The clang of a heavy metal door ran through the cold air, followed by multiple pairs of footsteps. Percy managed to raise his drooping eyes, his vision blurry and slightly hazy, to look through the bars of his cell. His body ached with a dull pain that he could only try to ignore.

"Percy?" A quiet voice asked, taut with fear. He brought his attention to the girl in the cell right next to him. Her once soft, almost golden hair matted with dry blood and dirt, and her beautiful face scratched and bruised. Seeing the woman he loved in this state hurt him more than an injury could.

"Don't look at them." He managed to croak out, throat hoarse with the lack of water-and probably from the non stop screaming. He licked his lips in a weak attempt to moisten them. "Everything is gonna be all right." He tried to reassure her. With some effort he managed to pull his unresponsive body into a crawl, moving towards the edge of the cell. He slumped against the bars; just that menial task had drained him. "Just don't..." He tried, but a rattling cough slipped through his lips. He inhaled again shallowly, his breath raspy. "Don't look at them." He reached through the bars with a shaky arm, taking Annabeth's hand in his own. She responded immediately, her cold fingers slipping through his and grasping at him tightly as if he were her lifeline. They both flinched at the sound of another door opening and closing again with a dull squeal. This one was closer, and both of them knew it. He moved his tired gaze up and away from his love to peer out of the bars. As he had thought, multiple guards were walking towards the cells. But with a foreboding sense of dread building up in his stomach, he noticed that they were heading towards her cell, and not his. He looked back at her, catching sight of the look of fear that flickered through her face.

"Look at me." He ordered her, forcing his sore throat to make his voice sound as firm and reassuring as he could. To his distress, she turned her head to the side slightly, to instead look at the approaching guards. "Annie." He tried again, breath hitching slightly as he fought the urge to cough again. "Annie, look at me." His desperate tone caught her attention again. She bit her lip, moving her normally bright and silvery-but now dull and cloudy-eyes to meet his own. He rubbed his thumb over her hand gently, trying his best to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, I promise." He hoped that she hadn't heard the catch in his voice at that. The door to her cell swung open with a whine and the guards marched inside, causing Annabeth to shrink against the bars, pressing towards him as much as she could, while keeping her gaze on him the entire time. "Please, just keep looking at me." He begged her, fighting the urge to break eye contact and look at the approaching guards. She made a small noise of distress when two of them grabbed her by her shoulders and hauled her backwards.

Percy gritted his teeth at the stab of pain that raced down his arm, his shoulder straining from the effort and the pressure of the bars against him as he tried to keep his grip on her hand. He couldn't let go of her. He couldn't let them take her again. He tightened his grip on her hand, distraught at the fact that her fingers were slowly slipping through his. 'Hang on, hang on...' Another guard grabbed her by the waist and helped the others yank her back, their hands finally torn apart. 'No!' He kept his hand reached out for her in vain, still pressing himself against the bars as he watched, helpless, as they dragged her kicking and screaming from the cell and down the long corridor. He finally slumped down when they were out of sight, pressing his forehead against the freezing cold metal of the bars. 'Dammit...' He jolted upright at the sound of more footsteps coming back, lifting his head again. The faceless guards unlocked the door to his cell this time and stepped inside, aiming their various weapons at him. He allowed them to approach him, knowing already that fighting back would be pointless. After all, he had lost count of how many times he had tried to escape-or even fight back. They grabbed his arms and yanked him forward, cuffing his hands behind his back, as they did every time. Without a single word to him, they dragged him to his feet and shoved him forward; a silent command for him to start walking. So he did, unsteadily and ignoring the pain it caused him. They led him down the hallway and through the first door. He knew where he would be going. It was where he was always taken. The place the guards had affectionately started referring to as the 'torture room'.

He was pushed through a second door. He blinked a few times, eyes squinting slightly at the drastic change of lighting. Before he could get use to it, he was forced to his knees. The familiar feeling of a gun pressed against his head brought his attention away from his surroundings momentarily.

"Hello again, Perseus." A Russian accented man greeted him pleasantly. Percy raked his gaze around slowly, eventually coming to terms with the bright lights. The general, who's name he still wasn't allowed to know, stood in the front of the room, an almost smug smirk playing at his features. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Annabeth next to him, her position mirroring his own-on her knees and a gun to her head. He swallowed thickly, ignoring the Russian general for now.

"Everything will be fine." He told her, fighting to keep his voice from wavering. "All you need to do is keep your eyes on me." He could see her shivering slightly, but she didn't say anything in response. "Don't look away, okay?"

"How touching." The general chuckled, mockingly placing a hand on his chest, right where his heart would be. The teenager didn't say anything in response, although his gaze went cold and his expression turned stony and blank. "Do you know that we searched for you for a long time, Perseus? Every time we seemed to have had you in our grasp, you somehow managed to slip away. Every. Single. Time." He put his hand on Annabeth's head, causing her to flinch away from the touch and squeeze her eyes shut. "Until... We caught her. Then you were more than wiling to give yourself up." He smiled wryly. "Young love. It's so sweet." He walked towards Percy slowly, folding his hands behind his back. "Now, let's get down to business. You've had plenty of time to consider our... Offer." He crouched down in front of him so that they were eye level. "Will you join us and become one of the greatest soldiers the world has ever seen?"

Percy's lips tightened and his eyes narrowed. "Fuck you." He snapped, his tone tinged with barely concealed hatred. The general's face hardened angrily.

He barely saw the blow, but by gods did he feel it.

He doubled over, gasping for breath as pain shot through his abdomen. The general grabbed a handful of his matted dark hair, forcing his head up so that they were almost face to face. The older man's face was twisted by a savage snarl.

"Think about your words next time, boy." He growled lowly, grip tightening painfully. "It would do you well to reconsider your choice." He let go suddenly and stood up, taking a step back. "This is your last chance. Join us or else."

Percy slowly raised himself upright again, his oceanic eyes flickering towards Annabeth, who was still trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Everything will be all right." He told her, before he he lifted his chin defiantly towards the general. "I will never join you."

The general set his jaw, his expression darkening. "Very well." He turned on his heel and walked back towards Annabeth, causing him to stiffen visibly. He took his gun out of the holster at his side and lifted it up, aiming it at her head. His eyes widened with fear and his blood ran cold at the action. 'No no no no...' He started to squirm against his handcuffs, but it only caused the guard behind him to bark out something in Russian and press a gun against his head again.

"No! Wait!" Percy shouted, his tone desperate. "Don't hurt her! Please!" The general looked at the teenage boy, wearing a smug expression once again.

"Percy..." Annabeth finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. His gaze flickered down to her slowly. "Don't... Don't do it. Please, Percy. Don't do it." His eyes widened fractionally, his mouth going dry and his heart stopping for a moment.

"Shut up!" The general snapped, glancing between the two of them frustratedly. "Join us or she dies!"

Percy watched as she shook her head almost imperceptibly, his stomach sinking. He knew she wouldn't want this... He knew what he had to do. And he hated himself for it.

"No." He answered quietly, the word like acid in his mouth.

"No?" The Russian repeated, sounding both indignant and angry at the same time.

Percy ignored him though, not moving his gaze away from Annabeth for even a moment. "Just look at me, keep your eyes on mine." He could see the tears trickling down her cheeks slowly but her expression was firm and steady. "Okay, Annie?"

Annabeth jolted sightly when the barrel of the gun was pressed against her head momentarily, before it was withdrawn a bit again. "Do you have any idea what you're saying?!" The general raged on.

"Annie, just don't look." Percy's voice wavered with emotion, his eyes filling up with tears while Annabeth kept her gaze locked onto his own. "Please, don't look at him."

"I love you, Percy."

"I... I love you too."

BANG!

Percy jolted upwards with a desperate gasp for air, his clammy hands clutching at the material of the couch beneath him in a grip tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

Annabeth.

His eyes darted around the room fervently, panic racing through his veins as he took everything in in quick glances.

Annabeth.

His eyes strained around the dark room, taking him longer than usual to remember where he was.

Annabeth.

The fight with Stark. Onetahi. The resort. Wanda. He was still hidden.

Annabeth.

No one was there with him. He was alone.

Annabeth.

He was safe.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his erratic heartbeat and his shallow breaths back to normal before it developed into a full panic attack. He forced his fingers to let go of their death grip on the couch to instead press the palms of his hands against his eyes. He let out a shuddering breath, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. Don't look at them. Something warm traced its way down his upper lip slowly, but he ignored it. He swung his legs over the edge of the couch, roughly carding his fingers through his messy hair, noticing vaguely that his hair had gone damp with sweat through the night. He could hear his heart racing deafeningly in his ears. Everything is gonna be all right. He leaned back against the couch heavily, tilting his head backwards to stare at the ceiling, eyes stinging with unshed tears. Why the hell was he feeling this way? It was as if his whole world had just crumbled down right before his very eyes. He inhaled deeply, managing to keep his breath from shaking too badly. In and out. In and out. He took his time, just focusing on his breathing. Don't look at them. He wiped the back of his hand over his upper lip, his tired eyes flickering down to see blood smeared over it. Great. A nosebleed. He dropped his hand down on the couch next to him, his heartbeat gradually starting to slow down again. Look at me. He closed his eyes again, faces that seemed familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time flashing through his mind. He sighed silently, running his hand though his hair again.

He heaved himself to his feet, wiping at his nose for the second time. He needed a tissue. Annie, look at me. He swayed for a moment, cringing slightly at how the room spun around him. It subsided after a few moments thankfully, so he headed towards the room. It's going to be okay, I promise. He opened the door, vaguely relieved when the door made no sound. He silently slipped inside, making sure to stay quiet and keep his footsteps light. He glanced towards the bed. Wanda was still fast asleep, curled up on her side and the blankets wrapped around her like a cocoon. She had a peaceful, relaxed look on her face-one that he was sure she wouldn't allow people to see when she was awake. All you need to do is keep your eyes on me. He turned away from her sleeping form, instead walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He flicked the light switch on since it was still too early for the sun to be up, the bathroom immediately bathed with the warm white light. He leaned over the basin and switched the tap on with shaky fingers, immediately sticking his hands under the cold stream. Don't look away, okay? He splashed a handful of water onto his face, allowing himself to get wet for once. The cool liquid seemed to work its magic, as he could feel the blood dripping from his nose come to a sudden halt.

He flicked his eyes up to look at his reflection, taking in the sight before him tiredly. Dark circles and heavy bags under hollow, red rimmed eyes. Everything will be all right. The bruised and bloodied face of a girl replaced his own reflection in a flash for barely a millisecond before disappearing again, leaving Percy to blink repeatedly at himself, the sight of the ghostly apparition leaving a dull ache in his chest. Just look at me, keep your eyes on mine. He tore his gaze away from the mirror again, throwing another handful of water onto his face before he allowed himself to get caught up in the thought too much. Phantom voices swirled around his head, sounding so familiar, yet like complete strangers at the same time. Please, don't look at him. He looked at the mirror again, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the mystery girl again.

No luck; he only saw his own exhausted face staring back at him.

He sighed heavily and dropped the towel again, allowing his feet to guide him back outside the bathroom and Wanda's room like a ghost. Outside of the Villa itself and towards the almost grey expanse of salt water.

I love you, Percy.

He flinched automatically at the voice that sounded right next to his ear, whirling his head to the side in a vain attempt to see who was speaking. To see her again.

There was no one there.

"I'm going mad." He breathed, his eyes and nose prickling as if he were about to cry. 'No, stop it. I'm not going to cry.' He looked up at the sky, hating how his eyes were slowly starting to tear up.

Who the hell was Annabeth? And why had seeing her... her die caused such grief in him? Why did his heart ache and his chest feel tight?

He shook his head violently, trying to dislodge the thoughts, and started walking again. The sand was softer than it had been the previous day, but then again it could've been because his entire body wasn't sore like it had been.

He wiped his eyes violently with the back of his hand, coming to a stop when he felt the cold, soothing water wash over his feet. The sea always seemed to calm him down and make him feel better... But it didn't now. He sighed heavily, carding his fingers through his hair.

Who the hell is Annabeth?

"Percy?" He jolted out of his thoughts and turned around, blinking a few times when he saw Wanda standing outside the glass doors of the Villa, looking dishevelled and slightly messy, as if she had just woken up-which she probably had.

She also held his phone in his hand.

"It... It was making a noise and the screen is blinking red." She told him, rubbing her hands over her eyes sleepily.

No.

No no no no no.

He raced towards her, feeling something in his stomach lurch with dread. "We have to get out of here." He grabbed the phone from her hand, eyes glancing down momentarily to confirm that it was indeed flashing a bright red colour, a low whine emitting from the device. "Get your stuff ready, we're going now." He pushed past her to get inside the Villa, hurriedly moving to gather all of his things.

"What?" She asked blearily, trailing after him. "What do you mean we're going? I... I thought we were only leaving in a days time."

"Yeah well, plans change." He shoved his laptop in his bag unceremoniously, along with the other things that he had taken out last night. "They know I'm here, so get your things or I'm going to leave you here." He threatened halfheartedly

That seemed to snap her awake. She disappeared into her room, leaving Percy to scan over the place by himself in case he was leaving anything.

Nothing? Good.

He slipped his shoes on, swiftly tying the laces.

"I'm ready."

He looked up at Wanda's voice, getting to his feet again. "Good." He slung the backpack over his shoulder, letting out a soft hiss through gritted teeth at the sharp pain that lanced through his arm and back. Woops, wrong shoulder. He slid it off again, placing it on his other shoulder. "Follow me." He led her outside the Villa again, heading towards the water.

"Where are we going?" She asked dubiously, sticking close behind him.

Percy didn't reply. He just continued walking down the beach and into the water, only stopping when it reached his knees. He turned around, fighting the urge to roll his eyes when he saw that Wanda had stopped before she could get wet. "Well? Come on." He gestured impatiently.

With a soft sigh, she took a tentative step forward, shivering slightly when the cold water soaked through her shoes. "Why are we doing this?"

"Because I don't want to collapse again, like last time." He deadpanned, holding his hand out to her. "Take my hand and we'll be out of here." Her lips thinned as a visible shiver overtook her body, taking ahold of his hand immediately.

He turned his head to look out at the sea, vaguely noticing that the sky was turning lighter with every passing moment. The sun would be coming up soon. He closed his eyes, allowing the feeling of the salt water to wash over him; to empower him. He could practically feel the power thrum through his veins as he inhaled deeply.

He pictured the tall buildings and the busy streets. He thought of the crowded shops and the green parks. He remember Manhattan in all its glory.

And with a sharp tug in his gut, the two teenagers were gone in a whirlwind of mist and fog...

Just as a black quinjet soared through the sky above the resort.