Hello, readers!

So, we have the second chapter already! While some might argue, this chapter wasn't really needed, I felt like emotions drive a dark story more than actions, so here it is. I was amazed to see so many favourites and follows and even one review.

Thanks a lot to-

Dominique Torreto (Thanks for the fav and follow!)

Memeraii (Thanks for the fav and follow!)

TheSkyWeSawThatDay (Thanks for the follow!

amazingAwesomeness ( I like your username) (Thanks for the review! Follow! And fav!)

certius (Thanks for the follow!)

randomfandom37 (cool username)

7 (Thanks for the fav! Follow!)

and Snowst5367 (Thanks for the fav!)

Till now, I have received one review on the Percabeth side so I'll be pulling Percabeth in the next chapter.

Disclaimer - I don't own the characters.

Percy would admit it. He was scared out of his mind. But in a strange Percy–sort of way, that seemed to calm him down. He was used to the feeling of his heartbeat racing a hundred kilometres an hour. He was used to the feeling of his head throbbing, his chest swelling with unspoken words and held-back tears and his body shivering from time to time.

In a strange way, it calmed him down.

Percy had felt like this whenever he was being beaten by Gabe, his ex-step-father. He knew how to hold up his image – all those years living with his mom, who broke down into tears easily, in poverty had taught him that. Him being the captain of the swim-team and an ADHD, dyslexic kid had taught him how to deal with pressure, even when it felt like a gorilla was marching on his chest.

He knew fear like he knew Lou.

And the familiar symptoms of dead fear calmed him down.

So, while everybody in the bank cried silently and rocked and shivered and tried desperate attempts to retrieve their phones and avoid the guns, all Percy did was keep his hands up, straight up, and keep his expression stone hard. He knew fear and he knew that fear couldn't be avoided – he let it wash over him but he dared not show his fear. The thing with emotions is that the more you accept them, the easier it is to mask them.

And whenever, the grey-eyed girl smirked at him, he showed her his mask face – his wolf glare. Whenever, she glared at him, he tilted his head back to let her glare at him even more. The more she glared, the more confident he found himself. She wouldn't be glaring for so long if she considered him an easy target. That was the basic.

Most of the time, Percy stared at the pregnant woman who continuously mouthed 'sorry.' He wondered how his mom would react when she found out that he was kidnapped. He also wondered if there was a way he could avoid telling her. His mom literally only had him for a family, which meant he only had her. Neither could afford to lose the other. He decided that he would avoid telling her, as much as possible. Which sounded almost impossible. But the thing was Percy was an adventurous kid. He could be gone for a week or some weeks and his mom wouldn't care – not because she wasn't a good mom but because he wasn't the perfect kid. Percy loved expeditions. He went to a summer camp where they did adventures and stuff and his friends were also used to it. They wouldn't wonder about it.

He wasn't a prominent person.

He sighed and just then, the multicolour eyed girl shut the suitcase with a thud and announced,

"Done,"

The grey-eyed girl nodded and took a bag, in which all the phones were, zipped it shut and threw it into some drawer. She kicked the drawer door shut.

"Well, about time," She stood up and took out her gun from her holster. Everybody visibly panicked – some closed their eyes shut and some started crying loudly. Their panic just increased when the girl flicked the safety off.

"Please, please forgive me. I haven't done anything – please don't," A young man in a business suit rambled, his voice shaking horribly.

"Shut up," The girl said to him and her grey eyes found Percy's eyes, "Get up. With your hands up."

The pregnant woman looked from him to the girl, "Please, have mercy on him. He's – he's just a teenage boy-"

"This gun isn't meant for you," The girl replied coldly, shutting up the woman effectively, "Or your baby. I'll say you worry about your child, first."

The air seemed to have thickened with those words. Everyone who was staring at Percy and the girl with injustice, eagerness to say something and a bit of courage, looked down, watching out first for themselves and their own. Their eyes were filled with guilt.

Percy looked away. Guilt was one of the emotions that he did not like seeing. Guilt was one emotion that he could not conquer and seeing all of them guilty tugged at him as a reminder that everything from now on, would be the things he hated – including the broken expression on the woman's face. Now that he thought about it, her brown hair reminded him of his mom, so he leaned in slightly towards her and said the words he always said to his mom when she was feeling blue –

"It's all right. It's going to be okay," He muttered and then, he added, "I'll try to be fine."

The woman looked at him, with a pained expression, "You shouldn't have done that for me. It was- "

"My choice," He completed and then, glancing at her face and her stomach, he added, "I don't regret it. Stay safe." Percy was aware of both the robber girls looking at him.

"What, what is – is your name?" She asked.

"No need," The grey-eyed girl said and turned to him, "If you answer, I'll shoot you right here. Now." She pointed the gun at his forehead and Percy felt a wave of strong, hard, fear crash into him. He closed his eyes to gather himself for a moment.

"Fine," He said, "Got it. No need for bloodshed."

"No need for bloodshed," The multicolour eyed one snorted, "I like this one."

The grey eyed one narrowed her eyes and walked behind him, "Walk ahead," She commanded and the other girl led him to the back entrance, where on the street, Percy noticed was a white SUV. The girl in front of him opened the middle seat door and set the suitcase underneath the street and pulled out a bag of clothes and then, she handed one pair to the grey-eyed girl.

"Here," The grey-eyed girl took off her head mask before grabbing the clothes. Percy was astonished to see blonde curls tumble down in a ponytail. The blonde's face was beautiful but intimidating. She looked like a regal person – someone who rules.

But Percy soon had to close his eyes because the blonde started unzipping her black bodysuit right in front of him. Technically, Percy didn't have to close his eyes but he was too much of an innocent guy to stare at a woman – no matter how venomous – change.

He heard the other girl chuckle, "Look at him, Annabeth," So the blonde was Annabeth, "He's closed his eyes. So innocent."

"Eh," The girl, Annabeth, replied, "We'll see for how long he remains that way,"

"True," There was a pause and then, the unnamed girl continued, "You watch him. I'll change."

Needless to say, Percy remained with his eyes shut.

"Done," The girl said. Percy opened his eyes to find the unnamed girl having dark choppy hair. Both of his kidnappers looked so mundane in casual T-shirts and jeans that Percy had trouble believing they were criminals who'd robbed a bank.

Annabeth's eyes found his, "Good," She answered to her friend, "Now, let's tie him up."

Percy's eyes widened as a different sort of fear started settling into his bones, "Tie me up?"

"Of course," Annabeth replied coolly, "And gag you and let you in the back of the car. Hidden. Scared?"

His voice was shaky when he replied, "Listen," He took a breath, "I am pretty sure I have Merinthophobia and also, Claustrophobia. Merinthophobia is the phobia of – "

"Of being tied. Gagged. Bound." Annabeth replied, "I might be a robber. But I'm sure, I am smarter than you."

"No kidding," The other girl replied as she handed ropes to Annabeth, "She is one of the best strategists in the world."

"A criminal strategist," Percy said slowly, looking at Annabeth and her calculating grey eyes.

"Hey, don't judge," The girl said, patting his shoulders as Annabeth untangled the ropes, "Criminal or not. She's pretty smart. A very intelligent kid."

Percy swallowed. He was looking at the rope, "So, anyway, seeing I have Merinthophobia and Claustrophobia – you'll probably not tie me up?" He asked tenderly.

"Oh, I'll tie you up," Annabeth replied, reaching behind him to tie his hands, "Your phobias just made it more fun."

"Fun," He repeated.

"Definite, popcorn type fun," She said as she finished tying him up and dragged him into the back of the car. She opened the door to the back seats of the car. The double vertical seats, facing each other were lifted up.

"Fit in," She ordered.

"Fit in? What – how?" Percy stared at the small space, and his heart crawled into his throat. He imagined being stuck in the small enclosure of the car forever.

"I did not ask," Annabeth replied sternly, "Fit in or I'll kill you."

That got him moving. He somehow managed to get in, leaning his back against one side and folding his legs beneath him. He already felt sweaty and worked up. It didn't help when Annabeth ordered him to lay his head on the floor and he awkwardly had to cross his legs as he lay down, horizontally in the small, confined space. Annabeth lowered one seat near his legs and sat on it while the other girl shut the door, locking Percy in his misery and entering into the driver seat. Things became worse when Annabeth gagged him and lowered the other seat partly, so Percy felt trapped beneath the seats.

He couldn't even speak. Normally, Percy dealt with his phobia with rambling – a lot of rambling but right now, he couldn't do anything. There were no rubber balls for him to squeeze, no person to calm him down and no escape out. He was stuck.

It felt like he was being cut off by everything he loved and everything he was, when the engine started. He was laying on the floor so he could feel the hum of the engine under him. It was weird. It felt like a thousand ants were crawling under his shirt. Percy widened his eyes and tried his usual tactic of calming down by closing his eyes.

But the second he closed his eyes, he felt even more trapped, as if he was locked forever in a cellar. Percy's eyes flew open. He was shaking slightly and sweating a lot. At this rate, he'd be dehydrated. His muscles were tingling. He wanted to spread his legs, spread his hands, be near the vast, open ocean and shout his heart out.

But he couldn't.

"You're really afraid, aren't you?" Annabeth said. Percy couldn't judge her expression. He felt too 'dam' restless to look at her face. He nodded weakly and stared at the side window, in the empty seats ahead of him.

"I'm thinking, should I untie you?" Annabeth wondered out aloud and Percy's gaze flew to her. His self-made rock-face did not come on. He knew that she could see in his eyes how much he was pleading.

She tilted her head to glare at him, "Kidding. Get used to your phobia."

Percy's hope blackened. His eyes darkened as he stared out the window. How could he have expected anything nice? It was his fault to have expectations for things that couldn't happen.

Suddenly, in the background, Percy noticed the horns of police cars, probably heading towards the bank. Their SUV passed right through. And they weren't stopped. It felt like a monster was stampeding on all of his hopes and one by one, they were all being crushed.

So no getting free, no police, what else did he have?

Suddenly, it dawned on him that his mom might be awaiting him back home. Even though, he did expeditions, he always called her before and after going. Percy closed his eyes and the same entrapment fear came with its claws open at him. He opened his eyes. But he understood that if he was to be tied up from now on, and god's forbid – sleep tied up, he'll have to face the monster. He closed his eyes again and the fear came like a whip but Percy thought about his mother – her warm brown curls, light blue eyes. He thought about Lou, dark hair and green eyes and his fear calmed, replaced by an intensity of wanting to be with them.

Percy really wanted to call his mom…just tell her he's fine.

He looked at Annabeth, sitting silently, her elbows crossed. She had a shut-off aura around her like she could punch anyone who dared to disturb her. Percy dared. He was a reckless youth. He dared.

Percy tapped his fingers against the floor of the car and also tapped his foot against the seat Annabeth was sitting on. A normal person might have ignored the small distraction but Annabeth noticed. She frowned at him.

"What?" She asked.

Percy eyed his gag – tried to. In his visual field, all he saw was a blurred nose tip.

"Your gag?" Thankfully, she got it. He nodded. It was the only thing he could do without feeling stupid.

"What with it?" She asked. He tucked his chin out and looked at her hands and then, his gag.

"Open your gag?" She looked bored, honestly. One of her eyebrows were raised at his pathetic attempt to converse.

He nodded.

"And why should I do that?" She asked. Percy flopped his head back in exasperation. Honestly, couldn't she ungag him first and then ask him questions? It was so hard conversing with his eyes and neck movements.

But Percy tried. He stared at his phone in her lap. She followed his gaze and her eyes hardened.

"You want to call the police, don't you?" She said. Her voice was dangerously low.

"Does he?" The other girl looked back for a second most probably because Annabeth locked her eyes in the front side. That's all he could see from his point of view. What caught his eye was the necklace she wore – with a ring, hanging from it, "If he wants to, we'll throw him out of the car. If the police don't find out about us, then he's useless."

"We'll find whether he's useless by this evening," Annabeth replied, "Keep driving, Piper."

Piper, Percy thought, Finally the other girl's name is revealed.

Annabeth and Piper, sweet names. Who would have thought they were robbers?

"Now," Annabeth turned back to him, "Who do you want to call? The police?"

Percy shook his head. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Then whom?"

Percy tried to mouth but realized it would be useless and he did not know any way of speaking 'mom' with his eyes. He waited for Annabeth to realize this. When she did, she grasped her gun and even though, the safety was on, Percy feared the weapon, because it was in evil hands.

"If you scream or do anything suspicious, I'm going to shoot you. And I know the safety is on but I know how to turn it on." She added and ungagged him. Percy immediately started panting softly.

"Better," He murmured and he was surprised to hear how weak his voice sounded. He licked his dry lips.

"Not for long. Whom do you want to call?" She asked him, eyes bearing into his.

"My mom,"

"Your mom?"

"Yeah," Annabeth looked at him for long, as if trying to figure out what plan he had. The thing was he didn't have one. And after staring at her for long, she seemed to realize that he couldn't possibly speak the lie and maintain it while being so tired.

"What would you tell her?" She asked.

"That I'm fine. And that I'm off to some expedition and that she shouldn't worry," Percy replied hoarsely. He really wanted water.

Annabeth eyed him before deciding, "Fine. But if you say something else that is not needed, for instance, our identities, I'll stab you right here. I don't think a mother would like to hear his son cry while he dies."

Percy nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. But before that can I have some water? My mother pays real attention to me. She'd notice my voice and worry. Please."

It was the first time Percy had actually requested something of his kidnappers. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Piper?" She called out.

"Yeah, wait a sec," Piper threw a canteen of water which Annabeth expertly caught.

"Here," She pushed it towards Percy, "Drink."

Percy leaned upwards before gesturing to his tied arms helplessly.

"Ugh, I'm not your babysitter," Annabeth said as she uncapped the bottle.

"You don't have to do all this if you untie me," Percy pointed out.

"Shut up," He obliged. After all, if a girl - even if a criminal girl - requests anything from you, you oblige.

Annabeth leaned forward and he opened his mouth as she poured down water. Percy felt relieved as he gulped the water. Annabeth wasn't really good at these kinds of things so a little water fell down his neck and under his shirt but Percy was relieved for the cold liquid to cool him a bit. He was so sweaty, even with the air conditioner on.

When Percy was done, Annabeth drank some water herself before flipping the bottle to Piper. And then, Annabeth took out a knife and stared at him. The message in them was clear. One-word slip and she'd impale him. And then, she took his phone and opened it.

"What's her contact saved as?" She asked.

"Uh, mom," He replied. He wanted to scratch his neck but his hands were tied, which made a dose of phobia instincts return. As Annabeth tapped and searched on his phone, Percy felt the need to rub his hands, or his neck or just make movements. He was anxious.

"Oh, Piper, hear this," Annabeth said, "He has 'mom' saved with a pink heart."

Piper cooed, "How cute. You might have a good relationship with her then. Huh?"

"Yeah," Percy replied earnestly, "She's all I have."

"No father?" Annabeth asked.

"I've had an ex-step-dad, wasn't fond of him. And my father's well, he's alive, but my mom and him weren't married or anything. He's just alive." He said. There were days when he couldn't decide who was a bigger jerk – his ex-step-father, Smelly Gabe or his father. One beat him up and was dead. And one barely talked to him or considered him and was alive.

"You have your father's looks, then," Annabeth said, staring at the picture of his mom, "Your mother and you look nothing alike."

"Yeah," Percy said and his voice came bitter. Annabeth raised her eyebrows at that before calling and putting the phone into loudspeaker.

"Listen," She said as the phone rang, "Not a word or I'll stab you."

Percy nodded and his mom picked up.

"Hello? Percy?" His mom's voice came on and Percy felt a spark of happiness, only his mom can procure.

"Yeah. I just-" His mom cut him off.

"How was you day?" He blinked at the question. How could he tell her it was his worst yet? He looked at Annabeth for a second before replying.

"Frankly, in all aspects that matter, today was more on the bad side."

"Same," His mom replied, "I got this angsty customer at the shop to whom I had to give free candy and I had no inspiration to write and my writing seminar isn't going to be held today. And when I came home, it was so hot, and there was no electricity because I forgot to pay the electricity bill and you weren't home to make me lemonade."

"Uh, sorry about that. What I was saying is that –"

"Oh, you didn't tell me how your day was. Go on." His mom said.

Percy looked at Annabeth who was trying hard not to smile, "Um, I told you it wasn't good. The history teacher complained that I switched into Greek for the other half of the essay and the English teacher was angry at me because I couldn't read and he didn't understand how severe my case of dyslexia was. And the punishment for only two awards was running in speedos in the football ground while everyone watched and took pictures. It was humiliating. But the good thing was that to cool off, I decided to travel."

"Travelling, huh? Where?" His mom asked.

"Don't really have a destination. I'm with camp friends. Not really sure when I'll be back." He swallowed.

"Oh," His mom sounded a bit disappointed, "Would you be back for the special day?"

"Don't know."

"Okay…stay safe, fine?"

The irony of the sentence. Stay safe.

"I-I'll try. You too." He replied.

"Yeah, okay. Take care, honey. Love you."

"Yeah, love you too."

The line cut and Percy felt his heart sink. But then, Annabeth had her knife pressed to his throat.

"What is the special day, huh? Is it a code message?" She asked.

"No, uh it's my birthday," Percy replied, trying to ignore the knife, "Eighteenth August."

"Okay…" She slid the knife away, "But seriously? Running around in speedos?" She cracked a smile and Percy felt himself blush.

"Ooh and the way he said 'Yeah, love you too,' So sweet!" Piper cooed, "Are you a mamma's boy?"

Percy reddened even more, "I guess."

"Oh, better." Piper said and then, went on driving. Annabeth retrieved the gag. Percy looked at her eyes but he wasn't pleading this time. He was daring her to gag him.

She dared.

Annabeth's hands brushed against his neck as she did the gag and Percy lay against the floor, once again and the fear instilled but he felt so tired that he closed his eyes and when the monster leapt at him, Percy let him because, after talking to his mom, Percy knew there was no turning way, no way out. The last hope to escape had been stomped upon by him himself.

No hopes left that he could bear.

Only the bitter reality left to face.

He felt a strange sort of peace as his phobia instincts shook him up, made him shiver and sweat.

There was more conversation here but I liked the chapter. I wrote eight pages in one sitting by staying up all night, which is like double of the first chapter and I'm trying to improve my crappy writing. And this wasn't a Tuesday update, I just wanted to write.

Please review!

And what do you think would happen next?

Review on your favourite ships ... that wouldn't sink.

Stay happy, healthy and fit.

Live as if you'll die tomorrow and dream as if you will live forever.

Love,

InnovativeIvia