23.
Hostage
—•—

Annabeth remembered a hazy vision as she laid in the back of the van. Her mind was wandering on a certain black haired person that she knew and loved.

Everything was blurry and she couldn't see anything properly. Her senses were numb as she tried to feebly raise her arm, but her efforts went in vain. She blinked her eyes as the lazy talks hovered around her. She could hear properly but it seemed like her body was trying to stop that from happening and just slump into a deep sleep.

"Now to where?"

She blinked again. With all of her remaining strength, she slightly moved to see who was speaking the words that she had heard. Her mind registered the fact that this person had dark hair.

The voice seemed to belong to Ethan Nakamura was all that she could figure out. Her eyes flitted to the other human beside him.

Luke, she thought in her mind.

Revolted, she closed her eyes, not moving even a little bit and staying quiet.

"You know where. Drive to the lair, where he's there."

Where he's there. Who? her brain fumbled, trying to come up with an answer. Jason...? she thought.

Upon thinking of Jason, she began to wonder about Piper. She felt bad for her friend who would probably be crying.

Then Annabeth thought about Percy. Did he even know about what had happened to her? What was he doing now? Was he wondering about where she was?

Before she could think of an answer to any of those questions, her eyes closed against her will.

Everything went black.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?" He looked up at his concerned mother, Sally. "What is it, mom?"

"Nothing, it's just...you seem tensed. Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I...everything's fine mom, don't worry."

"Your eyes seem to say otherwise," his mother said. "You can tell me, sweetheart. I'm your mom, I know how you act when you are worried."

"Well..." Percy hesitated.

He didn't want his mother to get tensed up too, therefore he kept his silence.

"Come on."

Percy nodded. "I've told you about everything right?"

Sally hummed, as an affirmation for his question.

"Well...Piper and Annabeth went to the police station, and Annabeth told me to go with Calypso and search if Jason left anything behind but we found nothing," Percy continued.

"Mmhm..."

"I called Annabeth and I told her that we found nothing. She told me to drop Calypso and come back to our house," Percy said. "She told she'll be back soon...but she's still not here."

"Have you called her?"

"Yes mom," Percy replied with an exhausted sigh. "But...I'll try again."

He went to the contacts on his phone and clicked on the number with the name Wise Girl with a heart and owl next to it. He put the call on speaker as it rang and rang and rang.

She didn't pick up.
Again.

"See?" Percy said, showing the phone to his mother. "She didn't pick up."

Sally sighed and squeezed her son's arm. "I...just wait for some more time. Nothing bad would have happened to her." She paused, as a dark look passed over her face. "Nothing bad should have happened to her."

The last sentence seemed to linger with an ominous silence as Percy became even more anxious.

"I hope so too." He deadpanned and then walked towards his room.

Sally looked at her son go. She pressed her lips together, wondering where the blonde had gone.

Back in his room, Percy paced around nervously. He sat down on his bed, his hands in his hair. He set them down then started tapping his foot against the floor.

ADHD was not helping him out.

"Where are you, Annabeth?" He muttered.

When she regained consciousness, she still saw black. Her hands were tied and she was sitting on a chair.

A dark cloth must have been put over her eyes, preventing her from seeing anything. She fidgeted around, attempting to move her body.

She stopped when she heard faint footsteps and laid against the chair as if she was still unconscious.

"Seems like she isn't up yet," a voice said. This one seemed familiar, but considering how tired and confused Annabeth was, this could be anyone.

"The spray was really effective, huh?" Another voice said, in a mocking tone.

"Ah, yes," the first voice replied along with a laugh at the end.

"It's her, isn't it?" Said a third voice, and Annabeth recognized this one in a split second.

Her heart began to beat faster as she laid still, trying her best not to move even a little bit.

"It is," the first voice answered.

"Why? Why her? You already killed her mother," the extremely familiar voice continued.

"We need her to get him here."

"Stop telling him everything." the second voice deadpanned harshly.

"Fine, fine," the first voice gave in, letting out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, listen here, if she wakes up you better tell us. Okay?"

Annabeth didn't know what was going on, she couldn't see anything but the person held hostage must have agreed for the two men gave satisfied snickers and the sounds of footsteps seemed to make its way back out of the room.

She remained quiet for a few more minutes before she decided it would be safe to talk. She straightened herself against the chair, then took a deep breath as she tried to slow down the pace of her heart.

"Jason...?" she slowly said, her hands fumbling behind the chair, attempting to tug off whatever was tied around her hands.

"Annabeth? You're awake?!" Jason exclaimed.

She couldn't see him, again, but she could sense that he was somewhat near. "W-what happened?" She asked, even though she felt as if she knew the answer already. "How are y-you over h-here?" Annabeth stammered as she blinked her eyes, her head pounding.

"The same goes for you, but...I'll answer your question," Jason replied.

Annabeth nodded.

Jason recounted his side, from how he parked his car and walked towards Leo's apartment when someone pulled him from behind. Jason told that he learned that the kidnapper was Luke, and someone else he didn't know, through his hazy vision. Then he had passed out.

Annabeth then began her tale, beginning with the call from an extremely distraught Piper who couldn't find him, to them heading towards the police station and meeting Ethan Nakamura, and finally ending it with her kidnap.

"You...know this black haired dude?" Jason asked her.

Annabeth nodded again.

"How come?"

"He used to be one of the people who hung around Luke, back in Stanford," Annabeth explained. Then she told him about how she and Ethan never really talked much. "I don't know what he's doing with Luke," Annabeth finally finished, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Oh...I see, she's awake," came a voice, startling both, Annabeth and Jason. "And you didn't tell us, Jason Grace?" The person snarled.

"Luke! I know it's you!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Untie the blindfold around my eyes."

"Ahh, my dear Annabeth," Luke said, a cruel tone in his voice. "You've woken up. It's about time." He took gentle steps towards her, and his hands covered her eyes.

"I'm not dear to you," Annabeth yelled. "And I am most definitely not yours!"

"Think what you want to think, but you can't change anything, Annie," Luke whispered, his voice becoming dangerously evil.

"Let me go!"

The blindfold around Annabeth's eyes came undone as Luke removed it. The light blinded her for a few moments before she could see clearly. She glanced at the blond beside her and she was shocked at what they had done to him. Jason's hair was messed up, bruises covered his arms and a purple ring lay beneath his left eye.

Jason locked eyes with her as Annabeth let out a soft gasp.

"Why?" Annabeth asked, her voice breaking at the end. "Why did you kidnap both of us?"

"Ah..." Luke began, smiling deviously. "What's going to be fun if I tell you what all will happen?" He chided. "My dear Annabeth...just wait and watch."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop calling me dear!" She insisted then stopped. "Wait..." she mumbled. "Don't tell me you still have feelings for me..." Annabeth looked back at him.

"No wonder that Perseus calls you Wise Girl," Luke remarked then smirked. "You've figured it out correctly."

"Is that why you are teaming up with Kronos?!" Annabeth blurted out, then immediately realised her mistake. As her eyes widened, wishing to clasp her hand over her mouth.

Luke raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he edged even more close to her. "How do you know about Kronos?" he asked.

Annabeth cursed herself for saying that out loud.

"Answer me!" Luke firmly said, pulling her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "How do you know about Kronos, Annabeth Minerva Chase?"

"I..." Annabeth hesitated as she racked her brain, trying to come up with possible—but believable—responses to Luke's question. "I—well, uhm..."

Luke walked away from her. "Leave it, I know who to ask," he replied, mysteriously, and then stormed out of the dark room.

Annabeth looked at Jason, who seemed to be just as nervous as her. "I messed up, Jason, I messed up..." she mumbled.

"Well..." Jason began, shifting his gaze to his feet. "What will happen now?"

"I wish I knew," Annabeth answered with a sigh.

HELLO!
How was this chapter?

Uhm...so yeahhh, things are getting spicy and we are heading towards the end of Begin Again!

I hope you like this chapter and I'll see y'all in the next update, so...bye?
~scarlet