"What have we here, huh? A little filthy thief?" it wasn't Joe's voice and his thoughts were confirmed as he looked over the gun in the eyes of the owner. It was a big bulky man with ugly black eyes which twinkled in amusement and joy about the fact that he was going to shoot a teenager. He had thick grey hair pulled back in a short ponytail and his face reminded Percy of the child of a pig and a walrus. His thin scarred lips curled into a smile. Joe was there, too.

He stood behind the man, fresh wounds on his cheek, looking at Percy with an unreadable expression but he was biting his lips and his eyes seemed to be surprised if not shocked.

Percy turned back to the matter on hand and let drop the syringe which broke on the floor and the brown and dirty looking liquid made a small puddle on the stones.

"Isn't this the boy, you are always praising Joe?" the man asked over his shoulder, "The one who never would do drugs? The only one of this lot with a heart and dignity?"

Percy didn't know Joe thought of him like that but he had bigger problems in his mind right now and the time seemed to be wrong to shot Joe a grateful smile, besides he doubted that he was able to smile, anyway. Joe looked like he was x-raying him for the reasons of his actions.

Percy turned back to the bastard who strongly reminded him of Gabe. He was still smiling and his gun was pointing straight at Percy's head. One shot and he was dead. "Well?" he asked softly, "Isn't it a shame, I need to kill you? You know the rules, just like the last one did."
He loaded the gun but just as Percy thought about his mother and seeing her again soon, Joe suddenly punched the man who was probably his boss square in the jar. He stumbled backwards looking at Joe stunned before he pointed the gun at him. Joe turned to Percy and yelled, "Run, boy!"
Percy stumbled to his feet and sprinted to the car before ripping the doors open and slipping in right as a shot fell and he looked at Joe's body falling limply to the ground.

For a moment he stopped, gazing at the sight of his boss shocked but as the man spotted him in the car he didn't hesitant. He started the engine and set off while the man behind him shot three times in the backlight before Percy could turn into another street, out of his reach.

How could the best day for ages end in the death of his mother and murder of his boss? As he drive along the street Percy didn't relaxed, his mind cleared and suddenly he could outline what just has happened: He just made himself responsible for two deaths in one day.

He hardly remembers how he got home.

The only thing he could think of was how he stumbled in the apartment and Nico and Thalia started to question him about what has happened in the hospital, how his mom was and everything else he did not want to talk about at the moment. He ignored them, walked straight in his room and lay down on the floor. The bed was a way too good for him so he just stayed on the floor without food, without something to drink, without turning on the heat in the middle of winter for the next two days. Annabeth came in, tried to talk to him but gave up after two hours of silence and decided then to just sit beside him but as she tried to reach out for him, Percy jerked away. He wasn't worth it, she deserved someone better. Thalia came in too, normally she would have been angry for the three shot holes in her car's backlight but she just looked sad as she tried to get Percy to eat or at least drink something. She failed like Nico who brought him a tray with fresh croissants and coffee. As he came back the next morning, the tray still stood next to Percy untouched.

He often heard them whisper outside his door; deciding on whether to leave him alone or not, whether to bring him food or not, whether to yell at him or not, whether to call Poseidon or not, whether to get him a blanket or not, whether to call a doctor or not.

The latter was discussed a lot more than anything else. His friends were getting desperate if Percy would kill himself with his rejection of water and food and they were desperate to see him show any reaction.

Matter of fact is that Percy doesn't show any sign of emotion at all. He just lay slightly curled up in the same clothes like two days ago on the floor, gazing at the opposite wall. His hair was greasy, he was unshaved and thick, purple circles hung under his eyes because he refused to sleep too.

His head was empty, he didn't feel anything anymore and he just kept gazing at the wall. He didn't want to bother his friends with it but he couldn't bring himself to act like nothing is on, he just couldn't do anything, so the hours passed like a few seconds while he lay there on the floor and tried to bring himself to feel anything but failed.

Often he fell asleep but it didn't matter, his sleep was so disturbed that he woke up a few minutes later, anyway. He lost his sense of time. It could be Wednesday or Friday or whatever but he doubt it otherwise he would have died from thirst already but somehow his body kept working, much to Percy's dislike. He wanted to die. It felt like the only task left after killing his mother and boss and after making his friends so much misery.

He didn't die, though, but as he was almost so far, as he could feel that the very last water in his body was gone, the door burst open and Annabeth walked in. The last time she came in, she looked rather sad and depressed but now she looked so furious, Percy has never seen her before.

"Evening, idiot," she greeted and walked to his closet pulling out clothes of him. She placed them on the desk and looked down on her friend, or boyfriend- Percy didn't really know what they are but he couldn't care either. He was supposed to die and she was supposed to live a fantastic life with a handsome, rich man and get a lot of children.

But somehow, Annabeth seemed to think different.

"Get up," she said and looked at Percy with disgust.

He ignored her.

"I said get up," she said and kicked him with her foot like some dead animal on a street. "Now."
Percy kept ignoring her.

"Stop being such a depressed asshole and get the hell up," she was cussing which means she was really angry.

He ignored her. She was better off without him.

Suddenly Percy felt two hands grabbing him by the collar and pulled him on his knees. Annabeth glared at him with a murderous look and Percy knew he wouldn't get out of this, she played this game so much better than him. Her voice was merely a hiss but it sent goose bumps down his arms as her breath tickled on his nose, "You stupid bastard. Remember as I said it is impossible to get down on Gabe's level, well congratulations Percy you managed to do so. You think your mother wanted this from you? To leave this world because she died?"
"Don't talk about my mother," it was strange to hear himself speak again since it sounded hardly like him and it was barely more than a whisper.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "What was that?"
"Don't talk about my mother," Percy said and his voice grew louder and more stable with each word.

"Oh, why not? I just want to tell you how proud she would be to see her son wasting his life giving it up for her. Is it noble? No. Is it idiotic? Yes," she still clenched his collar and their noses were touching.

"Shut up. You didn't know her," he spat and his voice was now steady again because of the anger flooding him as he looked in this damned beautiful grey eyes.

"For example I know that she raised an egoistic asshole. Now, did you know this?" Percy growled as she kept speaking, "But I think it's a way too hard to give her full credit for this. I mean sometimes it's just in the genes."
"Shut up."
"You are sure Poseidon is your father? The similarity to Gabe is overwhelming."
"Shut up."

"You could ask your mother when you're dead but I don't know I would welcome you, if you were my son."
"Shut up!"

"Why should I? You're just a little filthy bastard, who's giving a shit on his life and the people who love him. No mother could ever be proud of you."
"SHUT UP!"

Percy anger burst out of him and he pushed Annabeth away jumping to his feet, as all feelings bottled inside of him, seemed to explode and shoot like a firework through his mind and body. He wanted to shake, to yell at her and to punch her for saying what she has said but as he glared at her, she started to smile suddenly lovingly which brought Percy completely out of concept. She grabbed the pile of clothes from his desk and pushed them in his hands before she stood on tip-toes and kissed his forehead, "Then, show me that you are still the guy I love and the son your mother knew."

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