Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 22

Sean has been in the restroom for a couple of minutes now. He stared into nothing just thinking what has happened up there. He almost told her how he feels for her. He shook his head when he remembers the girl who spilled her drink on him. Nice timing. He came out of the restroom after drying his clothes. He was about to go upstairs to talk to Annabeth again when he saw Chris and Clarisse heading towards the stairs. His confidence falls apart. He glanced at them and let out a deep sigh. He turned his back and walk towards the bar. He failed to notice that Chris and Clarisse's hands were intertwined.

He sadly sat on one of the chair. "Hey!" James greeted. James is one of Chris' friends who work on the bar. He also befriended him. Sean smiled at him. "I saw the others went upstairs." He said. Sean nodded. "Yeah I'm with them." "What do you want?" James asked him. "A beer." He replied. James nodded and went to get one.

Not far away from the bar 4 guys were looking at Sean. "Are you sure it's him?" The first guy said. "Positive." One of the teenage boy replied. "I can't forget his face." The teenage boy 1 said. "Well I think tonight is your lucky night." The second guy said. "So what are we going to do with him?" the teenage boy 2 asked. The two older guys grinned at them. "It's payback time."

Sean was deep in his thoughts when two guys suddenly appeared on his sides. The other one is on his right side and the other on the left. They looked like in their late thirties. The one on his right side look at him and smiled. Sean smiled back. The one who smiled at him turned to look away waiting for the bartender. He noticed the guy in his right side turn to look at the man on his left. He studied them. They looked like those bad guys in the movies. One of them has tattoo all over his arms. Sean felt a chill on his back. He shrugged it off and waits for James to come back.

James comes back and hand in his beer. He said his thanks and paid. "Do I know you from somewhere?" The guy on the left asked. Sean turned to look at him. "I don't think so." He replied. "Really? But your face seemed so familiar." The guy on the left said. Sean felt the chill again as if something wrong is about to happen. Is it possible that they know who he really is? "Maybe you've mistaken me from someone else." He said and about to go when the guy on his right side stopped him. He looks at him confusedly.

"Not so fast pretty boy." The guy on his right side mocked. "Stay for awhile we just want to talk." "I'm sorry but my friends are waiting for me." Sean replied. James noticed them. He gave Sean a questioning look. Sean looked at him and gave him a reassuring look. He was about to stand again when he felt something sharp on his left side. "Act natural." The guy said. Sean eyes were wide. "Don't try anything or else I will not hesitate to thrust this."

He looked around frantically but no one noticed them. James was already busy with the other customers. "Stand up and follow us." The other guy said. The guy on his left drags him up and points the knife on his side. "Be quiet." He ordered. Sean has no choice but to follow them. When they were near the back exit 2 teenage boy appeared behind them. "Nice to see you again. Do you remember us?" The 1st one said.

They were now outside the bar. "Who are you?" Sean asked nervously. He can't defend himself like this. Four against one. "Don't you remember us?" The other boy said mockingly. "I don't know you. I think you got the wrong guy." Sean said trying to reason out with them. Them something hit the back of his head. He immediately fell to his knees. His vision was blurry he felt a hot liquid dripping from his head. "Excited much?" he heard one of the guy said. "Just warming up." The teenage boy said.

Two guys drag him to the corner. He was fighting the dizziness. "What did I do you?" He asked dazedly. One of them kicks him in the stomach. He doubles over from the pain. Suddenly they drag him up. "Don't you remember us?" The other teenage boy snarled at him. Sean shook his head. One of the boys hit him in the face. "Wait now. Don't hurt his pretty face." One of the older guys said mockingly. "What do you want? You want my money then take it." He said.

They all laughed at him. The other teenage boy punched him in the gut. "We don't want your money. Not this time anyway." He said. "We just want to get even." He tried so hard not to pass out but from the hit on his head and their beating Sean was having a hard time.

Back at the bar, James noticed when Sean and the two other guys walk towards the back exit. It seems that they were dragging Sean. He called him but he didn't hear him. He sense trouble. He was about to follow when one of the customers called him. When he was done, he saw Charles heading towards him. "Hey man, did you saw Sean?" He asked. "I've been looking for him but I can't find him."

"I saw him with two other guys a few minutes ago." James answered. Charles looked at him questioningly. "Two guys?" "Yeah I saw them heading towards the back exit. I was about to go look for him." James said. Suddenly Charles felt nervous. "I don't trust the guys he went with." James informed Charles. He head towards the back exit and Charles followed him.

When they got to the back exit they looked around and saw four guys beating Sean. Charles and James were shocked. "Call the others!" Charles ordered to James. In an instant Charles runs towards them. James cursed, he doesn't want to leave Charles but he is right he need to call the others. He hurriedly runs back inside praying that nothing worst is going to happen.

Charles runs fast to where Sean was. He grabs the first guy and punched him in the gut. They were caught by surprise. But after a while they attacked him all at once. Seeing his brother's condition Charles anger rose. He fought them. But he can't take them all at once. "Charles." Sean whispered. Charles turns to look at him. It was a mistake. As soon as he look at them two guys lunge at him. He tried to fight them but he was pinned to the ground. One of the teenage boy stands in front of him and kick him in the face. He felt dizzy for a moment.

Sean tried to pull himself up when he saw that his brother was pinned to the ground. He weakly made his way to them. They weren't paying attention to him anymore. "You're an idiot to interfere." One of the guys said. They drag Charles up. Sean saw that one of them is holding a knife and threatening Charles with it. Sean grabs the teenage boy and punches him. His vision is blurry, he didn't saw that one of them was instantly beside him and thrust the knife on his torso. He instantly felt the sharp pain. He heard Charles screamed. He tries to hold on to the guy for support but he pushed him. The instant his body slammed on the ground his vision went black.

Back at the bar, James hurriedly runs on the stairs. He frantically look for the others, he saw Travis and yelled at him. "Travis!" All of them turn to look at him. He whispered to Travis what's going on. Travis instantly grabs Connor. "What's going on?" Connor asked. "Sean." Travis replied and gave Connor a meaningful look. Connor instantly knew what was happening. "What's going on?" Annabeth asked. "Stay here." Travis ordered and they followed James who hurriedly runs towards the stairs.

Annabeth nervously looked at the others. She knew something was definitely wrong. "What's going on?" she asked. "Did you hear what James said to Travis?" Chris shook his head. "Something is not right." Clarisse said. "I saw the look on Travis and I can sense trouble." Annabeth instantly sat up. "Where do you think you're going?" Thalia asked. "I just want to know what's happening. Sean and Charles haven't come back yet. I'm not just going to wait here." Annabeth said and walk towards the stairs. "Wait for us." The others said.

Travis and Connor hurriedly went to the back exit, James head towards the other side to call the security. They burst out from the door. They saw Sean laying on the ground his shirt is bloody. Charles was being held. They run towards them. Travis and Connor grab the guys. They took turns on beating the guys who was shocked by their sudden appearance. They didn't give them enough time to recover. Charles hurriedly crawls to where Sean is.

"Sean." He tried to wake him up. Charles put a pressure on his wound trying to stop it. "Call an ambulance!" He yelled. Suddenly the back exit opens. Annabeth saw Sean lying on the ground. She hurriedly runs towards him. "Sean!" she called. She gasped when she saw that he was badly beaten and he was wounded. Tears started to flow from her cheeks. "Call 911!" Charles yelled again. "We better get him in the car. The hospital is not far away from here. We can get him there fast." Travis suggested.

Travis and Connor carried Sean on the car. Sean is still unconscious. Chris and Clarisse stayed on the bar to wait for the police. The others went to the hospital. Annabeth was silently sobbing. Sean's head was resting on her lap. She saw that blood was dripping from his head. Charles was putting pressure on Sean's wound. She held Sean's hand while whispering him to hang on.

After a while they reached the hospital. Sean was put on a stretcher and they hurriedly brought him to the emergency room. Travis, Connor, Charles and Annabeth waited outside the room. A couple of minutes later Silena, Katie and Thalia arrived. Thalia and Katie comforts Annabeth who was sobbing. Charles looked so devastated. Silena went to him. She hugs him. Charles was crying. She noticed his bruises. "You should let them check your bruises." Silena said trying to be strong. A nurse come around and asks him to follow her. Charles shook his head. "I'm not leaving here until I know that he is okay." He said stubbornly.

"Sir it may take a while. You should let us examine and treat your wounds." The nurse said calmly. Charles glared at her. Silena look at the nurse and smiled apologetically. "Go Charles, we will stay right here. We will call you as soon as we have news." Travis said. Charles hesitated for awhile but gives in afterwards. Silena went with them. They waited and waited. After what seemed like forever the doctor went out from the room. They all look at him. They recognized him. It was Will, one of Charles' friends. "How is he doc?" Annabeth asked.

Sorry for the cliffy…

Thanks for the review guys! I really appreciate it!

XOXO