Out Of Luck

Chapter 1

~ Nico ~

Will ran in, followed by Nico. He pushed the people around Shelby out of the way and examined Shelby, Will looked over at Ayla, "What happened?"

Ayla looked too stunned to reply, she simply say down, right there on the floor and covered her head in her hands. Nico went over to her and gently coaxed her to her feet, "Do you want to leave?" He asked as softly as he could, she nodded and he led her out of the room. Before leaving he pulled Kayla aside, "See if you can contact Charlie. She might be able to do something." Kayla nodded and ran off.

He and Ayla made their way to the Apollo cabin. Once they got there Ayla looked at him, tears streaming down her face, "They'll be okay." She said shakeay. "Of course." Nico said, trying for a smile. "They're with the best doctor at camp."

* * *

He was standing in the doorway when he heard Austin say the words that made his heart sink. "They're gone"

Once Austin and the other three who had come to help had gone Nico walked in and Will fell into him, he buried his head in Nico's shoulder. They were so close."

"I know." Nico said, holding Will tightly. "I know. And its hard but... You can't save everyone, all heros have an end."

"That's exactly why I hate being a hero." He said bitterly, untangling himself from Nico's embrace.

Nico wanted to take a step back, he'd never seen Will look so tormented. "But, that's why we have each other. Right?" Nico said, as gently as he could.

Will turned to Nico, the fire in his eyes died, "Not necessarily Nico, I could lose you too. Just like I lost Shelby." His voice cracked, "Just like I lost Harper."

Nico moved to take his hand but Will was gone. The son of Apollo was out of the room. Nico sighed and looked down at the lifeless body of Shelby Landcaster, "I hope you know how much you meant to him." He said to the corpse.

Thankfully the corpse didn't respond.

He looked at the body one last time, covering Shelbys face with a blanket, then he turned and left.

* * *

He found Ayla exactly where he had left her, in the Apollo cabin. She was on Will's bed, curled up in a blanket. He felt horrible he had given her false hope, but at the time he really thought Shelby was going to make it. "I'm sorry." Nico said softly. Ayla looked up at him, "Sorry? Why..." Her voice trailed off as the truth sunk in. "You mean... they're..."

"They're gone." Nico confirmed as he sat down beside her.

Ayla looked at him, a look of despair crossing her face. "It's my fault." She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

Nico put an arm around her, normally the physical contact would have been too much, but right know there were more important things to worry about. Ayla took a long shaky breath, "I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"What?"

"Whenever I come here, bad things happen. First Harper, now Shelby. Who's next, you? Will?"

He shook his head, "That's not your fault, it's just fate."

Ayla looked out the window and heaved a sigh, "I'm the daughter of darkness, Nico. Of course it's my fault... Or it's my fate." She took a shaky breath and muttered, "Will's headed this way." She nodded out the window and Nico turned to see Will walking over from the lava way. "Don't tell him I'm leaving." Ayla said softly, just as the son of Apollo walked in. Will looked at Ayla and Nico sitting on his bed and walked over to join them, he sat next to Nico and put his head on his shoulder as he took Nico's hand.

After a few minutes of horrible silence Ayla spoke up, "It was my fault." She muttered, "I asked them what happened to them, in the forest years ago..."

Will shook his head, "No, it was mine. I-" His voice broke giving Nico an opportunity to point out the obvious, "It wasn't anyone's fault. It was fate."

Both Ayla and Will looked at him, "You don't get it." Will said, "I-"

Nico cut him off, "I don't want to hear it."

At that moment Kayla walked in, her eyes where stormy. "I couldn't get through." The daughter of Apollo sank onto her bed and brought her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry."

Nico felt horrible, he should have known they couldn't communicate with anyone outside of camp. But in a moment of panic he had completely forgotten that. "That's not your fault Kayla," he said, "It's whoever is controlling the communications between demigods."