Here is chapter...4? Hmm, this story is coming along nicely I think. I'm obviously not Rick, seriously my name is ELMO. But that's okay, you didn't know, but now you do so maybe I won't have to write disclaimers so often...

The next morning, Percy Jackson was due for a whipping in front of the entirety of Athens. Annabeth watched with mixed emotions as two Guards dragged him up to a wooden stage, towards a wooden pole where he was tied.

"Percy Jackson," The boy winced at his name. Octavian read on, "has been sentenced to a 100 whippings for treason, theft, murder and numerous other felonies. Captain, if you will." The blonde stepped aside for the Captain to start the whipping. Annabeth wasn't sure what to think as a red line appeared on Jackson's back. He winced. Twenty strikes later, Percy's back was laid open so badly, blood gushed down his back. Annabeth saw something flash dangerously in his eyes. Anger, maybe concern? A warning? Another lash and he yelled.

"NO! PLEASE! NO! DON'T!" His face contorted in pain. Octavian laughed.

"You think to stay the whip after the crimes you have committed?" Percy spat in his face.

"The only thing I wish to stay is your tongue. Shut up before I cut it out!" Octavian sneered.

"Lash him." He spat. Annabeth averted her head away. Lashing was cruelty. Even Jackson didn't deserve that many lashes. Her gaze caught movement. A young dark haired boy stood in the shadows, barely there. Another person appeared beside him. It was the dark haired girl. The Goth/Punk one. Thalia glared at Annabeth and mouthed You hurt my 'cousin'. I won't hesitate to hurt you. Annabeth shivered at the hard glare.

"Piper," She leaned over to her friend. "did you see them?" The brown haired girl nodded.

"Yes. Weren't they the ones from the alley?"

"Yeah. I don't think it was a bright idea for me to argue with their leader."

"But you didn't get him caught. Did you?"

"Yes. I did." Annabeth turned to her friend. "Piper, I'll have their whole gang after me. I won't be able to go anywhere. Besides, you saw how they just appeared. It was like they were already there."

"Annabeth, I think you should talk to Percy later." Piper's muti-coloured orbs swirled. She smiled and patted Annabeth's forearm. "I'm sure he won't be complaining." Her eyes twinkled and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Piper, that would never happen." Piper's eyes widened.

"You like him! Wait until I tell Silena!" Annabeth jumped as a scream pierced the air. Her head whipped to Percy just as his voice broke. He had yelled so loudly he had torn the soft tissue in his throat. He coughed and spat blood. The crowd jeered. Percy glared at them and they fell silent.

"CONTINUE THE WHIPPING!" Octavian bellowed. Crack! Percy yelled hoarsely, not completely able to because of his throat.

Annabeth walked quickly to her room. The wooden door had a note nailed to it. The paper read: You have 5 days to get Percy out of there. If you don't, well, you might want to get him out of there.- Thalia

"Hades." Annabeth swore quietly. She spun and set off at a faster pace to the dungeons. The Guards parted before her as she made her way to Percy's cell. It was in it's own separate place, away from the other criminals they kept there.

"Open the door." She commanded. Octavian looked at her suspiciously.

"Princess, wouldn't it be better if you go back to your room? What would you want with a criminal?"

"That is none of your business. Open the door and leave us." Octavian inclined his head, opened the metal door and proceded to walk away, taking the other guards with him. She stepped through.

"Percy?" She asked quietly. Chains jingled violently. A low moan permeated the stale air of the dim, stone walls. Something dripped onto the floor, making Annabeth peer down. She took a step back at the sight of blood, dripping slowly. Her gaze traveled to the boy in front of her. His black hair, dishevelled, wrists incased in iron, chains pulling his arms upwards yet almost horizontal. More chains kept his feet in place even though he couldn't stand as the chains on his arms kept him in the air.

"What do you want?" His voice was low and raspy, like a file dragged over gravel. Annabeth slowly walked around him, taking in his wounds. His back was completely covered in dried blood that had turned black, his wrists had been torn from the old iron and bled steadily. "What do you want?" He repeated.

"I-Thalia left a note...on my door. She said I would have to get you out before five days passed. She didn't say straight out but-"

"She meant to kill you if you failed. I know Thalia. She would not heasitate with such a threat. You know why they won't come. I specifically told them not to."

"At the whipping, I know." He looked up for once and Annabeth was shocked. His green/blue eyes were dull with pain in comparison to when she had first met him, his face gaunt and bags, slightly black under his eyes.

"You're smart...for a blonde."

"Hair colour shouldn't contradict how smart we are. What if someone with black hair was dumb?" The boy inclined his head very slightly, cracking it all the same. He winced and coughed up blood.

"Touche I suppose. Now, why are you here? I am just as much a criminal as any other in this prison." Annabeth again took his appearance in and realised he was bare except for old trousers. The muscles in his shoulders were tense with the strain the chains were putting on his arms. She gulped and wished he had a shirt on.

"You aren't a killer. I can see it in your eyes just as much as you told me so last night." He sighed.

"You still don't know why your here, do you?"

"Possibly I'm concerned with your welfare." He snorted.

"If you were concerned with my welfare you would've paid the people in the Underworld. Instead, you let us die, we had to find other ways to get money, food, shelter. You left us to die." He sent her a glare fit to kill. She sent him one back.

"Why did you come to return my necklace?"

"Ahh, finally a question worth answering." He gave a small laugh. "I already explained that. It would've been bad to sell it on the Furies. They're the people who trade everything. If I came in holding the necklace, it would've killed my rep. Even in the Underworld it's unheard of to steal from the Royal snobs. Are you a snob?"

"What?" She shot back, off guard. He shrugged.

"I 'spose you're just like all the other ones I've met, all high and mighty. I think Luke might be more your type then. He's a bit of a show pony. You two would probably look good together. Or so Aphrodite says."

"Aphrodite? Like that lady who knows all about love and whatever?"

"Yeah, her. Sometimes I trade at her place. Ares hates me going there though. Mainly because I bruised his pride and secondly, Aphrodite thinks I'm 'cute'. She's crazy."

"I wouldn't know. O've never met her."

"Yeah, well she's the one who told me to give the necklace back. I think she mentioned something once about a daughter who's friends with a princess? Might be that brown haired girl that was with you."

"Piper?" She asked. "But-"

"Princess, you need to leave." Octavian had come back. "We're still trying to get answers out of him and we would hate for you to see him violent. He has a nasty temper." Someone grunted at the back.

"Darn right he does." It was Luke. He went up to Percy and grabbed the boy's black fringe, yanking his head back.

"How's the cut Luke? I thought you said it was just a scratch." Luke sneered.

"Shut up. What's your favourite kingdom, Jackson?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"Grab the first one you see. Start a fire. Make it hot." A guard nodded and grabbed a long piece of iron that had a trident shape on the end. Another started a flame.

"Annabeth, leave." Percy said through gritted teeth. The brand started turning slightly white.

"Leave." He snarled again. Annabeth turned and ran away the boy's screams echoing in her ears as the guards pressed the brand to his forearm.

Oooooh snap, cliffie's back. This chapter was kind of crappy. The next one will be better. I just have other things on my mind right now, like getting a fence back up because a creek washed out the bottom fences in the paddock where my horse and two others were. The pony stayed in but my idiot horse decided to swim through the creek and the fence which happened to be barbed wire. Stupid idiot didn't get hurt but it sure as heck worried me. The other horse that went through as well only got a few cuts. Elmo's fine though. Sorry about all that but review (maybe 20?) and I MIGHT update...BTW this was not spell checked.