Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

Agent in Shining Armour

Photo by Chris Abney on Unsplash 

Percy's POV:

The second I see her body crumpled on the ground so close to the palace gates, a sob breaks through me and I run to her. Annabeth's eyes are closed but I can still hear her even breathes and make out the subtle rising and falling of her chest. She's alive. But rage fills me, fuming toward anyone who's passed by her, not sparing a single glance let alone worry. I note the faces of the guards who stood watch.

Carefully I move my arms under her, lifting her up. Something wet covers my hand but I think nothing of it, hurrying through the gates as guards protest. I only glare at them. Annabeth, a girl so strong, feels so delicate in my arms. I want to protect her – though we all know she could do that for both of us just fine – and hold her in my arms forever. But in the private infirmary, when the doctor instructs me to place her on the operating table, I hesitate.

I watch the surgery room door close before looking down at my hands. They're covered in blood.

Annabeth's POV:

Blinding light shines through my eyelids and I squeeze them shut more to block it out, to stay in the blissfulness of sleep. I half expect to be on the pebbled road where I collapsed or in the truck at a makeshift camp Barns and the rest of us set up for the night. But instead, I am in this fancy looking room.

"Don't sit up unless you wanna bleed out again," I hear a female, strong voice come from beside me.

Whipping my head to the right, my arms moving to brace myself, I see Thalia sitting at the edge of my bed – her usual hard eyes, soft. "You – you...you're here."

She smiles, "We all are. Well, not at this moment but it was my turn to take watch over you and all. The others are all going to be so mad you woke up during my visit and not theirs."

I want to ask so many questions, but one comes to my lips, "Where am I?"

"Royal Infirmary. I know," she says when she sees the awed look on my face. Even the royal hospital looks lavish. "It's fancy in here." Thalia cranes her neck to look around. She says, turning back to me, "You had quite the run."

Wincing, I sigh, "You could say that. How long have – "

" – a night and half a day," she answers. Not as bad as I thought, but still. Time has passed that I could be working to taking down Cruz for good, and it's not good to have any disadvantages with her. Just the thought of her being in the palace sends a shiver down my spine. Thalia mistakes that for my reaction and says, "You haven't missed much really. But your disappearance has grown many rumours, we need you back in the field as soon as possible."

"Back in the Selection, you mean."

"That and working toward Cruz. Barns has told us all he can, but we need you, your brains, and your information."

Right. The thought of going through everything in the conference room makes me want to groan but I only smile tightly, nodding. The drive to take down Cruz is threatening to push me into doing something impulsive and risky. As much as I hate to admit it, we must take things slower – but not too slow.

"She let me go," I speak into the silence.

Thalia looks at me, "Wait, Cruz caught you?"

I meet her eyes. "Yes, she could've taken me away or ended it all right there. But...she didn't, and she said something," my voice goes from clear to a murmur as I remember back to her distinct words before we parted.

"What? What did she say?" Thalia presses.

"I asked her why she was letting me go." I prop myself onto my elbows, watching Thalia's expression as I continue, "Cruz only looked at me and said, 'because I'm not done with you yet'."

"Huh," is all she says, leaning back into her chair – eyes cast toward the ceiling. "That's odd."

The door to my left bursts opens and I see everyone pile into the rose smelling infirmary. Barns is the first to crush me into a hug, muttering nonsense. Next is Jason who has yelled at me so many times for my foolishness but instead takes my shoulders gently before embracing me, looking like he'll cry. Piper already begins telling me everything I missed with the gossip, kissing my cheek, and laughing in giddiness. Leo's smile is so big he ends up drooling and I just laugh. The twins cover me with hugs, repeating how happy they are I am safe.

Then it is Percy's turn. He only looks at me for a split second, the air sizzling between us. "Hey Sea – "

I begin to say but he's already pressing his lips to mine, arms encircling me. Relief and happiness flood through me and I pull him closer. I am not sure when but we both end up crying, foreheads pressed up against each other.

Percy whispers into my ear, "I've had to suffer through many stuffy balls without you."

"Well, your agent in shining armour is here," I laugh back.

He pulls back a bit, Percy's eyes burning into mine. I allow myself to get lost in the depths of them, waves lapping over one another in their brilliant sea green. The words that come next are ones I have imagined hearing many times but, at the moment, send a shock of chills over my body and Percy speaks clearly, "I love you, Annabeth Chase."

I almost cry hearing those words, them seeping warmth through me like sweet honey in steaming tea. "I love you too Percy Jackson."

"Welp," I hear Leo say, shifting awkwardly to the side. I forgot everyone was still gathered around my bed, but I don't care. I smile back to Percy who looks at me as if I'm the 8th wonder in the world.

Thalia speaks, "We've been looking more into Hasina. Get some rest and tomorrow we'll go over what we've found."

*~*

~*~

It has been four days since I left the palace for the smaller rebel base before I disobeyed direct orders. Now it is the next morning after I woke up and I am expected to resume being a Selected girl. I really don't have much energy after the exhausting four days, but I somehow find some strength to roll out of bed.

The cool waterfall from the shower awakens me more and I close my eyes for a second, my hands massaging my scalp with conditioner. I should feel better now that I am further than any agent on the heels of Cruz before. But I don't.

Cruz was right about one thing. My failure costs more than anything she's ever done in the past. And to know one of the selected girls is frightening. To know there is more than one rebel in the palace is unsettling. But it also drives me further to protect and solve this case once and for all.

I shut off the water, goosebumps rising over my arms as I step out. I meet my eyes in the mirror and think over the next bit of this mission. We must find the bombs hidden in the palace, identify Cruz, and issue a plan of attack and defense at once. And in the middle of all that I am to be a Selected girl and Percy must pick a bride.

The ending thought catches me off guard. I mean, I know he's always had to pick one. But that bride becomes a wife. Who becomes a Queen.

I stumble over my fallen towel, it seems to have slipped during my thinking process. Can I really handle being a Queen? 

Have a great day/night wherever you are! - The Fangirl