Hey! Been a busy few weeks for me this summer. Family reunions, camping trips, and basketball tournaments will do that to you, though. I really appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten so far, and I hope it keeps on continuing. I love this story, well, I love to write this story, and I hope you love to read this story.

On to the story…

~GoGreen52

PS: TEAM USA!

Chapter 4- Waking Up

-Annabeth POV-

Have you ever woken up in the dark, opening your eyes to see nothing at all? Have you ever felt that feeling of panic that you get- the sense that you are blinded, that your main sense of security… wasn't there?

Well, I just did.

I woke up in pitch black, total darkness. My heart started beating faster, and I started to breath heavy. I was still groggy from the sleep, and I had a horrible headache, so It was hard to possibly comprehend anything.

Where am I?

My body tensed up when I heard moaning, someone else's voice, and I tried to move my arms to shield myself from whoever was there. I couldn't see them, and I didn't like it at all.

The weird thing was, I couldn't move my arms. When I did, they were restrained back, being held down by an invisible force. I tried to move them again, thrashing my hands around with my wrists. I felt something cold around my wrists, something that felt like a metal.

I moved my arms again, feeling the same restraint, but I used something else that would help me out. My ears. I heard the familiar sound of chains clanking against a solid floor, and I immediately knew what was going on.

I'm chained to something… maybe a wall? Or perhaps a pipe…

I got an idea off of a crime show I watched with my mother one time, and tried to move my legs to I could position myself better to see if I could find something, maybe a piece of loose debris, to pick the lock and maybe find out where I was.

That was when I realized that my legs, like my arms, were being restrained. I couldn't move them either. Well, there goes the plan of actually picking the lock.

I tried to focus in on something that was across from me, to see if I could pinpoint where I was. Or, in any case, find something that could help me get out of these chains. To be honest, they were starting to really freak me out.

My thoughts stopped when I heard yet another moan. I had passed the first one off as maybe a hallucination of the dark, but now I wasn't so sure.

I stopped breathing, trying to see if I could hear anything else. My eyes snapped from place to place, trying to place an Identity to what moaned. I started to tremble, finally coming to the fact that I didn't know what to do. That my thought process wasn't going to help me on this one.

This is the first time I have no idea what to do… and I feel helpless.

Helpless? That's new.

"Ugh, where am I?"

I was knocked into silence from the voice that had come from right in front of me. My body tensed, and I scooted back on my butt as far as I could, hitting a hard surface that I had been leaning on, using it as my rock.

Unfortunately, with that little move, my chains rattled, informing whoever… or whatever spoke, that I was there.

"Hello? Who's there?"

Wait… I recognized that voice. The same person who had teased me on end, and I will admit to the fact that I was also as guilty as he was in that department.

But what was Jackson doing here?

I tried to remember what happened, because obviously something pretty big had to go down for us to be in a dark room together. With me chained…

Ugh. Why is this the situation?

I know for a fact it wasn't that, because my clothes were still on. And, it would take nothing for me to do that with Jackson. And I'm using nothing in the context that it would never happen. If anything happened, that wouldn't. I would rather die.

"Hell-oo! Whoever's there, speak now!"

I rolled my eyes, already feeling more comfortable than I was before when I didn't know what was in front of me. But even now, I was still pretty uncomfortable- in the annoyed department.

To shut him up, I decided to make myself known. "Woof. Now shut up, I'm thinking here."

I could start to see a little better than I originally had before. Now, I was able to see the outline of things, but just barely. There must have been some light in here, which I'm guessing might be from the door, but it's probably behind me considering that wherever I look, there's not a door in sight.

"Okay doggie. Who are you?"

I looked in the general direction where Jackson was, and glared.

"Wouldn't you like to know? At least I can recognize that voice from anywhere, Jackson."

"Chase? What are you doing here? Heck, what am I doing here?"

I sighed, trying to think through my new headache. The one from waking up faded, and now Jackson just caused my head to hurt. Yeah, what was he doing here?

"Look, I have no idea where we are, okay? Now, do me a favor and shut up so I can figure this out."

I could just imagine him rolling his eyes, but after a long time of silence, I knew he listened to me.

Going back through my mind, I tried to remember the last thing I did before this happened. I remembered going to school, seeing Thalia, who brought me through the hallway… Jackson and I's fight, the library, Rachel talking to me, lunch, figuring out Percy was my partner…

Then it just turns blank.

I can't remember anything after that. I mean, I know there's something that had to happen during that time, but I just can't put my finger on it. Now, I officially feel lost. And that's a first too.

"Um… Jackson, I can't remember what happened," I said sheepishly. This was the first time before I've ever admitted something like that to him.

"Well I don't either, so that's a bust," Jackson said, sighing. "Besides, I can't believe Chase of all people can't remember something. Don't you have photographic memory or something?"

I glared his outline. "I don't have photographic memory, idiot. Do you really think I would waste my time going to high school if I did? All I have is just a really good memory. I got nothing on those photographic people."

"Well, excuse me. I was just trying to help."

Believe me. If I could move my arms right now, this would be the perfect time to do a face-palm.

That's when a pretty smart thought struck me. What if Percy remembers more than I do? I mean, if he actually does remember more than I do, he could help me remember it, too. Then, hopefully with that extra kick to the brain, I'll remember what happened.

Well, that would help.

"Since you're trying to help, would you bother to tell me what you do remember?" I asked, my voice echoing in the silence.

I could practically hear the gears turning in his head, which makes sense, because everyone can tell that Percy Jackson doesn't use his brain too much. "Well, I remember some stuff," he said in a leading tone.

"Like what?"

"I remember lunch, finding out you were my partner, use fighting in the class, and then there was a lock down…" his voice trailed off as he was pulled into his thoughts again.

Maybe this was actually getting somewhere…

"A lock down?" I asked, curious. I didn't remember this.

"That's what I remember."

I tried to remember again, thinking back to Mr. Brunner's room, trying to start back at what I actually could remember.

I closed my eyes, and I was met with colors coming and going, noises and sounds coming out of nowhere. They were familiar, that's for sure. I knew they meant something, but I couldn't figure out exactly what. And that was pretty much making me start to twitch.

Well, if you know what I mean.

That's when I started to see things.

Jackson falling flat on his butt.

Jackson passing me a note, resulting in giving me a paper cut.

Mr. Brunner asking me a question, acknowledging my Ancient Greek book.

Being kicked out of the classroom, told to go to the principal himself.

The lock down, how severe it was.

Being in the girl's bathroom with Jackson, hiding in the large stall.

And seeing him. The one I've been running from. Luke Castellen.

At that moment everything cut off, fading to black as if it were a movie that I've been watching. It was kind of like that, but when I opened my eyes, I was looking at the outlines of Jackson, now knowing exactly what happened, for us to be here.

We were kidnapped.

Kidnapped.

We were actually taken from the school during a lockdown. I could feel the fear of before creeping back up on me, threatening to make me start tearing up. I didn't want to be here, especially when Luke Castellen of all people was the person who took us in the first place.

That's what scared me the most.

Luke Castellen.

I started to breath heavily, hyperventilating even, and I started to tremble. I'll admit a few tears fell from my eyes, even. That's how scared I was.

How scared I am.

"Chase? You all right over there?"

Of course. Jackson would have heard me and my little crying fit, and of course he would have to be the one person who would never let me live this down if he knew I was scared. But he didn't have his memory back yet. He would be pretty freaked out, too, if he knew what happened to us.

I took deep breath after deep breath, trying to contain my emotions. Inside, I was absolutely terrified, but of course I couldn't show that. I've watched crime shows, I've seen enough Criminal Minds to know that if I showed fear that my captor would just feed off from it.

Besides, Jackson just happens to be right in front of me, and no way in hell am I letting him see, or in this case, hear, me cry.

No way in hell.

I took another shaky breath before responding. "Yeah, Jackson. I'm just fine, alright?"

Now, I could practically see him roll his eyes. "Yeah, and I've been nominated for the worlds smartest person. What's wrong?"

I looked at the outline of his body, shocked. He actually sounded like he cared.

"You know what's happening to us, right?" I asked, just making sure he didn't know that we were Kidnapped. I mean, I know I somehow knew I was after seeing myself chained, but I guess it just took that confirmation to let it really set in.

"Nope. Not a clue."

Well, looks like someone is clueless.

"Jackson, we're chained. We were in a Lock Down at the school, and the next thing we remember, we're chained to what I think are poles in a dark room. We aren't meant to see where we are for a reason, I suppose."

"What do you mean, Chase?"

"What I mean, Jackson, is that we are kidnapped."

At that moment, you could've heard a pin drop. He had stopped breathing, I guess, in shock. I heard some chains rattle, and I knew they weren't mine.

"W-What do you mean, we're kidnapped?"

"When I say we're kidnapped, it means that we're kidnapped. As in someone took us, and is holding us like we're hostages. The only difference is that no one actually knows where we are."

His voice was quieter now. "That's insane."

I shrugged, on impulse. Of course he couldn't see me, I spoke. "I suppose. But it's the truth, Jackson. Now we just have to find a way to get out of this mess and-"

He cut me off. "Don't die?"

"Yeah," I said. "Don't' die."

"This is bizarre."

I shook my head, disagreeing with him. Actually, under the circumstances, the fact that Luke was actually looking for me, and that he came into the school, armed, and found me with Jackson in the girl's bathroom… was actually all just a mere freak thing.

Well, it was freak for Jackson. But I had this coming.

We lapsed into a silence, going off into our own worlds, really just trying to understand that fact, to concept the fact that we were actually kidnapped. I'm pretty sure Jackson never had this planned out for his Junior year.

Well, I didn't either, but as I said before- I had this coming. I knew something like this was going to happen one day, but I never expected it to be with Jackson, of all people. I knew Luke was after me, as he had told me that one day… but I always imagined a knight in shining armor coming to save me.

Jackson was no knight in shining armor.

I sighed, and laid my head back on the pole… or whatever it was.

I was tired. I was tired of trying to figure things out all the time, getting stuck in these stupid situations, and just being the one who was always targeted.

I hated it.

"This is your entire fault, you know."

My head snapped up, and I glared at him. "And why is that?"

"I started to get back my memory. That blondie that took us… he called you Bethy. He knew your name. But at the same time, he didn't do anything to acknowledge me. If I hadn't 'saved' you, and brought you to that stupid girl's bathroom to hide… I wouldn't be here, would I?"

He made a good point, considering that was what I was thinking about just minutes before.

"You know what? You're right."

I could tell that he was shocked. I mean, I was too, after hearing that come from my mouth. I practically never say those words… especially if I'm talking to Jackson.

"Wait… what?"

Yep. He was shocked.

"You're right. Dang, those words taste like freaking acid!" I exclaimed, spitting, trying to do anything to get those words off my tongue. Metaphorically of course.

"You just said I'm right! Ha ha! Score!"

I sighed, rather loudly this time. Yet again, this was another perfect face-palm moment.

"You do realize that we are kidnapped, right? With no way out?" I asked, laying it on heavy.

"Of course I do. I just chose to be a little more… happy, about it then you do."

"How can you be happy about a situation like this? You're an idiot."

"You can be happy about anything, Chase! You should try to be easy-going once in your life."

"We are being held captive! Is there something that you don't understand about that? Because for me, that is painstakingly clear that we could die!"

Jackson started to chuckle a bit, and that sent me over the top. What was the matter with this boy?

"What is the matter with you? Do you not understand that we could die?"

"Geeze. I think you should take a chill pill and just relax for a second. I'm scared, yeah. Terrified even. But to be honest, we can't do anything in this situation. We could die, yeah, but right now there's nothing we can do about it. Obviously we have to wait. We have to wait for the opportunity to get out of here, and when that time comes, we will get out. I tell you right now- we will get out of here."

I looked at his outline, and I could almost see that face. I knew he was looking courageous… something that I always wanted to be.

Something that he was.

All of the sudden, I jumped at least a few feet in the air when I heard the door slam open.

My eyes met with light, and I heard someone laughing, sounding cold and evil. I knew Jackson and I were in for some trouble as soon as I squinted up to meet the eyes of Luke Castellen.