"What are we going to do Percy?" I whispered fear filling my eyes.

He sighed, his hot breath fanning against my neck where his head laid, exhausted from the torture we had just been through. "All I know is that I'm not letting you die."

"Even if you have to give up the crown?" I ran my fingers through his messy jet black hair.

"Even if I have to give up the crown." He took his head away from my neck, his pained sea green eyes staring into my pained stormy grey eyes. "I'm not letting you die."

"So that millions of other people can die?" I cupped his cheek, wiping my thumb across the patches of dirt marking his cheek. "Percy, if you won't let me do it, I'll just do it myself."

Percy closed his eyes sighing. "I won't let you die."

"I won't let you sacrifice the country."

He opened his eyes. "Maybe we can think of something else?"

I thought for a moment. "Next time he asks for the crown, say no."

"But-"

I cut Percy off with a kiss on the lips. It was filled with hope and trust. He wrapped his arms around me, and I was reluctant to leave his soothing warmth. I would never get used to the way his lips felt against mine.

"Please?" I looked up at him with my most convincing puppy dog eyes. "For me?"

"He'll kill you" He muttered kissing me lightly on the lips again, lingering for a moment.

"Not now he won't. He still needs us."

"For what?"

"He can hold us for ransom"

Percy and I stayed there, wrapped together, our limbs tangled, thinking about our situation and how inevitably doomed we were. I fell asleep pretty quickly, listening to the sound of Percy's heartbeat, which I could not express in words how grateful I was for it to still be pumping blood through his body.

Waking up with a knife pressed against your throat is exactly as terrifying as you'd think it is.

"I'm trying my best to be polite," I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "But if you put that thing any closer to me, I will rip you apart."

Luke chuckled. "Get up Annabeth. Breakfast and then another talk with Kronos."

I looked over at Percy to see him glaring daggers at Luke. A couple of pieces of bread were on a grimy silver platter in front of him, two glasses of water next to them. He had more dirt on his tired face and his clothes too.

Luke shook the knife away from my throat and let me move closer to the food. I took a bite of the stale bread grimacing.

"When do I get a change of clothes?" I asked looking up at Luke.

He was wearing the now usual black pants, black top. I couldn't look him in the eyes, the chills sent down my spine caused me to shake every time I saw the gold instead of the blue. It scared the living daylights out of me.

"Uh, never?"

"Never?" I mumbled. "I have to live in this dress forever? Can you ask Kronos please?"

Luke stared at me and decided not to question my sanity, which was understandable.

"What are you doing?" Percy asked, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. "Are you crazy?"

"No," I shrugged. "Just in desperate need of a shower."

"Well," Luke joined the conversation. "You can have a shower once Percy hands over the crown."

Percy growled. "She won't be able to have one because she'll be dead. Do you not care for her?"

Luke didn't answer but kicked Percy glass of water over. It didn't smash, much to my disappointment, but it's contains created a puddle.

"It's fine," Percy spat towards Luke. "We didn't need that water anyways, you know, after being tortured for an hour each yesterday."

Luke shrugged and turned his back towards us. Percy struggled to get up to punch him but I held him back, tugging his arm slightly. "He's not worth it. We can share mine."

I picked up my glass of water and took a gulp of it, nearly sighing from the cool feeling of the water rushing down my throat. I gave the leftover water to Percy, who drank it greedily.

"All done?" Luke asked gruffly.

I nodded silently and got up, helping Percy too. I rubbed my back in protest, it aching from my movements. Luke looked at it, no regret or hurt shining in his eyes at all. Percy limped towards the door, and reluctantly we followed Luke down the hallway.

At the first corner, Ethan was standing there, a smirk on his face. "Morning love birds." He walked behind us, making sure we wouldn't run away from the back. It was definitely an upgrade to the handcuffs.

"More like prisoners," Percy grumbled. "Prisoners with a lovely room."

Ethan's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "It's a prison cell."

"I was being sarcastic you-"

"And," I jumped into the conversation, grabbing a tight hold on Percy's hand. "This is when I remind you that the person you were about to insult has a gun pointed towards us."

I looked behind us, Ethan standing there with a slick black gun pointed at Percy's head.  He shrugged, his eye looking at Percy. "She is correct."

"I always am," I muttered under my breath.

We kept on walking the familiar route from yesterday. I tried to memorise it again but failed miserably. Dread spread out from my stomach to the tips of my hair and toes as we came to the grand doors that opened to Kronos' office.

I had forgotten to talk to Percy about how he felt about his grandfather being alive, but it was on the back of my mind, which was understandable seeing as Kronos had threatened my life and tortured my best friend and me to exhaustion. I made a mental note to talk to Percy about his evil grandfather later. That is if we were alive later.

Kronos sat in his chair, smirking devilishly at us. His cruel gold eyes scanned our weakened bodies and his smirk grew.

"Have you been enjoying our-"

"Torture device? Bringer of death?" Percy asked throwing his arms around widely. "Yes, grandfather. Yes, we are."

"Well, I do want something from you." He stood slowly from his large leather chair.

"Oh I'm sorry," Percy rolled his eyes. "I didn't realise."

Kronos looked over at me. I tried not to shiver. "He better watch his mouth."

"And you better watch your head because as soon as I get the chance, it will be taken away from your neck before you have the chance to blink." I raised my eyebrows.

Percy squeezed my hand, looking over at me, a twinkle of pride in his eyes. I gave him a small smile in return.

Kronos chuckled and raised his eyebrows. "Have you changed your mind?" The question was directed at Percy.

Percy glanced back towards me, and I gave him a small reassuring smile. "No."

Kronos' face contorted in anger. "Percy goes first this time." He barked.

Luke and Ethan ruffly grabbed our wrists and pulled us out of the room. Before the doors slammed shut, Percy called out over his shoulder: "Love you too, grandfather!"

Ethan chuckled as he pushed Percy towards the room that would bring us suffering. "You're extremely sassy."

"Better than being a traitor." Percy's voice dripped with hatred.

We turned a corner, where yesterday Percy and I had been separated. This time, we were not. Both of us were led down the hallway together.

Percy looked at me worriedly. "What's going to happen to Annabeth?"

"Nothing," Luke shrugged. "Yet."

I turned my head around and glared at Luke. I still couldn't quite believe Luke and how he had completely changed. I didn't understand his thought process when he decided to join an evil mastermind in helping to take over the country. Did he really feel that much hatred towards the Royal Family? To me?

We came to the door and Percy was pushed through, the door quickly shutting closed behind him. Ethan left after a quiet conversation with Luke, and I sat against the wall.

I could hear Percy's voice filled with suffering through the door.

I had been forced to sit out the front of the room, listening to Percy in pain as he felt like his limbs were on fire for nearly an hour.

I looked up, tears pooling at the bottom of my eyes. "Do you really have so much hate inside of you that you're okay with this pain that you're bringing him and me?"

Luke looked down at me with no emotion, the flickering light from the torches casting shadows across his face. "Did you never think of the thousands of people starving on the streets?"

"Starving?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't think anyone is starving."

Luke crouched down in front of me, resting his cold hands on my knees that were bent under my dress. "You don't know the half of the pain that has been caused, Annie. You've lived a privileged life, you can't comprehend what the real world is like."

"It's not my fault," I whispered. "How do you expect me to change the country?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Your boyfriend could have."

"My boyfriend," I spat. "Is in extreme pain at the moment." A tear slipped down my cheek. "Can we please swap?"

Luke sighed and got up, offering out a hand to help me. I refused to take it and stumbled to my feet. He pushed opened the door and I was greeted with a sight that made me want to throw up.

Percy knelt like we had yesterday, the swirling black mass resting upon his shoulders. His face was red, his features scrunched together in agony, sweat glistening in the torchlight. His eyes looked at me and his face contorted into anger. "Get her out." He spat.

Luke pushed me forward and I rushed to Percy, kneeling in front of him, cupping his cheek.

"Annabeth..." He warned, struggling to talk.

"Percy..." I said in the same tone. "We have to help each other."

"I'm not-I'm not letting-"

"Yes, you are." I placed a delicate kiss on his forehead.

"Hurry up girl." Atlas' booming voice echoed around the room, and the man himself stepped out of the shadows.

Percy looked up at me defeated. I gave him a small smile in return and knelt beside him. I placed my hands underneath the cold sky and braced myself as Percy gave me the weight of the sky.

The breath left my lungs as he did. He laid on the ground, coughing and breathing heavily. "I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes not having the strength to say that it was okay, that we had to do this together.

Because I had felt this pain before, I didn't feel it as much. I felt groggy, and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that my bones were being crushed, the ache throbbing through my muscles.

Percy was hauled up to his feet by Luke and was practically dragged out of the room. He said something to me, but the pain became so overwhelming that I left the room behind, in a weird sense. I couldn't hear what was going on.

My vision blurred after what felt like hours but was probably only one. It became hard to breathe, and in that moment my lungs sucked at being lungs. My arms screamed out in distress, wobbling under the weight I was bearing.

I gave up trying to plead with Atlas after awhile, it was no use. He enjoyed the pain I was feeling. He thrived off of it.

The door opened and the man that was here yesterday walked in. His face wasn't twisted in torture this time, and he wasn't being forced to enter. His crazy Einstein hair was still crazy, and his silver eyes showed sympathy as he looked down at me broken on the ground. His hand was holding tightly onto another man's wrist. The man looked extremely hopeless in Iapetus hold, his beard and hair the colour of iron rust. His dreadlocks were dirty, and scars littered the man's face. He was tall, but a little shorter than Iapetus and his clothes looked to be hand stitched together from sheep hides. He radiated sorrow and bitterness, and he unsettled me.

"I'll take her now." Iapetus' voice was calm.

"Will you now?" Atlas crossed his buff arms over his chest. "And who told you?"

"Luke." Iapetus brought over the man. "I have Damasen to swap with her."

I looked up at Iapetus helplessly as he forced Damasen next to me. After getting him into position, he whispered: "Sorry, my friend." To Damasen and then helped me get out.

I fell against him, feeling numb all over as my body relaxed from experiencing no more pain. Damasen's eyes were closed, as he took the weight of the sky.

"I'm sorry," I whispered sadly to him.

Iapetus let me use his weight to help me keep my balance as we left the room.

"Sorry, my old friend?" I asked quietly, registering his words from earlier.

"Damasen is my friend." He responded gruffly. "I hate to see him in pain."

"Then why make him suffer?"

Iapetus didn't answer but continued on walking. My legs felt weak and I was still having trouble breathing. I could taste the metallic taste of blood in my mouth and I was in desperate need of water.

"Iapetus? As in Kronos' older brother?" I asked, his name finally ringing a bell.

"Yes," Iapetus sighed. "Kronos is my brother. I am sorry for the pain he has caused you and your loved one."

I shrugged. "It's better than being killed at the moment."

We walked in silence for a couple of more minutes before I broke it. "Why are you here?"

"My brother wishes to take over the world, and I can help him. That is why I am here."

"Do you wish to take over the world?"

At my question, he quickly scanned the hallway we were in to make sure no one was here and pushed me into a room. The door banged open and he quickly shut it with his foot. I lost my footing and fell, my back connecting with the floor painfully.

I was about to ask what he was doing when he covered my hand with his mouth. My question came out muffled. His silver eyes were wide and they scanned the tops of the walls. They must have caught on something for he quickly took off his black jacket and slung it over a hidden camera I just noticed. He walked slowly back to me and ripped off the bottom of my red dress, stuffing it in the crack at the bottom of the door.

Iapetus leaned against the door and I took that as my signal to talk. "What are you doing?"

"I do not wish to take over the world." In the darkness of the unlit room, I was surprised I could still see his eyes from the distance I was.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"I don't wish to take part in any of my brother's evil plans. I protested against kidnapping you and the Prince and then I was forced to hold the sky yesterday as punishment."

My hand covered my mouth with pity.

"I have made it so Kronos cannot see or hear us."

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"I wish to help you and Percy. I want to get you two and myself out of this hell hole. You do not deserve to be here."

"And obviously you don't either."  I used my hands to help me get up of the floor. I tried to stand by myself but ended up leaning against the wall.

"Damasen wishes to help as well."

"How though?" I asked trying to rack my brain to find a way out of our situation. "How do we-" I paused thinking of something. "How do I know that you actually want to help me?"

Iapetus raised his eyebrows. "I am your best bet, am I not?"

I sighed, knowing his words were true. I would have to trust him with this.

"How?"

"There is an elevator that we can all take back to the ground. Until we come up with a plan to buy us some time to get to the elevator, I can send a letter to the palace and fill them in."

"And you won't get caught?" My hopes starting to grow, like a fire when wood was placed in it. This may work. I hoped it would work.

"I won't get caught."

Iapetus took me back to Percy's and I's cell. Percy rushed over to me as fast as he could, tackling me in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry" He repeated the words over and over, stroking my hair.

I wiped away a stray tear that fell down his cheek. "I'm alright Perce. Better actually."

Iapetus shuffled into the cell and quickly and quietly explained what he had to me, to Percy. We stood with our backs facing the camera in the top corner of one of the walls in the room.

Percy looked over at me sceptical. "Can we trust him?"

I squeezed his hand. "We have to."

"Okay," He nodded. "Let's do it. What was your name?"

"My name is Iapetus, but I do not necessarily like that name." He shrugged.

"Lets," Percy smiled at Iapetus. "Let's call you Bob."

"Bob?" I asked

Iapetus nodded. "Yes. Bob. Call me Bob."

I walked over to Bob and gave him a small hug. "Thank you, Bob"

He nodded and smiled, leaving the cell locked on his way out.

Percy and I huddled together against the wall, drained from a long day.

"Do you think this could work?"

I shrugged, leaning into his warmth. "It has to"

Sorry it's late, but today is Remembrance Day so the time I would normally write was spent at the local service remembering lives lost in battle

BOB!!! I love him :)

Can you guys please slow down? I have a busy week on the way and we're up to 92K reads, which means I have to come up with some sort of special chapter for 100K (!!!) which I do not have the time for!!

Any ideas for a 100k special?

THANK YOU FOR THE READS, COMMENTS, VOTES, FOLLOWS AND SUPPORT. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. THANK YOU!!!

I'm in a really bad state at the moment but you guys have helped me so much, you don't even know. I love you guys, best readers anyone could ever ask for.

That's all I have to say!

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- Squirrel