PJO Hunger Games au

The Tunnels

As soon as the gong sounded, Percy turned and sprinted down the street. The shoes he wore were good for running, each step felt spring loaded. He turned left, then right, then right he again. He wasn't sure where he was planning to go, but he had to get away from the Cornucopia. A few scraggly sidewalk trees offered him a bit of cover as he caught his breath.

Was Annabeth ok? Did she make it away from the blood bath? Percy shook his head. It wasn't time to think about Annabeth, he had himself to worry about. Voices in the distance renewed his fear and he took off running towards the nearest intersection. Percy rounded the corner, eyeing the stairs leading underground, and ran smack into something solid.

Pain shot through his shoulder and he groaned as he propped himself up on an elbow. Laying in the street across from him, also on the ground, was Grover Underwood. They stared at each other for second, trying to guess one another's intentions.

"Hey Percy," Grover said, breaking the silence.

"Hey Grover." Percy slowly stood up. "Look I'm not going hurt you man, I just need to get to those stairs. I think they lead underground."

Grover stood too. "Really," he said, "me too."

Percy paused. "Does this mean we're-"

"allies?" Grover interrupted, "please say we are."

Percy grinned, "I was hoping you would say that."

"Awesome," Grover said, "now let's get out of here."

As the boys walked down the stairs, the air got cooler. Percy ran his hand along the railing and found drops of moisture. He pulled his hand back with a shudder. At the bottom of the steps, the stairway opened into a large room with tunnels leading different directions. Dim yellow lights hung from the high ceiling and seemed to continue down each tunnel at similar intervals.

"Whoa," said Grover, his voice echoing.

"Got a good feeling about any of these tunnels?" Percy asked.

Grover snorted. "Nope. Do you?"

Percy turned in a circle, all the tunnels seemed to be identical. He pointed to the one straight in front of them.

"That one seems to be the cleanest."

"Works for me," said Grover as he shouldered his pack. Their footsteps echoed on the concrete.

"Hey where'd you get that pack?" asked Percy. He didn't remember seeing Grover with it before, but then it had been a busy day.

"The Cornucopia, obviously. I ran in a little ways to get it. A risk, but I was hoping it would have food in it. I don't like like being hungry."

Percy snorted. "I bet you don't. Did it?"

"Did it what?"

"Did it have food in it?"

"Oh yeah, it did. Some dried fruit and meat. When we stop for the night we can eat some."

Percy nodded. "Wait, how will we know when it's night?" Grove stared down the long tunnel.

"Did not think of that one." It was quiet for a moment. "Maybe-"

"Shush!" whispered Percy, "I think I hear footsteps."

Grover fell silent. There was nothing, Percy could only hear their breathing. Then off in the distance, very faint voices that ebbed and flowed with the tunnel breeze

. "It's coming from that direction," Percy said pointing down the tunnel, "let's go!"

"Towards the voices??" Grover said, "you want to go towards the voices?"

"Yeah! Maybe they can help us."

"Or maybe they'll kill us, Percy, this is the Hunger Games."

Percy sighed. "They might have food. Whatever is in your pack it's not going to be enough. We need food and water and these people might have it." He stared down the tunnel. "Look, I can't ask you to come with me, but I think this the best thing we can do."

Grover rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if we both die, let the cameras show that this was your idea."

Percy grinned. "That's the spirit."

As they walked down the tunnel at a faster pace, Percy wondered idly if one of the voices was Annabeth's. He hoped she was ok.

"Let's slow down now," whispered Grover, "we're getting close to the next intersection."

Percy nodded. It was silent for a moment, then a piercing female scream echoed through the chamber. Without thinking Percy took off sprinting towards the scream, feet pounding, Grover cursing behind him.

"Percy stop!" he hissed but Percy was too far gone.

Please don't be Annabeth, please don't be Annabeth he thought as he rounded the corner. Now in a big room, he skidded to a halt. It was not Annabeth. In front him, with wide eyes, was Bianca DiAngelo.

Her hand was wrapped around a bloody knife, the body of a tribute lay between them, and behind her crouched Nico.

"Don't come any closer!" Bianca said, her eyes were wide and knife hand shook. She's terrified, Percy realized.

"Ok," he said, "ok I won't. Can you put the knife down and we can talk?"

"No. Absolutely not." Bianca gripped her brother's hand. "You need to leave before I kill you too." Nico poked his head out from around Bianca.

"I think it's ok," Nico said, "I think he's our friend."

"What?" Bianca turned to him.

"Percy helped me train. I don't think he wants to hurt us." Percy didn't expect Nico to be his ally, but he couldn't help feeling protective over the kid. "He's right," Percy said, "I'm not here to hurt you guys. In fact, I was hoping you could help us."

"Help you how?" said Bianca.

"Well to start we need food and water, but we also need fighters. I think you two would be great allies, if you were ok with it." Bianca stared at Percy for a moment, assessing.

"Ok. Ok. For Nico. I don't trust either of you but I need help keeping Nico safe."

"Great!" chimed in Grover, "What kind of food do you have?"

"Let's stop here for the night," Percy said. They were in a little room off to the side of the tunnel, small enough to be relatively hidden but large enough to fit all four of them. They decided to sleep in shifts, so Percy volunteered to go first.

Nico passed out immediately, head on Bianca's lap. Grover followed curled up in the corner. The Capitol anthem began play, muted but recognizable even down in the tunnels. Percy had no way of knowing who died, but he desperately hoped Annabeth hadn't. She was too smart for that. But maybe not. Michael Kahale's picture would be there. Percy remembered Kahale teaching him how to throw a trident. Now he was dead.

"How'd you kill him?" he asked Bianca, who had leaned her head against the wall listening.

"Kill who?"

"Michael Kahale. That was the name of the guy you killed. He was huge. How'd you do it?" Bianca adjusted Nico's head.

"Lucky stab I guess. We caught each other by surprise, he came at Nico with a knife and I stabbed him." She stared at the ceiling. "You're not going to kill me in my sleep, are you?" she asked.

Percy snorted. "As long as you don't snore." A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Try to get some sleep, Bianca, I'll wake you for the next watch." She nodded and rested her head back. It was silent for a moment.

"Thank you, Percy," she said softly.