The Darkness Is Coming

As One Problem Is Solved, Another Arises

Third Person POV

"No..." Will whispered. 

He stepped forward and grabbed Annabeth's wrist.

No pulse.

Her hand was already becoming cold.

"This is all my fault."

"Don't even say that." A familiar voice snapped.

Most of the children of Apollo in the room whirled.

"Annabeth!" Will yelped.

The blonde girl smiled at him, floating a few inches above the ground.

"Hades is giving me a minute." She explained.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be. Annabelle warned me that this would probably happen."

"Annabelle?" Mitch asked. "Who the bloody hell is Annabelle?"

"My darkness. The part of me that stands for all things I am against. Saying that, she was rather passive."

Will frowned. "I'm confused."

Annabeth opened her mouth to explain, then suddenly her form began to flicker.

"Ask Nico, when he wakes-"

"We don't know if he will!" Will moaned.

"He will-" Annabeth dissolved fully.

Will's head dropped. He swiped furiously at the tears falling from his eyes.

"Rest In Peace, Annabeth." Mitch murmured.

"Freddie, go tell Chiron." Will finally said.

He turned to look at Nico and his jaw dropped in shock at what he saw.

Nico was sopping wet from the chest down, but he was no longer covered in ice.

Emmy sat on a chair next to his bed, panting and flushed, her face covered in sweat.

"Emmy, what the Hades did you do?" Will ran forward and began to hook Nico up to a few machines. He went to check the original wound and found that every place that had been touched by the ice had severe frostbite.

"Not...important.... just hook.... hook him up...." Emmy murmured before slumping sideways, unconscious.

Will sighed and went back to Nico.

"Bloody Hades, Will, look!" Mitch yelped.

He spun, expecting to see someone dying.

What he saw was much worse. 

It had started at her hands and feet.

"What's happening?!" Freddie was back and staring at Emmy.

"I don't know! Get her on a bed and hook her up." Will snapped.

"Will, her arms are already covered, how will we get an IV in?"

"I don't know, just do it!" Will ran to the soundboard that connected to the Apollo cabin. 

"Will, we need Martha!" Lauren shouted, ducking under Freddie's arm where they were working on getting Nico attached to the machines. It wasn't that hard for her, considering that Freddie was about 6 foot 4 and Lauren was only 5 foot even.

"Already on it!" He spoke into the mic, "Martha, infirmary. It's urgent!"

"Will, we can't touch her!" Logan yelled from where Emmy was.

"What the Hades does that mean?!" 

Logan held up his hands. They were bright red and slightly blistered. "Our hands go right through her and come out looking like this!"

"Move the chair then and get her away from Nico!" Will snapped.

"Right!" Logan and Mitch grabbed the chair and began to slide it away from the bed that the unconscious son of Hades was sprawled out on.

"I'm here, what do you want?!" Martha burst through the door. Her black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that fanned out behind her head and her dark skin had a light sheen of sweat. Her bow was still strapped over her back.

Will pointed to the two people in question.

Martha made a beeline for Emmy. Her palms began to glow slightly as she held them over Emmy's arms, which were completely glowing now. Her legs also glowed up to her knees.

"Can you fix it?" Will asked, walking over to get a closer look.

"No, but I can slow it. We need Dad to stop it completely." Martha replied, her concentration never wavering from the girl passed out in front of her.

"I'll work on it." Will said.

"Will, Olympus is on lockdown." Lauren reminded him.

"I DON'T CARE!" The boy screamed. "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE ANOTHER FRIEND, MUCH LESS MY SISTER!"

Martha's hands stopped glowing and she looked up at Will. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Wha-" Will was taken aback by the sudden change of topic.

"Answer my question."

"Uh...three days ago, maybe longer."

Martha nodded and turned back to start working. "Go to bed Will."

"What? No! There's work to be done!"

"We'll do it. Get some sleep, you've been with Annabeth constantly." Lauren chimed in.

"But-"

"Will, just go." Logan added.

Will looked around the room, hoping to find some help. 

His siblings' eyes all had the same message.

Go.

Will huffed and stomped out.

"Logan, make sure he actually goes." Martha said.

"Sure thing."

As their other half brother left the room, the children of Apollo went back to work. Martha took her bow off her back and slung it and it's quiver over a hook in the corner.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before they heard yelling from outside. 

Specifically, Will and Logan yelling.

"That stubborn idiot." Martha shook her head.

[A/N How'd she do it? ;) I'll never tell! Jk, I will later...or will I?]