Falling Through Portals

Back in Enemies' Clutches

Chapter 32

Percy's head hurt. Why did it always seem to be hurting whenever he woke up?

The tranq must have been very strong, he felt like he had been out for ages. He opened his eyes and looked up at the blank celling and groaned. He could feel the straps from the metal chair making their imprints on his skin. Percy breathed in and out trying to calm himself. His heart raced. He had never been as afraid of a particular thing as being strapped to something metal. She did put him in it.

If he didn't keep himself calm he knew his powers would make an appearance and judging on the "truth serum," as the one lady had called it, it would be best for them to know as little about him as possible. Springing the half god thing on them probably would not end in his favor.

"He is awake," called a young male voice. It sounded sterile, almost . . . Percy couldn't put a finger on it. His heart thumped irritatingly against his ribs, reminding him at every other second about how he was back where he had started in the Hunger Games. In a flash of memories he remembered Kim letting the acid drip slowly onto his skin and tear him apart. Sweat formed on his skin. He had to remain calm.

He looked to the side of him, which forced his cheek against the cold metal, he flinched at the cold memories threatened to spill over, he couldn't, he just couldn't, if he let them in then there was no telling how his power would react. Percy saw that he was in a smaller glass chamber outside of a room full of scientists just as he had been the day before. They stood by multiple tables with beakers and all sorts of different tools and equipment. Percy spied the blonde lady who had tried to give him the serum. She was looking at him, they locked eyes.

"Get the serum, we already wasted an entire day with him out," he heard the lady say. Percy knew that this woman was planning on killing him, according to what her instructions were the night before. A shudder went through him as he remembered his dreams from the night before last. It was only a thin veil that kept his horrifying sorrow from mind. His failure to Annabeth threatened to crash upon him. One thought in the direction of his own situation outside of what he was currently going through and Percy knew that he would shatter. But he was on survival mode, he had to live.

The male voice he had heard earlier walked up to him and prepped the needle before he put it in his arm. Percy hissed at the boy, his eyes widened at the noise.

"What?" Percy asked with a smirk, "Never get hissed at?" Percy didn't care if he sounded like the Ares Cabin when they were defending themselves, it all seemed to have little effect on him. Percy thought it was almost funny how most things seemed to cease from mattering when you lose what matters most in your life.

"No," the guy answered stiffly, there was something familiar about this kid. Percy frowned and looked up at him.

"You look familiar," Percy said.

"I have never met you before," The guy said. Percy searched the guy's face for what was causing him to look familiar. Then he realized.

"Tris," Percy said. They guy looked like someone had just pointed a gun at him, "are you related to a girl named Tris?" Percy asked, "I think she transferred to Dauntless from Abnegation."

"I . . ." the guy tried to answer but looked at Percy with fear.

"Caleb! Remove yourself!" called the blonde lady. Caleb, apparently, stumbled out of the glass room only for blonde lady to enter. She smiled at him, but it wasn't with happiness, or love, or just to smile. Her smile was one that a butcher gives when he is about to kill a prime calf that he knows will sell for a fine price. She picked up the needle that Caleb had left and she made her way to his side.