The Lost

What about my boots?

The Curator looked over the data in the files for Annabeth. "Tsk tsk. So much damage. Section 8 was destroyed because of you." He pulled up the video memories of the fight. He fast forwarded to the video message.

"You bastards looked down on me. Disgraced me by saying my contributions were nothing. Now it is your turn to feel like you are nothing. I have come back for my vengeance, under my new family. We, The Red Dragons, will now end everything you have done. We will tear your world down and make you watch it burn. We are the future. Your future is dust. Red Dragons reign supreme!"

The Curator poured over the rest of the data and subroutines during that time. "Heightened panic, adrenaline, rage. A forced entry into project D-3 through sheer will." He pulled the tech electro read out information up. "Power surge caused minimal damage to circuits, but they will need to be replaced at any rate."

He continued looking over the data. "Apparently the shield strength was not good enough...no no. It was. It was just at 10% power." He nodded. For her body not being ready to go into that state, she was remarkably intact. The Curator had given her human controls back as he examined her. He had her undress, and he removed the bandages. "Twelve hours ago you were in a fight for your life. And now the bullet wounds have begun to heal. Your sub systems are still intact and functioning nicely. We will need to replace and upgrade your sensors, firmware and other components, but we can repair you. It's just going to take some time."

Annabeth would nod to The Curator. She liked this place a lot more than the place she woke up in a tube... "when can i leave?" It was a question she asked every day since being there, which was just three days.

"We already told you. You can leave when we think you're ready." Mentally he added...

'After we send you to end the Red Dragons.'

He yawned. "These tests are going to take time. And then there are the repairs themselves. Your recovery time is amazing, given all that you have been through, Annabeth. Just be patient." He patted her arm, and she knew that to be a signal to dress herself again. They at least let her wear a dress, but they made her walk in tennis shoes and wouldn't give her her boots.

She sighed and sat back down once she was dressed. "I want my boots."

"Well, you can't have your boots right now. We need to be able to access any part of your legs or feet without having to remove such a garment."

She grew frustrated. She just wanted her boots! "But they're the only things i wear on my feet!" She almost yelled.

The Curator looked her squarely in the eyes. "Suck it up." He said before he turned around and left the room.

She was left to her own devices. The Curator had deemed it okay to leave her a laptop, but it had no internet, no connection to the outside world. It did however, have a solitary link to an educational mainframe. So when she wasn't going through tests, she could often be found going through the mainframe and learning Advanced Robotics, Linear Physics, and Matter manipulation. She had to get special permission for the last one. It was dizzying, trying to understand the science and formulas behind matter manipulation.

She didn't think she'd ever fully understand that science. She leaned against the wall, lost in thought as tears fell. Robin, Aaron, Damian, Azazel....all gone. She sniffed as tears fell from her eyes.

"When will this pain end? My heart hurts... my chest...it's hard to breathe." She thought to herself as she waited.

The Curator came back and set a tray of food on the table. She was starving and immediately went to the table and sat in her seat. "Hungry, are we?"