Annabeth POV
I stared at the man crouched on the ground in the corner.
Percy was only in his boxers. His tan skin was slightly paler now, and bruises of different colors were staining his entire body with shades of red, blue, and black.
Percy Jackson was alive, but he looked almost like a ghost.
"Agent Jackson," Connor said in shock as he lowered his weapon.
I immediately went forward towards him. Our relationship was a secret, but I couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Percy," I whispered as I knelt next to him.
His sea-green eyes were clouded in pain and conflict as he looked all around the room. Then, his intense gaze fell on me.
"Oh my god, I'm so glad that you're okay," I choked.
However, something was wrong.
When I clasped my hand over his arm gently, his body jerked away in response. I could see the pain and something else in his eyes.
I sat there in shock that Percy actually pulled away from me.
"Percy-"
"Who are you?" Percy asked, immediately interrupting me.
A silent tension invaded the cold atmosphere of the room. I simply stared at Percy before turning back to Piper, Connor, and Agent La Rue.
"Who are any of you?" he cried.
Something was definitely wrong. Percy looked like he was in some deep turmoil and pain. He couldn't recognize us. He didn't know us.
"Percy, it's me. I'm your Wise G-, err, recruit. I'm your recruit at Lake Valor," I said.
I had to fix my words to him since there were other people in the room. After all, no one knew about our relationship, and now, something was wrong with Percy.
"What is Lake Valor? Who are you, people?" Percy cried out as he climbed to his feet.
I just sat there in shock as I stared up at his face.
I didn't want to look at his bruised body. He was a little thinner, but not substantially so. Even though he had many physical injuries, you could still admire the fitness and physique of his body. Percy used to be a swimmer.
"Whoa, Agent Jackson, I'm Clarisse La Rue. Do you remember me? We trained and worked together for years at our institution," Agent La Rue explained calmly.
She slowly made her way towards Percy.
Percy looked close to breaking down. He shook his head as his arms shook in frustration and confusion. His hand touched the back of his head gently.
"I don't know you. Any of you," he breathlessly whispered as tears flowed down his face.
Agent La Rue simply stared at her friend and rival.
I've never seen Percy like this. Hell, the person in front of me wasn't even Percy because he didn't recognize us. He didn't seem to remember anything.
"Percy," I acknowledged again.
His sea-green eyes turned to me and softened. However, he made no indication of familiarity.
But, there was something that I couldn't place.
All of the recruits exchanged worried glances. This wasn't good. Percy didn't even recognize or know me. I was struggled to hold back my hurt and tears.
"Um, we should at least leave. It's not safe to be here for too long," Piper said firmly.
Connor went towards the black-tinted window in the room. This was an interrogation room, so it made sense that another room can look into this one.
"I don't know you. You could be just like those guys. I don't-" Percy faltered off.
His voice was panicked, and he didn't look at us with any trust. Percy refused to come with us even as we started to leave.
Connor came back holding some papers.
"Guys, um, I think that Percy was in an explosion. According to the medical reports and interrogation files, he doesn't seem to remember anything before the accident," Connor explained.
I stared at him in shock. This couldn't be happening.
My eyes stormed as my gaze fell upon Percy again. He was standing solemnly as his eyes wildly analyzed us. Percy scratched the back of his head again.
Oh god, I thought as everything came together.
His last mission was to infiltrate and take down a BlodgeHarm terrorist facility that was involved with human trafficking. Even though a few other agents came back, others didn't. That mission had gone very wrong.
In an explosion (probably during the mission), Percy lost his memory, and BlodgeHarm managed to capture him. And, they were probably torturing him for information on Lake Valor and who knows what else.
However, Percy didn't remember anything past the accident.
Suddenly, the building rocked with an explosion.
"Okay, recruits and Agent Jackson, we need to get out of here," Agent Clarisse said.
"I don't know you. I'm not coming," Percy exclaimed.
"I know that you don't remember us, Percy, but you can trust us," I said softly. "Listen to me, we can help you. I, I, please, just come with us."
I couldn't even think and talk straight. This was all too much.
How could Percy not know me?
Percy didn't say anything as he stared at me. Then, he nodded.
We quickly made our way back to the escape window. Connor was helping Percy walk because he had a terrible limp. Plus, Percy was very exhausted.
Shouts erupted from the ground when they saw Percy.
Everyone at Lake Valor knew Percy Jackson. He was a very popular agent. Jason's face changed to all sorts of emotions when he saw his best friend.
However, in a few moments, Jason would know that Percy wasn't the same.
I wiped a loose tear from my cheek. I was on a mission. This wasn't the time to have feelings. Percy was silently staring at me as I secured the zipline.
I wasn't sure if Percy would ever be the same.
***
"Director Chiron, we found Agent Jackson in an interrogation cell. Now, we put him in another one. How can he handle that in the state that he's in?" I asked firmly.
We had transported Percy back to Lake Valor headquarters.
All the recruits were called into the interrogation training room. There was a large one-way window that allowed us to look into the room that Percy was sitting in.
"We have to make sure that Percy isn't compromised. You know the protocol, Annabeth," the director said firmly.
"But, Percy doesn't remember anything or anyone. This is pointless," Piper said.
All of the recruits were here.
And, everyone heard about Percy. Even a few agents were in the room.
"Percy was away in a BlodgeHarm facility for over six months. We have to follow protocol," Chiron said.
"This is torture. How will Percy (who doesn't have his memory) trust us if we put him in the same situation that BlodgeHarm put him in," I said logically.
"This has to be done. Agent Jackson would understand," Agent Silena Beauregard said with a certain glint in her eyes.
As I said, several agents had joined the room. But, some of them seemed more curious than concerned about Percy.
"Percy doesn't remember anything," I snapped in anger.
This was torture. Percy didn't remember anything, and now, we had to interrogate him to confirm that.
"Miss Chase, you are a recruit. You don't decide what the protocol is," Agent Luke Castellan said sternly. "This has to be done."
I stared helplessly at them before taking my seat.
I watched Percy through the window. He was sitting on a chair and leaning against the table in front of him. They had given him some t-shirt and pants to wear.
Percy wiped his handsome face as he waited in confusion. Poor Percy, he probably had no idea what was happening.
I couldn't believe this.
"I have trained all of you, recruits, to interrogate. There are various ways to interrogate, and you should use your best techniques. Who would like to go?" Chiron asked.
The agents selected Octavion, who I disliked greatly.
"This is so stupid," Piper whispered.
I nodded. I really wasn't able to speak. Percy.
Percy's eyes immediately looked at Octavion when he walked into the room. Percy didn't show any recognition of the recruit.
"Please, I don't know anything. My head, I don't remember," Percy cried.
"We'll be the judge of that. I have a few questions for you," Octavion said firmly. I already had a bad feeling about this.
Agent Frank sat down next to me. Agent La Rue was also situated. Neither of them seemed to like the current protocol, but they still wanted to observe.
"What is your name?" Octavion asked.
"I don't know. They keep calling me Percy or Jackson. I don't know," Percy said in pain and confusion. His hands were shaking.
"Okay, well, you're name is Percy Jackson. What's your age?"
"Percy Jackson?" Percy asked.
Everyone could see how broken and confused Percy was. He was also in pain as seen through his quivering body and storming eyes.
"What's your age?" Octavion asked boldly.
Percy simply shook his head.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't know. I don't know anything or anyone. I'm telling you the same thing I've been telling everyone since I woke up," Percy exclaimed.
Octavion slapped the table causing Percy to jerk back.
I sucked in an angry breath. They shouldn't be treating Percy like this, especially in such a vulnerable time.
"You are not in a position to raise your voice," Octavion said dangerously.
"Are you with them?" Percy asked softly.
"With who?"
"Those people that had me. They'd ask me questions like this and a lot more. I know you guys saved me from that building, but you guys don't seem any different," Percy said.
I noticed that Director Chiron let a shallow breath.
It must've been hard for him to see his favorite student like this, but this was his job.
"Obviously, Percy would think that. Literally, we're not treating him any different than BlodgeHarm probably treated him," Piper muttered.
She also had her phone because she was texting Jason, who wasn't allowed to come in. He still to secure the hostages that we rescued.
I noticed that agents Luke, Silena, and a few others were staring skeptically. However, there were also other emotions that I couldn't quite figure out. Meanwhile, agents like Frank and Clarisse seemed genuinely concerned for their friends and colleague.
I just wished that this interrogation would end.
Clearly, Percy didn't remember anything.
"Well, it looks like Percy really has lost his memory," Agent Castellan exclaimed.
His tone was somber, but his expressions weren't. He quickly left the room followed by Silena and Ethan. Director Chiron told Octavion to gently continue through his earpiece.
"Who were the people that captured you?" Octavion asked.
"I don't know. They called themselves BlodgeHarm, whatever that means. I don't know anything beyond that," Percy expressed.
"I don't believe that for a second," Octavion exclaimed.
He went forward and roughly grabbed Percy's shirt. Percy flinched and winced at the same time as he stared in fear.
I was ready to jump out of my seat.
This was, of course, an interrogation strategy, but I hated it. Percy was a strong agent, who was now reduced to someone that even Octavion could bully.
"Please," Percy whispered.
Octavion threw Percy back. Percy landed harshly back on his seat, which ended up flipping over from the impact.
Percy groaned as he slowly sat himself up. His hands were clutching his stomach and his head as he leaned himself against the wall in vulnerability (still sitting on the floor).
"Chiron, this isn't right," I blurted out.
Thankfully, several of the recruits and agents still in the room agreed with me.
Suddenly, Thalia burst into our room. She immediately went towards Percy's window before turning towards us wildly.
"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" Thalia screamed in anger.
"Thalia, this is protocol," Chiron said.
"Protocol my ass," Thalia shouted. "The man in there is like my younger brother, and you're torturing him despite his condition of memory loss."
"Thalia-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH," she shouted angrily.
Thalia left this room and entered Percy's interrogation room. She immediately shoved Octavion away and crouched next to Percy.
Percy simply stared at her in confusion before Thalia hugged him.
"It's okay, Percy. It's all right," Thalia kept whispering.
They were like family, I remembered. I was glad that someone was able to stop this. However, I was more worried about what would happen with Percy now.
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I hope that everyone enjoys this story. I am very excited to be writing this story. Did you guys expect Percy to have memory loss from the explosion? Let me know :)
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