Colors [Percabeth]

Tortured// Chapter 20

Jason

The first breath I tried to take had me gasping for more air. It was as if I hadn't been breathing while I slept and now my lungs were trying to regain the oxygen they had been lacking. The air smelled of a mix of iron bars and mulch.

"Where the hell-" My raspy voice was cut off by someone else's smug vocals.

"Finally. I was getting impatient."

The bag that had been on my head was pulled off, leaving me groaning in pain at the sudden bright light. A dulled throbbing was making itself evident on my skull and nose. Gods, could this headache just leave me alone?

Averting my gaze from the light bulbs, I took in the rest of my surroundings. I seemed to be in an abandoned warehouse, judging from the empty room and the pipes that connected to the walls and ceiling. The paint was a dirty white that seemed to be in serious need of a touch-up. My 'prison room' was surprisingly large. There were no windows, and it was mostly empty for the industrial machinery that must've not been used in years. And standing in the middle of it all was no other than Luke.

I groaned. "Put the bag on my head, I don't want to have to look at you."

He snickered and walked over to me. His body loomed over mine in a mocking way. "Jason, I have treated you with the utmost courtesy so far."

I blinked. "I've been conscious for two minutes, at the most."

He grinned. "Exactly. Don't test my patience, the only soft spot in my heart is reserved for a different blonde."

A growl formed in my throat, along with a bit of bile. "Leave Annabeth alone." I tried to stand up, but I got pulled back. Looking down, I now noticed the rope that tied my legs and back to a chair. A different rope tied my neck to a pipe that hung a few feet above me. Luke scoffed. "Believe me, I want nothing to do with her. She's another one that just keeps on testing my patience."

He tugged at his side a bit with a grim look. A smirk fought its way onto my face. "Oh, I heard. That must've sucked for you. Being stabbed by the girl you thought you had wrapped around your finger and humiliated like that in front of your own gang." I leaned as close as the ropes would let me and whispered, "They all must be really nervous knowing that their leader can be taken down so easily. What does that mean for them? What are the chances of them surviving this war, huh?" He growled and tugged harshly on the rope that was tied to the pipe above. A breath escaped my lips as the rope burned against my neck as I struggled to breathe.

"My gang," he hissed, "will do just fine. We're not the ones missing our leader."

Having no choice, I sat there squirming and listening to him as no rebuttal could manage its way up my throat.

"And besides, I'm not the leader. I'm just the face. Trust me, you'll meet the leader soon enough."

My vision was starting to fade. I heard a scream and for a second I thought it had been me, but the scream seemed to have come from the doorway. "Luke, leave him alone already!"

Luke scoffed. "I'm just having a little fun with him, G-"

Then, I blacked out.

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A/N: Look at that. I was nice enough to give you guys a hint on who the mystery person is. Hmm, I wonder who has a G in their name. Is the g in their first name? Last name? Maybe it's a nickname.Who knows? Oh, if only Jason had stayed conscious long enough. Also, Luke actually isn't the leader, what what? I can promise you you'll find out who it is soon, and they are important.

-Alexa