The Ghosts of Millennia

And the Darwin Award Goes To...

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Annabeth, Ron, and Hermione plan to defend against Angelos. Cho and Genevieve meet up with Annabeth. Nico is rescued.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing
Word Count: 4404

For anyone who doesn't know, the Darwin Award is an internet meme. People win the Darwin Award when they hurt themselves in such a stupid way that it's basically natural selection at work. Think people who take a selfie on a tiny ledge on a skyscraper or stick their head in a car's exhaust pipe to see if it fits. And yes, those are both things that someone actually did.

The Italian translations will be in the end notes since it isn't from Nico's perspective, thus the narrator doesn't know what he's saying.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

____________________THALIA____________________

Thalia knew how well the cohorts could fight. She'd heard stories from Jason of all the times they'd pulled victory from the toughest of odds. But even the Romans had their limits, and, after two days locked in battle outside D.O.A. Recording Studios, the legion was getting tired. Frank, Reyna, and Alabaster were running out of ideas. And they were running out of supplies.

She, Alabaster, and Lou had set up base in what used to be Crusty's Waterbed Palace, empty after Percy, Annabeth, and Grover sent him to Tartarus seven years ago. For a place abandoned for almost a decade, it wasn't that bad. Frank and Reyna were with their soldiers on the battlefield, trying to keep morale up.

"There has to be something we can do," Alabaster muttered, pacing back and forth.

"We're fighting two armies, Al," Lou said. "They're gods. We aren't. Of course it's going to be hard."

"We could contact some neutral gods for help?" Thalia offered. "Apollo, maybe?"

"Okay," Lou said slowly, "but how could we--"

She never got to finish her sentence. Alabaster suddenly gasped and collapsed on the floor, clutching his throat. Lou screamed and ran to her brother's side. "Alabaster?! Alabaster!" He coughed violently, gasping for breath. His face was red, and his eyes bugged out. "He's choking!" Lou screamed.

Thalia grabbed him and forced him to stand. She hit him on the back, hard. Alabaster coughed, and water poured from his mouth. Lou started to chant, and more water came pouring out. Alabaster vomited, sputtered, and heaved. At last, he caught his breath and collapsed on the nearest waterbed.

"What on Earth was that?!" Lou cried.

"Drowning," Alabaster managed between coughs. "I was... drowning."

"What? How?"

"N... Nico." Alabaster coughed again. "Nico's underwater."

Lou's eyes widened. "Al, for the gods' sakes, tell me you severed the connection."

Alabaster forced himself to sit up, panting. "I... never got around to it."

Lou went from shocked to nervous to concerned to furious in a fraction of a second. "You are-- for the love of-- Alabaster! Psychic links aren't empathy links! You're not supposed to keep them for more than a day! Two months was pushing it--you're telling me it's been a year-and-a-half?!For-- for one of the most powerful children of Hecate to ever live, you are the most reckless, irresponsible...!" She hit the foot of the nearest waterbed and made an audible noise of disgust. "Al... what did Mom actually ask you to do last September?"