossed and he had a stern look on his face. When I looked into his eyes there were filled with determination. When I looked closer I can swear that there was a glimmer of gold flash inside his eyes.

Bob has formed a bond with a little stray cat that had wandered into Damesen's home. He had the cat cuddled into his arms, stroking the fur along their back. He made a little collar for the cat, he wrote on the ribbon in his squiggly handwriting. I barely could make out the words, Small Bob.

Percy sat against the wall, his legs were still weak from the collapse. When we asked him about it he just denied it and said he was fine. Though we all knew he wasn't. I guess if you believe that your fine hard and long enough it becomes true. Almost.

When I pushed open the door to Damesen's home I knew that we were going to make it out. I know that because no matter how sorry of a group we are, we won't give up.