Heroes of Olympus Series. Annabeth Chase X Male Reader Story

Using Bribery to Avoid Impalement

(Y/N)'s POV

As they ran from the aquarium, (Y/N) was drenched head to foot, covered in little specs of glass from the display they trashed, as well as what looked like kelp and sand and gods knows what else they kept in the water at this place. 

But that wasn't what scared him. It wasn't what made a chill run down his spine and his whole body turn cold, even as they raced into the open air. He wasn't even scared as they raced through the halls with droves of mortal around them

Although at any moment he may have been attacked by the worlds most powerful janitor, that wasn't what stopped him in his tracks. No, the thing that shook him most, they didn't find until they were almost out of the city.

Percy had insisted they travel to the ship as fast as they could. After their encounters in the wonderful tourist attraction, nobody disagreed, they called up Esther. Who offered to drive them back for free.

They declined of course, choosing as a last resort to pay her with (Y/N)'s credit card. He thought nothing of it, all he could think about was escape, the same as the others, that was why it blindsided him so much.

He was terrified, because as they got out of the cab, thanking the kind old woman for her help, and feeling as if they were home free, he saw something. Across the road, not even a hundred feet from where Leo had parked.

 A building that seemed to be grafted onto the side of the street, standing alone as it's own entity, with pitch black brick walls and greenish paned windows was the building he was so familiar with, the one he dreaded seeing. Dead On Arrival Records. 

The DOA stood there in all it's horrible glory, (Y/N) could almost hear Charon complaining inside, suddenly he felt a whole body chill pass through him, that was how he knew that Hades was still trying to get his attention.

For what purpose, and what end he didn't know, as Annabeth had said, the god couldn't be trusted. But for a moment, (Y/N) thought back to the gut feeling he had, to follow the clues, to find Hades, in the hopes he would aid them in finding Nico. 

In that moment's pause, the slightest hesitation, the building that most could have easily have mistaken for a monster, almost seemed to act on it's own, (Y/N) was frozen in shock as he saw it happen.

The floor beneath DOA began to crumble away, splitting the ground until it sat floating above a twenty foot long crevace, from the depths of the crack in the earth came the screams of the dead, beckoning him, telling him to follow them.

He had only seen something like this before on very few occasions, and he of all people knew that there were only two people alive who could have done this. But just as it threatened to swallow him, to drag him down into Hades domain, he was pulled free of the vision.

Percy clapped him on the shoulder, "Let's go!" He warned, and (Y/N) nodded towards him, as he turned back though, before he could even muster up the strength to close the fissure, (Y/N) found the out of place building was gone.

Annabeth's POV

Annabeth and Zoe were trying to cheer up Hazel.  Annabeth had just finished the story of (Y/N) almost skateboarding his way into Tartarus, Zoe was regaling her with Percy's greatest Seaweed Brain moments, when Frank stumbled down the hall and burst into her cabin.

"Where's Leo?" he gasped. "Take off! Take off!" The girls shot to their feet. "Where's Percy?" Zoe demanded. "And the goat?" Frank grabbed his knees, trying to breathe. His clothes were stiff and damp, like they'd been washed in pure starch. "Where's (Y/N)?" Annabeth asked.

"On deck. They're fine. We're being followed!" Annabeth pushed past him and took the stairs three at a time, Hazel right behind her and Frank trailing, still gasping for air. Percy and Hedge lay on the deck, looking exhausted.