Hey everyone. I know it has been super duper long since I wrote another chapter, I'm truly sorry. I've been super busy these days, but I still try to write all these Percy Jackson stories. As I previously mentioned in my other story, I wanted to start a blog and I have! Please check out .com. I have all my original stories there and will be posting more and more. And also, enjoy this chapter of Afire with Passion.

Afire with Passion

Chapter Two

A Masked Criminal

"R-Ryan?" Annabeth asked, her voice trembling. Her hands shook unstably as Percy pushed her back , inching away from the man who had a gun pointed right at them. His mask seemed fitting for this occasion as overhead clouds thundered loudly outside the apartment.

He laughed sarcastically, shaking his head. "No dumbass, I'm not 'Ryan.'"

"Hey!" Percy defended Annabeth, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "No one talks to my girlfriend that way!"

The figure pointed his gun at him, his eyes burning with rage. "Shut up, unless you want to die."

A wave of realization washed across Percy's face as he recognized the man's voice. A loud crack, screaming by-passers and his hands shaking unstably in fright, stained in blood.

"Y-You're the man who shot Annabeth!" Percy shouted accusingly towards the man holding a chrome glock, his sights dead on Percy's head. He laughed sadistically, throwing his head back as he retorted sarcastically.

"Took you that long to recognize me from the shooting? What a genius." He remarked dryly, his tone harsh and cold.

Percy gave him a dirty look, a scowl across his face. The man strode over to them, pulling him and Annabeth apart, despite all the kicking and punching being thrown at him. Grabbing Percy by his collar, the masked figure slammed the butt on his gun onto Percy's temple. He fell back, a large purple bruise showing on his temple.

He felt it throb painfully as he touched it, feeling blood slide down his forehead. "Percy!" Annabeth called out worriedly, jerking forward to touch him, but the man pulled her back, slamming her onto the floor.

"Oof!" She cried out. The man turned around, pointing his gun at Annabeth as he pulled back the hammer of the gun. Percy stood up unstably, his vision blurry and unfocused, but he managed to tackle the man at his waist.

He tumbled forward, Percy's weight atop his back. His gun slid across the floor, skidding downwards to the edge of the staircase. "Quick, Get the gun Annabeth!" He shouted. She got up quickly, picking up the gun and aiming it at his head.

"Now shoot his a- He instructed, before being pushed off. Grabbing Annabeth forward, he pulled the gun away from her. Standing up, he aimed at Percy's head, his finger itching to pull back the trigger.

Suddenly, Annabeth attacked him from behind, pushing him down, but she wasn't heavy enough as he gruffly pushed her off. The gun scattered at the side, the man got up, frustrated as he shook his head. Pulling back his leg, he kicked Percy across the cheek, hearing a small snap.

He kicked him again, but harder and with more rage. He kicked him, two, three, four times. At the fourth punch, Percy felt his lips split open with a splintering crunch. He felt his vision darkened slightly as the world around him throbbed uncontrollably. Reaching up, he tried to grab the man's leg as he pulled Annabeth by the hair, with her kicking and screaming, towards the door, still hanging ajar.

"A-Annabeth…" He called out hoarsely, before unconsciousness consumed him.

"A-Annabeth…" He mumbled softly, tumbling from left to right on the most uncomfortable hospital bed in the world. Visions flashed through, of her being killed or being at her funeral. "ANNABETH!" He screamed loudly, jerking up, cold sweat covering his whole body. He could hear the faint, staccato beeps erupting from the cardiac monitor.

He breathed unstably, looking around the white walled room. The smell made him want to puke. He hated hospitals. The smell, the noises from the cardiac monitor, monitoring his heart rate. He had been here weeks before, when Annabeth got shot. He could still remember the uncomfortable seats he sat and slept in for the past nights, uncomfortably shifting from left to right.

Getting up groggily, he stood up, pulling the needle out of his hand as a frantic nurse came in, pushing him down, scolding him to get back onto the bed. Ignoring her, he pushed her aside, but she pushed him back, making him frustrated.

"A-Annabeth! I-I need to find her!" He shouted painstakingly, his heart throbbing badly as his mind flashed back to the moment the figure took her before disappearing. "Yes, I understand you want to find her sir, but I need to sit back down onto the bed." The nurse instructed strictly. "N-No, you don't understand! I need to find her! Before he kills her!"

"Percy, I suggest you sit down. Now." A deep voice spoke from across the room. Percy stopped fighting the nurse and sat back down, burying his face in his hands as he muttered guiltily to himself. "No, no, no. I could have saved her." He cried out guiltily, his voice strained.

"It wasn't your fault, Percy. You tried your best." David stated, crossing over to the hospital bed. He looked up, his eyes glassy with tears. "But I still could've done something! At least knock him unconscious. Now Annabeth's missing and I just pray that she's not dead. "He retorted dryly, giving David a glassy eyed gaze.

"Percy! You have done everything you could! Don't guilt trip yourself over this! We will catch this psycho. I promise you." He reassured him, grabbing Percy by his shoulders and shaking him hard.

He nodded to David as he rubbed his temples soothingly. "If it's not too much. Do you think you could give me a statement on what happened?" David asked, whipping out his small notebook and pen.

Percy sighed, his eyes staring blankly at the food tray that placed in front of him. He ran his hands through his dark, tangled hair, but cringed painfully as he brought his hands down. David stared him, offering him a small smile. "You have two broken ribs." He answered, pointing his pen towards him.

"Oh. Explains so much." He replied wordlessly.

"Percy, in order for me to find Annabeth, I need you tell me exactly what happened."

Unstably, Percy sat up, his voice trembling and his hands shaking as he poured water into the glass. He took a long sip and placed the cup down, fingering the hem of the blanket that was spread across his legs.

"Y-Yeah…Alright." He stuttered.

"Alright, go on." David encouraged.

"Everything was fine, we were watching a movie, eating five bowls of popcorn and enjoying ourselves. Then suddenly, this mysterious figure burst through the door, holding us at gunpoint. I resisted and got on him while Annabeth got the gun. But he was too strong and I was pushed off. He made a grab for the gun, and he aimed at me. But Annabeth jumped atop him but she wasn't that heavy to hold him down. The gun flew out of his hands and he started brutally attacking me again and again and again." He answered, recalling every moment perfectly, but leaving out the part of the mysterious caller.

He glanced at David, who busily jotted down everything. He looked up, smiled and closed his notebook. "Have some rest. We'll catch the bastard who did this." He assured, starting inching away from the bed.

"Wait." Percy called out hoarsely, grabbing his arm tightly. "When I get out of this hospital, I wanna help."

David shook his head, opening his mouth to answer but was interrupted. "No. I want to help. Final." He demanded firmly, his eyes stern.

David sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose gently. He mumbled to himself, as he shook his head. "Fine." He gave in reluctantly.

"Thanks." He replied sleepily, as he felt himself yawn and stretch out his arms widely.

He nodded and Percy felt his eyelids droop down slowly, releasing his death grip on David's arm. He pulled away brusquely, dusting off his jacket as he strode out of the room. Muttering to himself, "What have I done?"

Hours later, Percy still woke in a white walled hospital room, filled with horrible different smells and the faint beeping of his heart. He hoped it would've been a dream, but it wasn't.

He grunted irritably, frustration written across his face. He covered his face with his large hands, sighed as he leaned back tiredly, wincing as he felt pain ride up from his sides. "Shit." He cursed silently, as he placed a hand onto his ribs.

"Damn asshole." He whispered sourly, his mind replaying the moment over and over again, relieving the moments the night before. He smiled softly as his mind replayed seeing Annabeth laugh at the comedic parts of the movie from Gulliver's Travels.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to rid of the horrible memories of seeing Annabeth being kidnapped. "Why. Why couldn't it be me?" He questioned himself. He felt himself grip the blanket seamlessly, as if he was unable to let it go.

Suddenly, a loud ring came from the table beside him. His head snapped to the right, seeing his phone dance across the table like a ballerina in a recital.

Quickly, he slammed his hand onto the counter, peeling the phone away. Cautiously, he checked the caller ID, seeing it as blocked. Curious and uncertain, he answered the phone as he brusquely answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kid." The gruff voice barked out sadistically. His eyes widened and he barked into the phone, his voice coated with venom. "Why the hell are you calling me? Your anonymous tip was wrong." His hissed angrily through gritted teeth.

"The kidnapper is someone you both know." The man answered snippily, ending the call the split second he told him.

Percy heard the faint sounds of end tone, and angrily, he threw the phone across the room, scattering it to millions of pieces.