Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

Not Alone

Photo by Tina Dawson on Unsplash 

The guard's room they give me is at the end of the long hallway, smelling like air freshener and stinky socks at once. I rub my hands over my bare arms, wanting to put a big sweater on and get this gown off me. I stop myself from thinking of the elimination each time it passes into the forefront of my mind.

I give the random guard, who escorted me into the guard's corridors, a tense nod. He closes the door to the small room, only fitting a bed and a tiny bathroom in it, with a soft click. I move my bags off my bed to the side before falling onto the stiff mattress, my hair splayed out around me. The room buzzes unlike the stoic silence of my suite so many floors up.

I loose a breath, my eyes observing the cheese, popcorn-like ceiling. I search for shapes and faces in the scraped surface staring back at me while going over the future days like flipping through cards during an Uno game. I need to find the other bomb in the palace, figure out how to deactivate them, and then take down Cruz. But before taking her down, I need to discover who she is.

I hate that I won't end up with Percy. Thinking about it breaks my heart, tearing me in half every second of the day. It makes me curl up internally, releasing a strained breath at the pain threatening to strangle me. But I must push through it. I have no choice. I must put this mission to an end once and for all.

And I mean...maybe it's a good thing I was eliminated. Then I could really focus all my time and energy on the only reason I came here in the first place.

I hear a knock at my door and don't bother to look over, only saying, "Come in."

Percy peeks his head in. I sit up immediately, looking at him with wide eyes. He doesn't bother with the door, running and tackling me onto the bed. We fall, our limbs intertwined. And I am brought back to that last dance we had, both swirling around in our pain – sharing it and enduring it together.

Hot tears burn down my cheeks, causing me to cough up a sob. Percy speaks through our loud breathing and sniffles, "We are going to figure this out." I cry into his shoulder more, allowing myself to be vulnerable and not appear strong just once. Because with him, I am allowed to show my weaknesses and watch in wonder as he turns them into strengths. "I am going to marry you, Annabeth. One day. You do not have to be a Selected girl for that to happen. I would – I would end this right now, but I understand you need a couple more days for the mission."

I manage out, "I just – I want you to be happy, and I know how much pressure you're under to pick a wife. But Percy," I look into his eyes. "I cannot marry you right away. It's too fast for me, I still have much to figure out, to do."

"Then let me wait for you."

"You cannot do that, you are a prince to be king," I argue.

Percy encircles me with his arms, kissing my forehead softly. I hear him say with determination, "I will wait for you. We will get engaged and stay that way for years until you are ready."

"A three-year engagement," I test out the words on my lips.

"An engagement, yes."

"It's a deal," I smile through my salty tears.

Percy nuzzles into my neck for a while. We just stay here like this, embraced in each other's company. But after a while, he inhales deeply, "I must go. But I will see you tomorrow, okay?"

I nod, "Okay."

He pulls an earpiece out of his pocket and gives it to me. "Thalia saw me running here and shoved this in my hand. It's for you to communicate with us all. We all have an earpiece now." He pauses, "And..."

You can always reach out to me here.

I give a surprised laugh, saying back, I forgot about this.

So much has been happening, it wasn't fair to remind you of yet another communication line.

I'm glad you reminded me.

Of course. He grasps my hand, saying, "Sleep soundly. You are not alone, remember that."

*~*

~*~

I hear my door creak open. Checking the time, it is two in the morning. Rubbing my eyes quickly, I squint toward my door. "Hello?"

"Annabeth?" I hear Elise.

"Elise?" I sit up.

She comes into view, in a nightgown herself. "I know I"m not supposed to see you but with the whole rebel thing...remember when we went on the hunt?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, you agreed to train me..."

I get what she's trying to say and grin. "I"ll show you a few moves. But then you need to sleep." My sore joints crack when I stand up. Asking her, I say, "Why this all of the sudden?"

Elise looks away for a moment. "I want to be able to defend myself. I know I can."

"That's what I like to hear," I smirk. "Okay, arms up, let's start with defense." 

*~*

~*~

The conference room is chaotic. I walk into Barns arguing with Jason about Hasina.

"She's shady!" Jason exclaims.

Barns splutters, "I don't think Cruz is her."

Jason laughs, "BUT YOU WORKED AT HEADQUARTERS! YOU WERE TOLD WHO SHE WAS! Which is HASINA!"

"I was a low-ranking rebel, I'm not sure how truthful the information they fed us was."

I cross my arms, looking at the headshot of Hasina on the whiteboard, "What if she is being framed? What if it isn't a selected girl but someone else?"

Percy leans back on his heels, having come back from the breakfast. "Have you looked into Paris?"

Leo scoffs, "Paris couldn't hurt a fly."

I do agree, as the Paris I know is nothing but sweet and a goofball to be around. But I still must do my job. "We can look into her further." I say, pacing a little, shaking my finger, "The palace."

"Excuse me?" Connor laughs.

I recite the thoughts in my head, "The palace is undergoing preparations for the big choice. Percy is to send home a girl tonight. And then the next day he is to choose a girl in front of the entire kingdom at the ceremony."

Barns meets my gaze, "It'll be chaotic."

"Which means I can go undercover as a maid to get closer than even me being a Selected girl could," I reason.

"Let's do it." 

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