“It’s great for you to come out for a while, isn’t it?” Annabeth smiled. Percy shrugged. 

Annabeth squeezed Percy's hand softly as they walked back to the infirmary. 

“Well, time flies. You’ll need some rest. And smile for me, okay?” 

Percy nodded slightly and smiled gently, for some reason giving Annabeth butterflies in her stomach. She put a hand on Percy’s cheek and pulled him into a kiss. 

“I love you.” she whispered. 

Percy smiled warmly back at her, and tucked a piece of her honey-blonde hair behind her ear. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his expression changed suddenly, his eyes darting around at the darkness around them. Annabeth tilted her head in confusion. 

“Percy? Is there something…” 

Percy put his index finger towards his lips, motioning her to be quiet. 

It was almost past curfew. Crickets were chirping loudly and the stars above them were twinkling brightly, as if they were beaming down at the couple. The moon was hanging luminously in the sky. However, nothing seemed to be amiss. 

Was he overreacting? There was nothing around them. But what is the feeling like they’re being watched? 

“Percy, this isn’t funny, if it was meant to be a stupid joke, I-” 

“Someone is watching us.” 

Annabeth’s face seemed to turn slightly pale at that. 

“Get inside.” Percy instructed, opening the door to the infirmary. “I’m going to look around.” 

“Are you crazy? No way.” Annabeth said, closing the door. “I’m not letting you out there alone when there’s a maniac trying to kill you.” 

Percy gave Annabeth a sad look, but dipped his head, and conceded her company. At the same time, a hooded figure appeared next to them. The hooded cloak was dark green, but the corners were stained with a bloody red. The figure was also wearing old-fashioned boots. From the gap of the cloak was a long hunters' knife, and it was pointed towards Annabeth. 

“Step away from the boy.” The figure’s voice was muffled. Annabeth could see a pair of greenish black eyes staring back at herself. 

“No.” 

Before anyone could react, Annabeth judo-flipped the figure face-down onto the ground and pressed her own dagger on the figure’s neck. 

“What do you want him for?” she hissed. Suddenly, a gun was introduced, as the figure laughed maniacally and the finger pulled the trigger, the bullet grazing Annabeth’s face. Annabeth winced slightly but didn’t move, her dagger was still pressing against the figure’s neck, her other hand was pressing against the figure’s back. The cut on her cheek was bleeding unceasingly. 

“Why are you here?” Percy’s voice was strong and determined, like he had never been in a panic disorder. Percy had Riptide pulled out, it’s golden blade focused on the figure’s head. “I’m not stupid, I know. He sent you here, didn’t he? Tell me. Why are you here?” 

The figure laughed. Wickedly. 

“He is going to kill her, demigod.” 

Percy's expression changed into one that showed fear as the figure dissolved into the ground beneath them and reformed in another space near them, with the gun pointed out towards Percy, the green-black eyes were smiling wickedly. 

“Got any last words?” 

Annabeth scrambled to her feet, using her palm to wipe off the blood on her face. 

“It’s just a gun. No big deal.” 

The green-black eyes narrowed and pull the trigger, and the bullet flew past Percy’s head, burning off a part of his hair. Percy gulped loudly. 

Annabeth scoffed in disgust and threw her own dagger towards the figure, only for it to dissolve into the ground again. But this time, the figure didn’t reappear anywhere near them. 

“Is that thing gone?” Percy asked. Annabeth didn’t reply. She surveyed the area around her attentively. 

“Annabeth, I think you should go back inside…” 

At the same time, Annabeth caught a glimpse of a silver light from the top of the infirmary. She looked up, and to her horror, there stood the cloaked figure in the rooftop, left hand clutching the long hunters’ knife, and right hand tightly holding onto the gun. 

Annabeth cursed loudly. 

“Percy, watch out!” 

It all happened in a second.

Percy looked back at her with a confused look, unsure of what to do, and Annabeth jumped to his side and pushed him to the ground. 

Bang.

Another gunshot. 

Annabeth felt a searing pain in her abdomen as she looked down, finding her shirt slowly being drenched with her own blood. Annabeth put a hand against the wound, taking in deep breaths, trying to stay calm. 

“What the gods just happe- Poseidon’s underpants, Annabeth, you’re shot!” 

Annabeth couldn’t help but laugh lightly, which hurt. A lot. 

“It’s nothing big, don’t worr-” 

Percy cursed loudly as another sound of a gunshot ran in his ears and the bullet dug itself into Percy’s upper arm. 

Percy put his arm under Annabeth’s and staggered inside the infirmary, placing her on the ground as she let out a small cry of pain, and Percy immediately shut the door and locked it. 

“Hang on there, Annabeth, just… gimme a sec…” 

Percy ripped off his parka and pressed it against Annabeth’s wound, trying to use pressure from both his hands, but his right upper arm was bleeding heavily, blood dripping down his hand, mixing with Annabeth’s blood along with Percy’s tears. 

Percy knew someone was standing in the infirmary with them when he heard the sharp intake of breath near him. He looked up and saw Will standing near them, eyes wide open and his skin was turning pale even under the dark surroundings. 

“Help me!” Percy yelled. Will nodded and ran to the first-aid kit, pulling out a syringe. 

“It’s the gunshots, isn’t it.” Will said, running back to Annabeth’s side and inserting the sedate into her body. Annabeth let out a wince of pain, which turned into a sigh of relief and she started to breath normally. “I was going to go out to see who it was, I was suspecting it was Connor and his pranks, but…” 

“Can you help me bring her to the bed?” Percy was staggering under Annabeth’s weight, unable to support her with his injured hand. Will nodded and assisted Percy in carrying Annabeth to the bed.

“When you slammed the door I thought something was wrong and when I came to the entrance, you and Annabeth were bleeding at the entrance.” 

“It’s this weird thing with green eyes.” Percy breathed heavily, putting his hand against the wound on his arm. "Dunno who or what that thing is but I think it knows the man. The man who wants to kill her." 

"To kill Annabeth?" Will asked a little too quickly. A mourning look came to Percy's face as he nodded slightly.

“You’d better go out. I’ll have to take the bullet out of her body and stitch her skin back up again, and insert blood into her veins if necessary ” Will desperately tried to change the topic. “Oh, wait, let me patch your wound up first.” 

Percy nodded as he walked out of the infirmary, his right upper-bandaged arm was clutching his throbbing left bandaged shoulder, which, for some absurd reason, after all this time, was still hurting like Hades. (For your information, the left shoulder was injured a long time before, during his entounter with the man.) As he wandered about in camp, uncertain of what to do, he heard someone call his name. 

“Percy.” 

Percy spun round, looking into the empty darkness around him, his breathing starting to accelerate. 

“Who’s there?” 

“You are such an innocent little demigod.” The voice was laughing. “So, SO stupid as well..."  

“Shut up.” Percy growled, suddenly feeling self-conscious, he took out Riptide in pen form. “What do you want?” 

The voice laughed. 

“It’s too late, Percy Jackson. I thought you would notice.” 

“You sent that thing after me to shoot Annabeth in the gut?” Percy asked, half-growling, half-laughing. “It pains me to see her hurt, yes, but she’ll survive. She’s tougher than she looks.” 

The voice snickered. 

“It’s too late, Percy Jackson.” 

“You won’t be able to save her.”