Four False Lives

S E C R E T

It still didn't feel real.

After all those years of hurting people and running away before I could get caught, I didn't make it away.

My trial was in a day, though everyone knew how it would work. The person defending me was a lady named Reyna, though I could tell she didn't try hard. She hated me already, just like half the world.

They brought me to the grey room where I could talk to people in private. I had doubted wether or not Percy (or anyone for that matter) would visit me, but I knew that this meant he had come.

I sat down on a chair, my hands still cuffed together with power dampening cuffs. Percy walked in, not meeting my eyes.

The guards left, though they stood watch near the door. I tried for a small smile, "hey Seaweed Brain,"

"No," his voice was sharp though there was a hint of desperation to it. He brought his eyes up to meet mine, "No, you don't get to call me that anymore. That's what Annabeth Chase called me,"

"I am Annabeth. Percy, I did terrible things. I know, but that was still Annabeth Chase doing those things, just under a hood,"

Percy didn't answer me. He looked away again, almost as if he was scared to say anything, scared I would do something.

No. That wasn't it. He was ashamed. He was conflicted with feelings of love and hate. The one person I was told would always be there for me didn't know wether or not he hated me.

"Why did you do it?" He asked softly. "Annabeth, why did you do it? I thought you were a good person, I always thought you were a good person and then this gets revealed. Annabeth, I thought you were the one. I thought we could be together forever, but you weren't you at all. You lied to me every single day. Did you even feel sorry about it? I felt sorry when I did it,"

That took me by surprise. "What do you mean 'when you did it'?"

Percy sighed and looked around the room before leaning close. "I'm riptide. You're mortal enemy, yeah, that's me. But when I lied I did it to help people, to fight people like you,"

"Why did you tell me that? I could sell you out,"

"You won't have a choice. I told you because you won't be able to tell anyone while your sentenced to death,"

"Do you-do you want me to die?" I asked, my voice was small.

Percy stood up and didn't look at me, pacing around the room. "In all honesty, I don't know. I don't want you to live anymore but I can't imagine you dying. I love half of you and hate the rest. You know we could've used you over at OLYMPUS. Me and Ash, we could've used you and Frank. But you made your own choice, the wrong choice. Annabeth, why did you do it?"

"I don't know," I said softly, my grey eyes watering. "For the first time in a long while, I don't know. I liked hearing the screams, I liked people fearing me. I liked watching the light die in their eyes,"

"So your not sorry then, are you?"

I shrugged, "I don't know,"

"How can you be so nonchalant about this? Ananbeth this is life and death we're talking about. You've murdered thousands, how are you not sorry?"

"Because I don't think of it as my fault. Think about it percy, you could've saved those thousands but you didn't. So isn't it as much your fault as it is mine?"

"Stop it. Stop playing those mind games. I came to talk to my girlfriend, not my enemy. But I guess they really are the same person. Goodbye,"

"Percy," I said as he got up to leave.

"Goodbye, Annabeth,"