When It Fades To Black: Percabeth AU

The Basement

(All story line rights go to ChasingFreedoms)

Annabeth POV

Nico dropped me off and I walked into my own personal hell. My dad already smelled like whiskey, and I was ten minutes late. He had a belt, no... oh gods. It wasn't a belt, it was a chain. Oh gods. This was bad. He whispered quietly, a promise of death on the wind before a hurricane, "Take off your top. I want to punish you for being late. The only way you learn is through pain." 

I took off my sweater. He grinned and began hitting me with the heavy chain. I tried to stay quiet, but cried out despite my wishes. he ran over and said, "Shut up bitch!" He kicked my ribs harder and harder and in a final blinding burst of pain, I sunk into the beautiful, painless dark. 

Percy POV

Annabeth hadn't been at school today. Piper and I had exchanged anxious glances over lunch and had poked at our food half heartedly. I had swim practice after school, and I was captain so it was going to be hard to miss. I could always just tell coach I was sick. Coach Midst was super germophobic when it came to being sick. Being in a pool where kids peed didn't bother him, but gods help us if someone sneezed. 

I went to the pool as soon as the bell rang to signal the end of fifth hour, and told coach I was sick. I coughed heavily as I talked, making my lie very convincing. Coach shoed me away, and as I left yelled, "And don't come near me until you're better!" 

Normally, I would've laughed, but the circumstances were too grim to chuckle. I called Piper and told her I was heading to Annabeth's place and she agreed to meet me there.

When I got to Annabeth's house, Piper was waiting for me, shifting nervously on her feet. When she saw me, we wordlessly exchanged a 'lets go' look and she opened the door. As soon as she did, we heard some rustling and I instinctively step in front of Piper to protect her. She rolls her eyes and shove past me, pulling a bronze switchblade put of her purse. Deciding it was best not to dwell on that, I whisper, "Downstairs. It's coming from downstairs." She nods and finds the door to the basement, the noise getting louder with every step towards the oaken door. 

We open it silently, and descend in the same manner. It was really cold down here, and despite our sweaters, Piper and I are both shivering. We round a corner of a shelf and a figure looms before us. Piper, on instinct, hits said figure in the head with the pommel of her blade. The form crumples before us. I make a mental note not to piss Piper off. I then turn the figure over to see who it is. The light from one of the windows shines dimly, but I can still make out who it is. Looking at the face of the silhouette revealed the figure to be...