Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO characters

Chapter Seven

Annabeth wasn't sure what was going through her head when she left the school. She was trailing behind Luke who was trying his best to hide his limp. His school bag was draped over one shoulder carelessly. Annabeth could see Luke raising his right hand to touch his eye over and and over again. She felt bad for him: Rachel shouldn't have flung a chair at his face but then again, she was clinically insane. How could Annabeth blame Rachel?

Luke walked for a while. At the end, he didn't enter a neighbourhood or apartment building like Annabeth expected him to. She thought he'd go home and she would have to leave before Helen freaked out . To her surprise, though, Luke slipped through the fenced gate of an old museum.

A few feet from the fenced gate were stairs that went up to the double door main entrance. Luke disappeared through the double doors and Annabeth stepped out of the shadows, curiously surveying the museum.

The building was old and victimised to years of thunder and rain. It may have been majestic in its time but in the modern world, it was only a memory of the kind of Romanesque buildings that were popular a thousand years ago. The museum was a dark red, grey coloured from the outside which was unusual on its own if it weren't for the centuries old circus banners hanging down its front. Stained glass windows decorated the entire bottom floor but otherwise, there were no other windows anywhere on the building.

Back when Annabeth was nine, the museum was open to visitors. She wasn't sure why the museum had closed since then but she found it suspicious it hadn't been torn down. Maybe it was one of those old buildings continually renovated to preserve history? It definitely looked sturdy and clean from the outside.

Annabeth opened the fenced gate and stepped through. She hurried up the stairs to the main doors and pushed against the heavy wood. The circular, golden rings that served as the doorknobs clunked loudly as the door swung open.

Inside, it was pitch black. Annabeth lingered in the doorway of the museum. She turned away disdainfully. Like hell she was going to walk into a pitch-black museum. She let the door close before twisting on her heel to exit through the fenced gate.

Annabeth didn't get very far. She took one step off the stairs leading up to the main door and crashed into a barrier. Annabeth kicked what seemed like air but she hissed when her foot hit something solid. She palmed the invisible barrier, jaw dropping open. This wasn't there on her way in.

"Annabeth?"

Annabeth glanced at her backpack, fighting her drooping eyelids. "Percy?"

"Annabeth, where are we?"

"I…"

She glanced back at the museum and poked the solid wall in front of her again. Annabeth turned parallel to the wall and ran her hand along the invisible barrier, trying to find a way around it. She blinked to wake herself up. "Nowhere specific, Percy. We'll be home soon. I just went out exploring."

"I freaking hope it's nowhere because the amount of genie power I can feel here is overwhelming. It kind of feels like I'm back in my homeland and going to school with genies everywhere. What do you mean when you say you went out exploring?"

"I followed Luke. He looked suspicious so I followed him."

Percy went silent for a heartbeat. His voice came out raspy and panicked. "Oh gods, get out of there, Annabeth. You don't just walk into a genie's lair. Especially not when it's a genie who is walking free from the Silverbane chains."

Annabeth rubbed her eyes. "I know. I'm trying to get out, okay? It's just a little bump in the road. Tiny bump."

"Annabeth? Let me out. You sound tipsy."

"No! What if someone sees you?"
An old lady walked past the fenced gate of the museum and raised her eyebrows. Annabeth gave the woman a disgruntled wave before glancing back at the museum building. God, she looked like a trespassing criminal now. She'd look great in an orange jumpsuit (would Leo join?).

She yawned. "Don't worry, Percy, we'll be gone soon."

Annabeth's knees buckled and she landed in the dirt, using only her arms to keep her chest from kissing the ground. It didn't help. Her head was spinning, her vision blackening. She could hear Percy's voice in the background but she was too slow to register what he was trying to say before she fell unconscious.

aoaoaoaoaoaoao

It was cold.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself, pinching her bare legs to keep them from getting frostbite but she couldn't help shiver even more. She opened her eyes, confused. Annabeth sat up. Wherever she was, it was so dark she couldn't see her own hands. Annabeth pushed herself backwards and she hit a smooth wall. A lump lay next to her and only upon touching it she realised it was her backpack.

"Angel?"

"Percy," Annabeth almost sobbed. She couldn't see the zippers of her backpack in the dark but she fumbled with her backpack until she found the familiar lamp.

Annabeth rubbed the side of the lamp and immediately Percy came out in a flush of sparkles. His blood vessels underneath the skin of his arms and chest were glowing blue like glow sticks in the dark. Annabeth could trace out the length of each vessel through the white shirt he wore. He looked like there were spider webs all over him. Annabeth stepped in closer to him so she could see her own hands in the glow his body emitted. She was covered in some dark material that looked awfully like dirt. The ground was made up of that same crumbly material.

She glanced up at Percy who staring at her hands stoically. "Percy?"

"What happened?"

"I was leaving the museum, where Luke went into, when this barrier of air caught me. I got knocked out before I could leave or call for help." She shivered, running her hands up and down her legs to generate any heat.

Percy snapped his fingers and something heavy fell onto Annabeth's shoulders. She stared at it, stunned, before muttering a thanks for summoning a jacket for her.

"I know where we are," Percy said. "It's a genie trap. Only really powerful genies can conjure one up like this but if you followed Luke, it's possible you crossed the boundary of their lair without knowing and the trap caught you. Any second the genies who created the trap will know we're in here and come looking for us. "

"Oh. That's terrifying."

Percy bent to pick up Annabeth's bag from the ground and his glowing vessels shimmered in the dark. "You have to carry my lamp. I can't go far from it because of the chains but you can take it around for me. All you need to do is stay close."

Annabeth silently slung her backpack on before cradling Percy's blue lamp in her hand. Her bottom lip quivered and she blinked furiously to stop the tears building in her eyes. She should never have followed Luke. Dumb. She was idiotic dumb. "We're going to die, aren't we?"

"No," Percy said abruptly."We're not dying. I learned about this in school. The trap is designed to keep us in and so it works as an maze in the dark. If we can find our way out before they get to us, we're safe."

Percy's hand found hers in the dark and he squeezed it in reassurance. His skin was warm; he wasn't affected by the cold.

"Genies, though," Annabeth said. "Do you mean more than one?"

"Yeah. No one genie can conjure a trap like this. Multiple genies are involved. That's why you, as a human, feel so weak and cold just walking around the trap. They've set it up well."

"So Luke isn't the only genie out here."

Percy's bare foot scraped a thorn in the ground and he cursed. A second later, he was fully healed and wearing a pair of thick-soled sneakers. "No, Angel, he isn't. I guessed that a while ago because if Luke got out, others may have gotten out too. It confuses me as well but we get out of here first before looking for how they did it."

"Maybe if it's genies, they'll see you and help you."

"I doubt that."

Annabeth tightened her grip on Percy's lamp. She hurried along to keep up with his long strides. Percy was like a superhero the way his vessels lit up. She offhandedly wondered why it was just his arms and chest area that glowed but then again, it would be more than creepy if all the capillaries of his face were glowing too.

"You're shaking."

Annabeth laughed nervously. "I'm a genie trap. I should be smiling instead of trembling."

"Well, you got us stuck in here in the first place, sweetheart."

Annabeth flicked his jaw and he jerked away in surprise.

"Hey, I'm saving your life here! I even conjured you a jacket; I think a thank you is in order."

"Get me out of here first. Then I'll say thank you."

"That depends on you keeping up with me."

Annabeth put on another burst of speed to jog alongside him.

Percy froze all of a sudden. Annabeth was about to ask him why but he put a finger to his lips and she zipped her mouth shut. Her heart beating at a million miles an hour. The sound of footsteps echoed nearby and her eyes widened in horror. Percy's glow flickered before it went out completely and they were left in pitch black. She was barely aware of Percy letting go of her hand to raise his arms awkwardly. A strange breeze passed through Annabeth's hair.

"I can't keep it up," Percy's whispered in her ear. "Dammit, angel. I'm not strong enough with these chains."

The footsteps were getting closer and closer.

Percy grabbed Annabeth's waist and dove backwards, pressing his back to the wall behind them. Annabeth buried her face in his chest, muffling her breathing into his shirt. The footsteps were louder than ever before they suddenly stopped. Annabeth turned her face, so her cheek was resting on Percy's chest, to see what happened to the footsteps.

Her jaw dropped open.

There was a man, probably a genie, standing directly next to Percy and Annabeth. She couldn't make out his exact features in the dark but just like Percy was seconds ago, the vessels in the man's chest and arms area were glowing golden. Her eyes adjusted to the contrast between his glow and the dark and when his body became clearer, Annabeth almost let out a scream.

The man's skin was in craters. She couldn't even call it skin. It was mountain rock with cracks all over it with some golden liquid pulsing underneath it like lava. The muscles lining the man's entire body were intimidating. There was no way he was human.

Genie. That's what this man was.

Annabeth watched, frozen against Percy, as the man walked a semi-circle around them. She heard Percy's breath hitch above her like he was straining. He was trying to put up some sort of invisibility barrier to keep them hidden from the man but it was clearly a struggle.

The man laughed out loud and his voice bounced off the walls. Percy visibly slumped and Annabeth grabbed his shoulders to keep him standing. His heartbeat was faster than hers.

"Percy Jackson," the man grinned slickly in his golden glow.

Percy's vessels started to glow again and his blue lit up the dark area even more. It was starting to look like a hallway with dirt for flooring and a ceiling that stretched miles above their heads.

"I have to say, I am surprised. I thought it was some raccoon who found its way in our trap. But Percy Jackson?"

Percy remained silent. Annabeth felt his jaw dig into her head.

"You do know who I am?"

Silence.

The man laughed again. He was holding a silver knife Annabeth hadn't noticed before that he spun in one hand effortlessly. "You don't remember who I am. Oh, that's absolute comedy, Jackson. I have to say you might have been an excellent recruit in our ranks one day but alas. And look, you're chained! How does it feel knowing how weak you are?"

Annabeth tried meeting Percy's eyes but he was fixated on the man.

"But then again," the man said. "You remember nothing so what do I expect from you? You don't remember your sweet mama. You don't remember your baby sister who you left behind when you went off to get chained to a lamp. Do you know what happened to them?"

Percy stiffened.

"You hadn't talked to anyone in three years, Jackson. How did it feel to finally open your mouth and speak again after your human rubbed your lamp cage for the first time? Was it nice to know your vocal chords still work? Or maybe you spent the last three years talking to walls?"

"Who are you? You genies should be supporting each other rather than taking each other down."

The man shifted his gaze to Annabeth. His entire body tensed and the golden glow of his vessels intensified. His grip around the knife tightened and his voice came out raspy and livid: "Human. I'm sick of your kind." He reached out and grabbed something in the air Annabeth couldn't see but a second later, Percy yelled out. The man had caught hold of Percy's chains and he was pulling at it to yank Percy away from her.

Annabeth stumbled towards Percy struggling on the ground, hugging his lamp but it took only one more yank from the man and she was on the ground as well. The lamp dangled from the chains in the man's hands He swung his arm and threw the lamp far from Annabeth. Percy went flying with the lamp and he landed in an awkward angle in the distance, crying out, as his glow flickered.

The man turned to Annabeth. His eyes were a wild red. "I'm going to rip your throat out."

Annabeth watched, horrified, as the man swung at Annabeth. His fist connected with her stomach and she choked, pressing her back to the wall. Annabeth ducked when he swung his knife but he grabbed her neck before she could move out of the way.

The man's lip curled as he tightened his grip on her neck. Tears welled in Annabeth's eyes. She would never see Helen or her dad or her baby brothers ever again. She won't ever see her dreams come true. All because she ignored Percy's warnings and followed Luke.

A lurching feeling trickled through her body. The man wasn't choking her. He was controlling something inside her body and turning her insides to mush. Could genies even do that? Her blood pounded in her ears and she slid down the wall, fighting for each breath.

"Annabeth!"

A streak of light passed Annabeth the man screeched, holding a hand that was spurting up in a million little bumps. He swung his knife at her again as she was struggling to her knees. The blade cut through her side, going all the way from her armpit to hip. Annabeth gasped. She couldn't run to Percy but a random bicycle handle appeared in front of her and she grabbed it. The handles sped to Percy, dragging Annabeth along with it.

She stopped next to a glowing Percy just as the hisses from the man behind them became threats.

Percy palmed her side and immediately the pain from her deep cut numbed. Annabeth grabbed his lamp and he helped her to her feet. Percy glanced over her head at the man. Annabeth didn't know what he saw but he grabbed her hand and yanked her away.

Annabeth ran until all that surrounded her vision were black spots. Percy led her down one turn after another and she followed in blind trust. They came nowhere near what looked like an exit. She broke down at some point and collapsed on the ground. "Why haven't we gotten out yet? We're so far from whoever that was. We've been running for hours."

"Twenty minutes actually. It can take minutes to hours to days to getting out of this trap," Percy said, crouching to her level. He was still glowing. "He's somewhere in the maze but he's going to find us again if we don't keep moving. Can you stand?"

Annabeth pushed herself to her feet but her knees buckled and she fell again.

"Great," Percy cursed. "That genie wasn't just sapping your energy. I'm not sure what he did but you won't be able to walk right now."

"Who even was that?"

Percy bowed his head. "I'm sorry, I really don't remember."

"Are we ever getting out of this maze?"

"I'm trying my best, angel."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth choked. "This is all my fault. I'm so, so sorry."

Percy brushed away her dirty blonde curls hanging over her eyes. "Hey, it's me who should be sorry. You never would've followed Luke if I hadn't asked you for help to get out of my lamp. It's foolish to think that I'll be able to. But whatever that is, we've got to keep moving. We have to find the exit."

"There's got to be another way. What if we burned the area down? Once everything is ashes, we can just walk out."

Percy stared at her. "I don't know if that'll work. Besides, my magic isn't the best with fire. I can conjure a lighter, sure, but to make it burn an entire building down? The fire will just disappear halfway through the job. It'll only work if I grant it as a wish."

"A wish. I can make the wish. I want to be home, not wandering around this maze for the next year. I wish I had a lighter and… an entire jug of ethanol."

Percy gave her a quizzical look. "Ethanol?"

"Trust me."

A wind fluttered through Annabeth's hair. Her skin prickled in the breeze.

"Your wish is my command."

aoaoaoaoaoaoao

Annabeth let the last drops of ethanol spill out on the ground. Her legs refused to stand straight so Percy's had his arm permanently around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground. Thankfully, they hadn't run into the genie hunting them down which was a relief but a few times they heard sounds that belonged to other genies and they had to take a detour to end up wherever they were standing now. Annabeth emptied out the jar of ethanol on the ground and tossed the container to the side, flicking on the lighter in her right hand.

Percy's glowing blood vessels weren't as bright as before. "Wait. The fire might kill us."

"Then we'll just have to be faster than the fire."

"Angel. I'm serious. We shouldn't do this."

Annabeth tightened her one arm around Percy that kept her from falling. She felt like a child hanging onto his neck. "You said it yourself. It could be days before we find our way out of this maze."

Percy shook his head and his soft black strands tickled Annabeth's fingers.

"Can you heal me? Maybe then we can cover more ground."

"Not until I can figure out what the man did to you."

Annabeth slumped.

"I wish I could've said something to that genie who attacked us," Percy murmured. "He went on and on about my family and I just can't remember them in the way I want to."

"Do you think the answer to getting out of your chains is something you already know? Maybe the whole dilemma with erasing your memories is because they don't want you to remember how."

She didn't add the next part: Annabeth was starting to suspect the they didn't refer to the authorities assigning seventeen year olds with their genie lamps. The man back there wanted her dead but he also wanted to get into Percy's head. Honestly, though, Annabeth couldn't care less to understand what was happening. She got zero answers following Luke and a million more questions. Get Percy out of the lamp, okay. But anything after that had nothing to do with her.

This time, Annabeth wasn't going to pry. This wasn't her world; it wasn't her mess. It took too long for her to learn that.

Annabeth raised her arm and took a deep breath before letting the lighter fall from her fingers and onto the pool of ethanol a few meters away from her.

Percy grabbed her, pulling her backwards when her own legs failed her, as the flames erupted around them. Annabeth watched the fire travel down the trail of ethanol she left. The ceiling caved in after only minutes of dodging flames and relief flooded through Annabeth. She could see the sky.

aoaoaoaoaoaoao

Helen's cries reached Annabeth before Helen even came into Annabeth's field of vision. Annabeth was sitting on the curb of the street, watching the museum fire rage on while the firefighters who answered the call of a local fire marched into the burning building. It was the same old woman who saw Annabeth through the fenced gate who called the fire department. They found Annabeth on the ground, hugging her genie lamp, unable to stand and covered in grime, dirt, and dashes of blood.

She was lucky they didn't suspect her of the fire: Percy had helped her far enough from the ethanol to be seen as a victim rather than the perpetrator.

None of the genies appeared after the fire and aside from Annabeth, the museum was declared empty. Now Annabeth saw the flames dousing out slowly. A few policemen lingered around her while the firefighters went in and out of the building.

"Annie!"

Annabeth turned towards the voice and instantly collided with her brothers. Helen and her dad were right behind Mathew and Bobby, looking like they walked through a tornado. Helen stroked Annabeth's cheek, fat tears rolling down her face.

"We were so worried," Annabeth's dad said, crouching to come eye to eye with Annabeth. "Annie… we got a call from the fire department saying you were found in the museum. What were you doing there?"

"Research," Annabeth said automatically. "For school. I'm doing a report on Romanesque architecture… I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I went in."

Helen let out a wail and leaned forward to smack a kiss on Annabeth's forehead. Annabeth buried her face in her stepmother's shoulder as a firefighter approached them.

The firefighter gave Annabeth a small smile and draped a blanket over Annabeth's shoulders. "You feeling better? Need some water?"

"Yes, please."

"The ambulance is on its way and we're just going to get you checked out, okay? We'll figure out why you can't walk and they'll probably keep you overnight. The police will visit you in the hospital to get an update of the statement you gave them a few minutes ago."

Annabeth glanced at her legs. They were numb but her ability to walk was deteriorating by the second. Her grip tightened around Percy's lamp. Her backpack was probably charred now; the firefighters had found no trace of it so far. Her jacket was gone too. Annabeth probably took it off in the run from the fire; everything that happened then was a blur it went so fast.

"Annie," Helen said, stroking Annabeth's knee. Her voice quivered. "You can't walk?"

Annabeth shook her head. Her vision blurred and tears escaped her closed eyes. She went back into Helen's embrace, eyes barely open to see a blurry view of her father running his hand through Annabeth's hair. There was no way she could live her life without her legs. Her one mistake cost Annabeth her entire life.

That is, if Percy can figure out how to get her legs back.

Her eyes narrowed.

At the end of the day, it was Percy's memory that he needed. His memories probably had all the answers. How, she mulled it over, did one get back lost memories?

I really hope you guys like this chapter! It took me forever to write and I'm still a little nervous about it haha.

Also, Percy meets someone new in the next chapter... can y'all guess who it is?

As always, thank you so much for all the favs, reviews, and follows :) They make me go happy crazy.

Next update on Friday/Saturday!

~Ami