A perplexed Percy Jackson rushed back into the infirmary, slamming the door open, finding Annabeth sleeping peacefully on the bed, snoring soundly. Will was washing his hands. 

“Ah, Percy!” Will said, grinning in a pleased way. “I was just about to find you. Annabeth’s fine. She’ll have to rest for a few days, but she’s totally fine. She isn’t in shock, thank goodness. So she’ll be alright. She just has to take morphine. Percy, is your hand okay?” Will pointed at Percy’s left arm, which was trembling madly. 

 “Sh-she’s okay?” Percy asked, uncertainly. 

“Of course she’s okay.” Will said brightly. “Isn’t that good?” 

Percy walked out of the infirmary, leaving Will’s obvious question unanswered. Of course it was good. However, if that is the case, what did the man mean? 

Annabeth was safely snuggled under the bedsheets and Percy trusted Will would protect her. 

Unless… 

“I will kill her.” 

The man had only said her, but he didn’t intend it to whom... 

No. 

This was not happening. 

Percy heart pounded loudly in his chest as he ran to Annabeth’s cabin, hastily opening her bedside drawer, and took out her emergency mobile phone. His hands were shaking. 

“Please…” Percy muttered. “Please be okay.” 

“Mom, I can’t survive without you.” 

The line rang. To Percy, it seemed like it rang for an eternity. 

‘Hi, I’m Sally Jackson. I’m not available at the moment. Please leave your nam-” 

“Crud, no!” Percy threw the phone on Annabeth’s bed furiously, as he himself plopped down on the edge of her bed with his head resting on his hands, while unnoticed tears started to fall from his eyes. “I’m so stupid…” 

Suddenly, Annabeth’s phone started vibrating on the bed, Percy jumped up and took the phone, gasped hopefully as he saw it was a text from his own mother’s phone number. 

Thank gods, she’s fine. 

Percy clicked the text open to read it.

His heart almost stopped beating. 

I guess you finally understood what my plan was, Percy Jackson. 

Percy closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. He continued reading. 

Now, be a good boy and go to the forest in the camp and we shall meet again. Do exactly as I say.  Wouldn’t want your mother’s corpse sleeping in your precious Camp Half-Blood, would you? 

Tears started to fall once more. How did he know? How did the man know one of Percy’s weak points is his own mother?

Don’t even think about telling anyone else, demigod. See you in five minutes. 

The text stopped there. Percy’s skin has gone icy cold, as if the temperature around him had just dropped suddenly. 

He’s got five minutes. The forest was just a few miles away. Percy looked at Annabeth’s opened sketchbook on her bedside table, a pencil put beside her unfinished blueprint of a design of Olympus. Percy flipped to a new page, and was about to take hold of the pencil, when suddenly a new text appeared. 

I am watching you. 

Percy felt himself get dazed with fear as a cold shiver run down his spine. He looked around, waiting for a pair of red eyes staring back at him, or whether there were surveillance cameras around. None. Percy gave up on the idea of writing a note and left the cabin, praying silently that his mother wasn’t hurt. Percy knew that the man was toying him, luring Percy in his trap, and his mother was only the bait. But Percy couldn’t help it. He’s already heartbroken enough to see Annabeth get shot in the guts, and he couldn’t bear seeing his beloved mother in pain. And, if anything happens, Percy’s still got Riptide. 

The phone vibrated. Another new text. 

Put Riptide on the ground, hidden with grass, and don’t make any sound. 

Could this man read Percy’s mind or something? 

Panic clawed at Percy’s mind. What was he going to do? He was going to be defenceless, and it would be a losing battle. There was no way Percy could defeat that man defenceless. No way at all. Percy put Riptide in pen form on the ground, hidden in the green grass, as he stood up and continued to walk to the forest. Until he saw his mother. 

And a pair of red eyes glowing in the darkness beside her. 

"You were quicker than I thought you would be." 

Percy looked at his own mother, who was now struggling under the duct tape around her body. A knife was put against the side of her cheek, the tip harshly pressed below the corner her eye, a small trickle of blood slowly running down her cheek. 

"You've got me now, so let her go." Percy demanded, not taking his eyes off his mother. The man laughed cruelly. 

"I'm the one who set the rules to this game, Percy Jackson." 

The blade of the knife dug deeper into Sally’s skin, a trail of dark crimson blood trailing down her cheek, as if blood was coming out from the corner of her eyes. 

His mother made no sound of agony, but to Percy, the sight felt like a knife slicing through his heart. Percy clenched his teeth tightly. 

“Follow the instructions or I’ll start to give you back your mother in pieces.” 

“You don’t have to threaten her to make me listen to you.” 

“Drink that potion placed on the ground.” the man ignored Sally’s muffled cries from under the duct tape. 

Percy crouched down and took hold of the vile of indigo liquid. 

“What is that? And what if it’s poison?” Sally’s cries were gradually becoming muffled screams. "How do I know whether you would hurt my mother after I drink this?” 

“We’re not playing 99 questions, Jackson.” the man snarled. “Drink up.” 

Percy narrowed his eyes. 

“I won’t hurt her.” the man answered. “She’s not what I want. Now drink up before I change my mind.” 

Percy opened the vile slowly and reluctantly, and when he was about to put the liquid to his lips,  there was a ruffling of leaves and to Percy’s surprise, Katie Gardner was standing beside the tree. 

“Ah! Percy, everyone is looking for- Holy Demeter, why is your mother taped up?” 

Percy almost dropped the vile. 

“Wha- Katie?” 

Percy could hear the man snarling in disgust. 

Apparently, so did Katie. 

“Who’s there?” she growled. The man laughed in a disinterested way. 

“You’d be wishing you were never here, Miss Gardner.” 

A shadow whizzed past as the knife sliced at Katie’s face, but Katie dodged just in time, with the knife cutting off a small lock of her hazel hair. 

“Who do you think you are?” Katie snapped, pulling out her own knife, swooping it towards her attacker. The shadow moved, dodging the attack, sharp teeth glowing in the darkness. 

"You should seriously try to stop putting your nose into other people's business, Katie." 

The knife was now positioned at Katie's neck, as Katie gave out a yelp of horror, and she was silenced by a small piece of duct tape. 

"Drink the vile. Now." 

"But..." 

"Now." 

He turned his head to Katie, who looked really confused about this whole meeting, but she was motioning Percy to put the vile down. 

"You'd better tell me what is going on when I get back." Percy said jokingly. He took the vile to his lips, and smiled sadly to his mother. Tears were running down her brown eyes as she was shaking her head furiously. 

"Mom. I'll be back in no time." 

Pery gulped down the liquid, which tasted disgusting, and almost immediately he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, and his vision started to get blurry.

"I'm sorry.” he mumbled.

The man laughed.

"You've done nothing wrong, Percy Jackson. It's all going as planned." 

Percy Jackson dropped to the ground.