Sorry for the somewhat-cliffy-ending for the last chapter. XD Truth to be told, I finished this chapter yesterday. I don't feel like responding to reviews right now, so don't get offended that I didn't respond to your review.

I hope it isn't crazy for me to hope that this will be the most popular story that I wrote... Unless I write better ones than this in the future. Meh.

Also, can anyone recommend me some fics? I'm having trouble finding some decent ones (no offense).

Anyway, enjoy!

"I think I'm having a late-night read, thank you," I retorted. I put the book back, but Dr. Thorn quickly grabbed my arm.

"It's not night," he said.

"Fine. An early-morning read."

He rolled his eyes. "No students out after 10 PM."

"And how many students do you see following that rule?" I said.

Dr. Thorn scowled. "I would like to know what you were doing with that book, Jackson."

"I told you. I was reading it," I said exasperatedly.

His grip on my arm tightened. "And how well can you read? Especially in a different language?"

"Fairly well, thank you," I said. "Now let me go."

"I never knew you could read. With dyslexia, and this book is in Greek. How challenging," he said, grabbing the book.

I mentally hit myself. I had accidentally grabbed the Greek copy of the Iliad. Why did they even have those here in the first place?

"Just because I'm dyslexic doesn't mean I can't read," I spat. "I'm in 10th grade. I know how to read."

"What a pleasant surprise," he said.

My hand clenched into a fist. It took all my willpower not to punch him.

"If you would please, Dr. Thorn," I said in a deadly quiet voice. "I would like it if you would let me go back to my room now."

I pulled my arm away.

Dr. Thorn simply used amused. "And what exactly were you doing with this book?"

He flipped through the pages, and I paled. He couldn't see the note—Annabeth would get in trouble!

"Ah ha," he said, pulling out the note.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I grabbed the note and gave him a good punch in the gut. He fell, and I tried to run, but he grabbed my ankle. I fell on my face.

"Not very graceful, are you Jackson?" he smirked.

"Criminals aren't known to be graceful," I said. I kicked away from his grip, but Dr. Thorn caught up to me in a few strides.

"Give me that note Jackson," he said. "Or I'll take it by force."

"I'd like to see you try."

He pulled something out of his pocket—a small vial of green liquid. He drank it, and dropped the vial, shattering into tiny pieces. He started changing. His body slowly morphed into a lion's body with a scorpion tail. His heterochromatic eyes stayed the same. His hand turned into a large orange paw.

"Looks like Daedalus has come through," he said, looking at his body.

"A monster," I said, backing up. "You-you… you're a monster."

A projectile zipped passed me, tearing the note from my hand. I looked back and saw a spike embedded in the note, pinning it to the bookshelf.

"Nice," Dr. Thorn said. "Let's see what else I can do."

He sent another spike at me which I barely dodged. I managed to get back to the bookshelf and tried to pull out the spike. No use. It was too strong.

Dr. Thorn laughed. His new form allowed him to move quicker than an average human. He swiped his paw at my chest. It left a stinging pain like from the dog. I felt more blood.

I ducked under his next swipe and picked up my flashlight. I shined it in his eyes.

"Ahh!" he screamed.

He aimed some random spikes and started swiping the air in front of him. Some of his spikes missed, but one grazed my shoulder and pinned me to the shelf. His paw swiped the flashlight out of my hand, and scraped my chest again.

I screamed. I fell on my knees, ripping my shirt.

Thorn morphed back into human. He pulled the spike out with no problem. I guess some of the strength stayed with him.

I looked at him, but my vision was blurring. My shoulder was burning with pain. It hurt more than my chest even though I got hit twice there. I saw Dr. Thorn's face turning redder and redder as he read the note. I was pleased by that scene, but Annabeth would get caught.

"No," I muttered.

I tried to get up, but he dropped a heavy book on my chest. More pain.

He crumpled up the note in outrage and pulled me up roughly. "Come."

"No," I said.

"Then I'll drag you."

He did.

He grabbed me by my hood and dragged me back to the dormitory.

"Why are we going to the girls' dorms?" I asked. The truth didn't hit me until later. "You're not going to hurt her."

"Don't tell me what to do," he snarled, and swiped my head with his paw. I guess he could control his transformations now? Did that thing have like a time limit or something?

He stopped at Room 06G. My eyes widened. "No."

He banged my head against the door and kept knocking for at least five minutes. My head was ringing, and the pain was too much. I slouched between Room 06G and 05G.

"What do you want?" Annabeth said, finally opening the door. "It's rude to interrupt someone's sleep. Especially when it's past one. Plus male teachers aren't allowed here, and I believe that you, sir, are a male."

Dr. Thorn glared at her and showed her the note. She looked up at him. "So? What's your point?"

"You're rebelling against the school."

"Oh, gee. What a surprise," she said dryly. "For all you know, it can be someone posing as me."

"Do you really think I would believe that?"

She shrugged. "It was worth a try to see how stupid you were." She didn't seem to have noticed me. Then again, it was dark, and she was probably really tired. "If you don't mind, I'll be going back to sleep now. Good night." She closed the door, but he stopped her. "Excuse me. You're already being rude enough to disturb a student's sleep for a silly note! And you're breaking your own rules at your own school, and you're complaining that I'm rebelling!"

"You're coming with me," he said.

"I refuse," she said. "You are not my teacher or counselor. You're not even supposed to be here."

I smiled a bit. That was Annabeth. Stubborn, and a bit too prideful for her own good. But that's what made her Annabeth.

"And besides," she smirked. "It's not like those things are true anyway."

That made him snap. He punched the door and it flew off its hinges. It flew somewhere in her room, and I heard several cracking sounds. Annabeth didn't react.

"You're coming with me," he repeated. He grabbed my hood again. "Or he gets it."

He eyes widened. "Percy," she whispered.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Kerr said. "You're going to wake up the whole school! And males in the girls' dorms! Goodness!"

"Blame him," I groaned, pointing at Dr. Thorn.

Mrs. Kerr gave me a horrified look. "I'm going to go get Mrs. Dodds. She'll know what to do." Not.

"Percy, what happened?" she said. She glared at him.

"Choose. You or the boy," he grinned.

"She's right," I said. "This school isn't normal. A normal teacher doesn't turn into a monster and hurt the students at their own school."

He dropped me, and I fell on my knees again.

"What's going on here?" Chiron said. Mrs. Dodds was right behind not looking pleased. Chiron probably came by himself and just happened to run into Mrs. Dodds. "Oh, dear."

I saw Bianca peeking out, her face pale, along with a few other girls. I shook my head, but she still left her room. She told the others to go inside.

"Chiron," Annabeth said. "He hurt Percy, and he's interrupting my sleep and probably some of the others, when he's not supposed to be here in the first place."

"It's not like that!" Dr. Thorn said and showed him the note.

"Ah, I see," Chiron said reading through it quickly. I envied him for being able to read that so quickly. "Well, I'm not going to say this is true, but we are disturbing others. Anyone care to explain exactly what happened?"

Annabeth gave him a quick rundown of the story.

"Just give Mr. Jackson detention!" Mrs. Dodds said. "Simple!"

Dr. Thorn nodded.

"No," Chiron said. "That won't—"

"What's going on here in the middle of the night?" Panacea shrieked. Bianca was with her. "Oh look. Percy, what happened to you?"

"Uh…"

"Okay, all of you, we're going to my office. No excuses," she said. She ushered all of us, even the teachers out.

"You okay, Percy?" Bianca asked as she helped me walk.

"I've been better," I said. The pain was sapping my ability to think.

"I never really liked him," Bianca said motioning to Dr. Thorn. "He's the one who caught us."

"Oh," I said. "Sorry for waking you, by the way."

Bianca shrugged. "I'm still in my pajamas, but I'm fine. Tomorrow's the weekend anyway. You should be worried about yourself!"

She set me down in the bed as instructed.

"This is bad," she said, as the others started discussing things. "I'm going to go get some supplies."

"Percy, I'm so sorry," she said. Her eyes watered. It was the first time I've seen her this weak. "I should've told you."

"No, it's my fault," I said. "I should've waited until tomorrow. I was being stupid." I gave her a weak smile. "I'll go with Thorn. You have to keep researching."

She shook her head. "Percy, no. I won't let you."

I saw Mrs. Dodds leave the room with a smug smile on her face.

"Annabeth," Chiron said. "You're going with Dr. Thorn."

Her face paled. "Just a minute sir."

"No waiting," Dr. Thorn said, and grabbed her.

"Percy," she said, trying to resist. "Keep on searching, okay?" He pulled her roughly, and she gave him a small smile. "I'll give you until I come back."

She let herself be taken away.

"Annabeth," I said, trying to get up.

"Oh, no you don't," Panacea said. She started bandaging my wounds. Bianca stayed by my side.

She gasped when she reached my shoulder. "Mr. Brunner," she called. "It's poison."

Chiron wheeled over. I winced when he touched it. "It hasn't gotten too far yet. We can still save him."

"I'm right here, you know," I said, letting my presence be known.

"Panacea, go get everything you have."

She rushed out.

"Percy," Chiron said. "Keep this. I think you'll need it." He smiled and put Annabeth's note in my hand. "Like Miss Chase said—you'd better find all of those quickly."

He left.

"I don't even know why we have these things," Panacea said, bringing some things that were probably antidotes. "Just try to relax. This'll hurt."

That was an understatement.

Bianca blocked her ears.

"Sorry," she said. "Ready for another one?"

"No," I said. "Please, not today."

"Then take this," she said. "It'll slow down the poison for a while."

She gave me some nasty tasting medicine.

"You'll be staying here at least over the weekends," she said. "Bianca, you can leave too."

"Okay," she said. "Will you be allowing visitors?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, depending on his condition," Panacea said. "Just sleep, okay Percy?"

"Good night," Bianca said.

"'Night," I mumbled as she turned the light off.

I woke up a few hours later into a world of pain. "Panacea?"

"Percy! Oh, you're awake," she said. She stuffed something down my throat. The pain eased slightly.

"It hurts," I said.

"Of course it does," she said. "It's a strong poison, but it travels slowly." She applied slight pressure on my chest. "Does this hurt?"

"No," I said. "I only feel my shoulder."

"Oh, that's big trouble," she said. "I don't think we can cure this with anything we have here. I'm going to go talk to Quintus. I'll be right back."

She left.

"Psst. Hey, Percy!" someone whispered.

"Rachel?" I said in disbelief. She was standing by the foot of the bed.

"The Stolls helped me get in," she said. "I brought you some candy, in case you were craving some junk food." She put a small bag of candy on the bed.

"Thanks."

"You feeling all right?" she asked.

I shook my head. "It hurts too much."

"Well…" she said pulling out something from her sweatshirt pocket. "I got this from Lee and Michael. Apparently it numbs the pain for approximately three hours, but it's best if you don't take too much."

"Give me one," I said and she gave me the pill. I popped it in my mouth and Rachel got me a glass of water. The pain disappeared. "Thanks."

"I heard that Annabeth got taken away," Rachel said. "Can you tell—"

We heard the door open.

"Ask Bianca," I said. "You're going to get caught."

She nodded. "Get well."

She jumped out the window right when Panacea came in. I hid the candy under my blanket.

"We'll get you something to treat to poison around lunchtime," she said. "Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Panacea," I said.

She smiled and left the room.

I looked at Annabeth's note. It was crumpled and a bit torn, but it was still readable. Annabeth, I thought. I carefully put the note in the candy bag. I'd find her as soon as I was in good condition.

I didn't care even if I had to go through that crazy-morphing Dr. Thorn again. I'd find her, wherever she was.