Hello Everyone! Long time no post!

With the recent Percy Jackson series announcement, here's my contribution to the fandom after months of not updating. With the quarantine and all, I'm hoping that I'd update The Eden Project regularly but I won't be making any promises. Anyways, enjoy and feel free to leave any feedback.

Annabeth was met with two guards when she went to leave her room early one morning.

Percy had gone ahead to arrange a meeting with the division heads of the Demigods, an organization they established to unite and protect the remaining mentally stable individuals within the Facility. She had opted to stay behind and sleep for longer, an opportunity she was not given too often with her newfound responsibility. However, now that Percy had fully recovered and had gotten used to taking up the mantle as leader once more, her workload had decreased significantly.

Nevertheless, she was still obliged to participate in most of Percy's morning routines to further strengthen their defenses against their opponents. She and her mate would make their rounds along their territory, taking notes of problems and strange behavior from their companions. She was meant to meet with him at Jason's suite for a short meeting.

The two guards standing outside her suite door were tall and well-built, wearing the customary uniform of black jumpsuits, tonfas stowed away on their utility belts. She was quick to adopt a defensive stance, her arms raised with confidence after months of training under Percy Jackson and his cousins.

The one closest to her, a blonde one, raised a hand as an attempt to appease her. "Calm, Ms. Chase. Ms. Evelyn wishes to speak with you."

Evelyn. The she-devil of a woman had finally decided to make her appearance. She squared her shoulders and resolved her footing, remaining guarded and weary but interested. "Well, if that's the case, I will go and fetch my mate."

"No, I believe that is unnecessary." The brunette replied, taking a step forward. "Ms. Evelyn was strict in her instructions. You must come alone."

That did not sit well with her in the slightest. Had it been a request from someone else, she would have denied it immediately. However, after a few moments of contemplation, she chose to participate in Evelyn's game if it meant getting answers from her.

They passed through what had once been a hallway no one had access to. The door was locked by a mechanism that even the brightest minds of their generation could not crack, not without the proper equipment. All it took to open it was for the guard that escorted her to place his wrist, pulse-side up, underneath the scanner. The light turned green and the door slid swiftly and quietly open, blowing air to her face.

She followed obediently into the darkened hall, her hands fisted at her sides and ready to defend herself had she been tricked. There was no telling the mental states of the guards in the facility with them. For all she knew, she was led into another situation she could not get out of by herself. Unfortunately, Percy had no idea where she was.

At the end of the corridor was a single sleek, reinforced steel door locked with another strange mechanism. This time, the other guard had been the one to swipe his wrist underneath the scanner. This door took much longer to open, as if giving whoever occupied the room beyond it ample time to escape if the situation arises. She braced herself for an ambush but all she saw was a pure white office and a familiar woman seated behind a glass table.

"Ah, Annabeth, so very nice of you to join us." Evelyn Rose smiled conspiratorially and folded her hands over her table. She looked much older than when Annabeth saw her last, which seemed like forever ago. There were gray streaks in what had been rich chestnut hair and dark circles under her eyes. Annabeth was pleased that they were not the only ones to suffer in the hell she created.

She was directed to a seat on the other side of Evelyn's table. No beverage was offered to her. "I believe you are aware of why I have brought you here, at such a dire time indeed."

"I have my ideas but I'd rather it comes from your mouth, Evelyn." Annabeth feigned nonchalance, spine rigid as she anticipated an attack. Nothing came.

Evelyn's posture was impeccable, even with the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Ah, of course. A brilliant girl like you must have figured out a few things whilst I took my leave. Nevertheless, I will make your visit worthwhile." She nodded gratefully towards a maid who offered her a cup of tea. "I have been made aware of the birth of our first child."

Annabeth did not know that it was possible for her to become more tense, but she did. "You will not touch Pandora." Her voice was cold and full of malice, teeth bared and feet braced against the floor.

"That would be quite foolish of me," Evelyn seemed unbothered, "But she is such a beautiful child. Her birth had encouraged me to continue on with the Project. Of course, it would need to be drastically changed considering the circumstances." She did not need to say what circumstances they were working with. Between the Rogues and the Ghouls, the immediate threat must be addressed.

"You can't just do what you want anymore, Evelyn. Like how we've defended against the rogues and those monsters outside, we have something planned against you too." Annabeth's warning carried weight. She was the mastermind behind all of the defensive plots they had.

The smile that eased into the Controller's face unnerved her, "Silena talks to me; she is ever so lonely, poor thing. Of course, I do what I can to make my participants feel as welcome and comfortable, so I do reply in turn. She's been coming to me for months now. It does not take much to have her speak of your plans, not in detail of course. I believe you are the only one capable of providing me that information."

Annabeth felt something crawl up her spine and a deep discomfort settle at the pit of her stomach. "Impossible," Was all she could say.

"It might seem so, dearest, but it is quite true. Do you not ask yourself why you don't see my guards entering and exiting this private hallway? How it is I am very much aware of the comings and goings within the facility? My cameras may be dysfunctional now but I have eyes everywhere."

"What advantage do you gain by telling me this?" Annabeth spat with displeasure, betrayal rising in her chest. "I do not see how revealing how you are getting information will benefit you in any way."

Evelyn hummed and sipped from her cup. "You and I have a common enemy here, Annabeth Chase. We both wish to dispose of those who will destroy our peaceful civilization. I, of course, cannot act out of turn. However, if you wish to enter an agreement with me, I will provide you with the resources that you need to operate in full."

Briares. Her near-obsessive desire to finish her proudest invention returned and took hold of her thinking. If she were to agree, the inflow of supplies will begin. They will have what is needed to finish Briares 2.0, to redo all the projects they had torn apart in pursuit of the ultimate machine.

But Annabeth's distrust outweighed her desire.

"What do you wish for in return?" She asked instead of providing a definitive answer, jaw tensed and expression remaining cold.

The woman shrugged and smiled her devious smile. "Oh, it is quite simple really. You do remember dear Luke Castellan?" Her words were simple yet heavy. Annabeth's grey eyes widened. "He seemed to have escaped the prison that I have made for him. His followers have obtained quite the number of resources. While I do root for you, a wildcard has been released without true intentions."

Her throat felt dry as she attempted to wet her lips, hands shaking as a familiar trauma resurfaced beneath her skin, itching its way to her memories. White hallway, ice-blue eyes. "Y-you want us to bring him back to you?" She managed to say.

Despite the severity of the situation, Evelyn Rose had the gall to clap and laugh, "Oh, you are all I have expected you to be, Ms. Chase, very good." A pregnant pause weighed heavily on both of them. "Of course, I do not expect for you to begin a manhunt. However, if a confrontation does happen between your groups, I would greatly prefer Luke to be left alive."

There must have been a reason as to why the mastermind had opted to lock Luke away than to have him executed for his vile sins. Now that their numbers have dwindled significantly since the experiment began, she hoped it was not because Evelyn was grasping at the opportunity to have as many of her original guinea pigs alive if she were given the choice. Alive but incarcerated.

A silent rage that had been building since Silena's betrayal was revealed doubled and threatened to spill over. "Why can't you intervene? Get rid of the people destroying your project?" Annabeth seethed. The last thing she wanted was to be manipulated by Evelyn again, not after all she had lost and all that she had just recently gained.

The mastermind merely shook her head, keeping her arms folded over her lap as she turned her chair to face the wall. "Dearest Annabeth, I do not have power over what I believe is right or wrong. The project's goal is the repopulation of the best of humanity. The Rogues, as you so appropriately call them, have fulfilled their role just as much as Silena Beauregard and Katrina Gardner have. I am merely here to inform you, my preferable victor, that I am not your enemy and that I wish for you to remember that when you plot against me."

For a moment, Annabeth felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped. She was meeting Evelyn's steady blue gaze with her own, numb to the rage that threatened the lives of those within the same room as her. This project had been nothing but a long, grueling nightmare, disrupted only by the presence of the man she had learned to love and the family she had formed to replace her own. Outside of that warmth was coldness and fear and confusion. Evelyn wanted Annabeth to remain in that coldness, all for the pursuit of mankind's grandest automaton.

"Allow me time to think about your proposal." She replied instead, already in the process of standing. The guards shifted at her abrupt movement, eyeing her wearily. "If this were to turn the tides of this internal war, I might as well consult with the others who are affected."

Evelyn closed her eyes peacefully, a small smile settling on her lips and staying there. "Very well, Ms. Chase. I will give you three days to give your response. If you fail to do so within that time, our agreement is null." Annabeth flinched. Briares will not be finished and Luke will still be roaming free.

She gathered her wits and folded her arms over her stomach, hoping that the confidence in her stance would hide her true apprehension. "Do not think that this will change how I perceive you." Ever so adamant to get the last word in, Annabeth leveled her gaze against the woman. "Goodbye, Evelyn."

"Until we meet again, Annabeth."

The guards had all but kicked her out of the hallway when they reached the outer security door. Annabeth would like to say she had merely walked out, graceful with her head held high to show the mastermind and her men that her strength was unwavering. That was not the case. She had stumbled to her feet, barely catching herself before she landed on the cold tile floor. Her mind was whirring from what Evelyn had told her- about Silena, about Luke, the potential of having more spies within their ranks than just the one.

Silena, what have you done?

She must have stayed on the ground for a while, trying and failing to get herself in order, because their current patrol had found her and helped her to her feet. They fussed over her unnecessarily, and she didn't even have the presence of mind to look at them, much less listen to what they were saying. Then, a familiar, firm grasp was on her bicep and she finally looked up and Thalia was looking at her with the strangest expression. Annabeth came to name the emotion a bit later as genuine concern.

"Where have you been? We were expecting you an hour ago!" Thalia held her by the shoulders when she felt Annabeth falter, weakened by the encounter despite everything. "Annabeth, what happened? Percy's gone insane with worry."

It seemed that the mention of her mate was enough to at least get her scattered thoughts to focus. The last she wanted was for Percy to think that another incident with Luke had happened. "Where is he?" She managed, surprised at how steady her voice sounded despite her heartbeat thrumming against her ears.

"In your suite," Thalia explained, guiding her through the hallway and past gawking individuals who had nothing better to do. Annabeth rolled her eyes. She was utterly exhausted being regarded as a spectacle.

Her best friend did not let go of her until she was faced with the familiar door leading to her makeshift home. Coincidentally, when Annabeth had reached to open the door, Percy had done the same. He blinked when he saw her, his mouth agape before his tense expression melted to that of relief and he pulled her in his arms. The familiarity of his warmth was the light that had broken through the heavy shadow dwelling in her mind. She loathed Evelyn for being so capable of breaking her.

Faintly, she realized that Thalia had gone elsewhere, probably to call off the manhunt. Percy closed the door behind him and led- more like dragged- her to the nearest seat. He examined her with an intensity only he was capable of, checking for injuries or signs that she had been abducted against her will. He only found the red splotches on her knees, from when she fell, and his initial relief had switched immediately to flaring anger tinged with concern and panic.

Before he could say anything, she placed a hand against his cheek. That seemed to have cooled his temper, even just a little because he leaned against her touch and pressed his own hand over hers. "I'm okay." She assured him, though she didn't need to say it. Her heart was still racing. "I… Evelyn summoned me."

At the mention of their captor, he scowled. She will never get used to how quickly Percy was able to shift from being such a kind individual to the angry man he kept so carefully hidden. "Did she hurt you?" Was his first question, set in a cold, malevolent tone that betrayed his soft whispers at night. It spoke volumes on his true personality.

"No… no, she didn't." She didn't know how to tell him. Percy had so nearly killed Luke in their first and only encounter and they both loved Silena and Charlie and considered them as family. "She had a proposal." She decided that was the best beginning she could muster.

Percy hissed a curse between his teeth but had relaxed significantly when he was thoroughly assured that she was safe. He gestured for her to continue and she thanked him silently for not disrupting her train of thought with a menial response. "She offered her support to us in exchange for keeping Luke Castellan alive when we face him."

"Castellan is gone, though, isn't he?" He seemed just as confused as she had been when the offering was first placed on the table. "Evelyn dealt with him."

She shook her head, "He escaped his prison, somehow."

She pondered on it more, deep in thought. Luke being set free suddenly made all the sense in the world. It was what explained the Rogues' organized attacks the past few weeks when they previously were scattered forces without a clear motive. Then, she remembered Percy mentioning how Ethan Nakamura had been vicious and unforgiving at the ambush because they had thought her mate had been the cause of their leader's absence. Percy had only been openly aggressive with one insane individual before that plight. Then, Evelyn had mentioned that Luke had followers.

"Luke Castellan leads the Rogues." It was the most obvious truth, one that had lingered in the back of her head but only now truly mattered. It made sense. He had been one of the first to rebel when the bombs first fell. That had been why he was kept separate from them. He must have been the one behind the recruiting.

Percy's eyes narrowed at her conclusion, bearing her same expression. He stood to pace, his hands folded across his back as he stared at the floor before him. She watched him, feeling her agitation swell. She was yet to reveal what Evelyn had said about Silena but she allowed her beloved time to process.

"Why would Evelyn want him alive, when he's the reason why this," He waved his hands frantically around him, "Became a complete and utter shitshow?" His shoulders were slumped in defeat. "It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense, Annabeth."

She released a breath and decided to intercept him before he wore a trench through the floor. She reached for his hands and he, thankfully, allowed for her to take it and press it against her waist. His other hand fell limply to his side. "I know." She soothed, more to herself than to him. It was true. It did not make any sense. What did Evelyn want with Luke anyways? "If we look at the offer as it is, we're at an advantage. We'll have Evelyn's resources at our disposal and all we have to do is spare life when it counts."

Annabeth knew that Percy- hell, any of them for that matter- loathed being forced to kill. No matter Luke's sins, to them, their organization, to her, taking his life would have a bigger impact on their already fragile sanities than Annabeth would care to admit. She was lucky she didn't have to do what Percy and his cousins and Clarisse were forced to. She didn't have blood on her hands as they do.

"And what happens then?" He looked at her desperately, seeking for answers she could not give. "What happens when we spare him? When Evelyn gets her hands on him?"

She faltered. "I don't know." She admitted, though not quite so defeated. "I haven't figured that part out, yet." She made sure to emphasize the yet. Annabeth had to modify her plans to account for Evelyn's enigmatic intentions, but if Annabeth Chase was anything, she was always three steps ahead of her opponents.

Agreeing to the proposal was one thing but putting even a drop of trust on the Controller was another thing entirely. They were desperately in need of supplies to remain functional. While they urgently needed to figure out what Evelyn wished of Luke Castellan and his followers, stability within their ranks were of higher priority.

He seemed to understand. "We'll take it up with the Board." He paused, searching her face again. She cursed him and his perceptiveness because he so easily caught that she was still holding something back. "What else did she tell you, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth truly didn't know why she was hesitant in telling him. Maybe she feared for Silena and Charlie and their month-old infant feared how the organization will regard this complete betrayal. Maybe she was hesitant in having it outed because it will encourage other spies to burrow further into wherever the hell they're hiding. She still believed the distinct possibility that Evelyn was still only trying to get in her head, just like she always does. Maybe the Mastermind was picking apart their organization to see its weaknesses. A spy, especially one so dear to them, would be their downfall.

"This stays between us." She settled on keeping her cards close to her chest. "Not even your cousins and Nico will know about this."

He blinked but agreed to her terms, trusting her so completely that her chest ached. She directed him to a chair, knowing that it would be better that he was seated for it. The worry only escalated, his posture mimicking her own when she was in Evelyn's office. "Evelyn told me that Silena was relaying information to her, confiding in her, and so on." She opted for a straightforward briefing. There was no point now to lace emotion into her logic.

Much to her surprise, he did not react nearly as violently as she expected him to. He merely sagged into his seat, somber and defeated as he repeated what she had said. Silena. Charlie. Pandora. "Silena? Our Silena?" He managed to say, so soft, so tired.

"She's the only one with the name." Her heart ached and she tossed her head back. She refused to jump to conclusions, refused to believe until she had proof, but Percy's brokenness pierced through her façade of strength and she couldn't help but cry. "She told me that Silena was lonely."

"Lonely." Percy echoed, burying his face in his hands. "Do you believe her?" He already knew the answer before she opened her mouth to speak it. No, she didn't believe. She will not turn her back against her friend.

Not when the reason why she had succumbed to Evelyn's charm was because she had felt so utterly alone. Percy agreed.

"We don't tell anyone." He mumbled, mostly to himself. He was determined, ready to fiercely protect those he loves with unwavering loyalty. "We plan around it. We ask Silena. We're not alienating her any more than she already feels. We need her to know that we care for her." There was a desperate edge to his voice as if he was trying to convince her more than anyone that Silena Beauregard was worth saving. If the accusation was true.

Even if it wasn't, they had to plan for it when it does happen. The Demigods were weakening. Their resolve was faltering. They weren't as strong as they used to, not after the rapid-fire attacks from both sides. Evelyn can so easily whisper beautiful words of stability and peace and comfort into their ears before she has them fully under her control again. Like a siren leading them to their deaths. Annabeth will not stand for it.

They will not allow Evelyn Rose to take from them again.