Swapped by Hera

Annabeth

With a shuddering gasp, Annabeth's eyes flew open and she jerked upwards from her sleep. Her heart was racing wildly as she tried to calm her breathing. Ever since the war, the nightmares had been terrible...she looked around her cabin to reassure herself that all was well.

Instead, she saw tress. Lots of trees. Somehow, she found herself sitting in the middle of a forest. Annabeth's pulse soared in confusion and panic. All around her were tall, oak trees, their dark foliage spreading across the bright sky. The air was cool and smelled of dirt and wood, and even an odd animal smell.

A loud growl resounded from behind her and she jerked around. Eyes wide, she came face to face with a large, grey wolf. It was a massive thing, almost as tall as her standing. Her hands went immediately to her side to rest on a bronze dagger on her waist. 

A dagger? Why in Hades did she have a dagger? Where was she? And why did Annabeth just say 'Hades'?

All of the sudden, Annabeth realized that not only did she not know where she was, but she didn't know who she was. She knew she'd recalled something vague when she'd first woken a few moments ago, but the tendrils of memory were receding.

"Who are you, young demigod?" A low, female voice asked in Annabeth's head.

She started backwards, eyes wide. A voice in her head? Was she crazy?

The wolf stared at her and tilted its head. She could have sworn there was curiosity in its eyes. How could an animal look so intelligent?

"I see...you do not know who you are. You do not even know what you are, do you?"

Annabeth realized the voice in her head was, in fact, coming from the wolf. "How--who--?"

"I am Lupa, child. As for how you are here, and who you are, I can't be sure. But I do know this: you are a demigod--that I can smell. And whatever reason you have come to me without yoour memory, I can smell the interference of Juno all over you."

"Juno?" Annabeth demanded. "Who is Juno?"

The wolf jerked her head and turned around, flicking her tail. "Come, let me tell you who you are."

That conversation had been earlier that morning. Now, as Annabeth sprinted across a highway towards a large green field, two gorgons shrieking after her, she knew who she was. Well, not entirely, but a lot of information had been explained. She knew she was a demigod, a child of one of the gods. She was probably sixteen, or maybe even seventeen. Annabeth knew she came from somewhere--somehow she could just tell that there was a home waiting for her. Not a house exactly, but a home. With people who had to be wondering where she was. Lupa had told Annabeth that there was a safe place for demigods like her close by if she could only get to it in time. She'd taken off quickly, but two monsters had come after her soon after she'd left the protection of the Wolf House. And that was all Annabeth knew. Besides Percy. She didn't know who Percy was, how he knew her, or where he was. But Annabeth knew he was someone very special.

She dodged cars as she bolted across the highway, almost getting killed half a dozen times. If it weren't for her demigod training--which Lupa insisted Annabeth must have had--she would have died already. Finally, she spotted two teenagers in full armor guarding a tunnel entrance. In her gut, Annabeth knew that safety lay ahead. Yet at the same time, something instinctual was telling her to turn back. To run away from this place as fast as she could.But if she did that, the gorgons would kill her. Annabeth pressed on.

She sprinted towards the tunnel furiously, her legs pumping. "RUN!" She screamed at the guards. "GO!"

The girl flung open the tunnel entrance, and Annabeth hurtled in. The girl went in after her. Annabeth saw the boy notch an arrow and heard the pained scream of one of the monsters. Then the three of them sprinted down the tunnel, six feet pounding as they ran as fast as they could. 

"Go, Hazel, go!" The boy yelled from behind Annabeth. 

"They're gaining on us!" Annabeth cried, hearing the gorgon--only one now--approaching.

"Go ahead, Frank, I'll hold it off!" The girl--Hazel--yelled. 

The boy nodded and grabbed Annabeth by her shirt, yanking her forward as the small girl squared herself. Annabeth didn't want to leave her alone, but the guy, Frank, seemed confident that Hazel could handle herself.

A few minutes later, they burst into a large, green clearing. A roaring river stood between them and a huge expanse. The field was filled with hundreds of people, buildings, training areas, and even what seemed to be a little town.

Annabeth and Frank plunged across the river, their legs getting soaked by the freezing water. Right after they safely reached the other side, however, they heard a shriek.

"Frank!" Hazel screamed.

Annabeth spun around to see the girl burst out of the tunnel, the gorgon hot on her tail. She and Frank watched in horror as the gorgon snatched Hazel up by her armor, dangling the girl ten feet off the ground. A group of people 50-large was accumulating behind them to see what the commotion was. Next to her, Frank raised his bow, but he couldn't get a clear shot. 

Annabeth squinted, focusing her aim. She pulled out her knife, flipping it in her hand. She breathed in, focused, and then flung it. The blade zipped through the air like a bullet and buried itself with astounding precision in the gorgon's left eye. The gorgon screeched and exploded into gold dust. Hazel free-fell to the ground with a thump.

The group of people stared at Annabeth in shock. Frank pulled off his helmet, his jaw dropped in amazement. Annabeth was startled to see that despite his large body, he had a baby face.

A tall boy around her age pushed through the crowd. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a little scar above his lip. A dark purple cloak was fastened around his shoulders, and one of his arms was covered in a large, black tattoo. Upon seeing him, something stirred inside Annabeth, something familiar. She could tell by the way the boy held himself, and how everyone else seemed to respect him, that he was their leader.

"Welcome to Camp Jupiter," the boy said, stopping six feet in front of her. "You're safe now."

"I'm--"

"I know who you are," the boy replied. He held out a hand. "I'm Jason, Praetor of the 12th Legion. And you're Annabeth."

Annabeth stared suspiciously at the boy. "How do you know my name?"

Jason gave a faint smile. "Come with me, Annabeth. I've been expecting you. Oh, and Percy says hi."