Fate Withstands

Chapter 7

When Percy came back, he brought a girl Nico immediately recognized as Annabeth Chase. Blonde hair, gray eyes, calculating look. As soon as she walked in the door, she laid eyes on Nico and went to shout, but Percy quickly covered her mouth.

"Annie, please hear me out." Percy closed the door behind them. "Please."

Annabeth moved his hand off her mouth. "Percy Jackson, what did you do?"

Percy scratched the back of his neck, shifting nervously as he looked around. "Well, you see...this is Nico di Angelo."

"And...?"

"And...he's dead," Percy blurted. "Well, he was dead. We brought him back to life, Thalia and I. Zeus wouldn't kill his daughter so can't kill me for it, right?"

"Excuse me? What were you thinking?!" Annabeth stepped closer. "How did you do it? Did Ha-"

"We really shouldn't mention names," Nico said. "We're trying to keep this on the down low."

Annabeth looked him over. "How long ago did Percy do this?"

"Um...awhile..."

"Where have you been staying? I'm guessing with him, since you're wearing his stuff?"

Nico nodded.

"Do you know who your godly parent was? Scratch that, it would have to be someone related to the underworld if you were a shade but still have memories from your life..."

"How'd you know I was a shade?" Nico asked. "My skin?"

She nodded. "So, who's your parent?"

"The name I had just stopped you from saying," Nico admitted. "That was another reason Percy was hiding me."

"Oh...Oh, gods." Annabeth cursed in Greek. "Another of the-"

"We're not saying it." Nico cut in. "Please don't say it. We can't draw attention to this. I just want to help in this war. Let me help in this war. Don't send me back to the fields. I'll do anything."

"You're...desperate," Annabeth commented.

"He spent too many years in the Fields of Boredom." Percy watched the daughter of Athena. "I brought you here because I don't know what to do."

"You already took him. There's no point in taking him back." Annabeth held a hand out to Nico. "Come on, let's go see Chiron."

Nico's eyes widened. "Chiron? The Chiron?"

Annabeth nodded. "He'll have the final say on what to do. If we tell him everything, he'll know what the best plan is."

"Annabeth..." Percy stepped forward. "What if he forces us to take him back to the Underworld?"

"I don't think he will." Annabeth kept her hand out, eyeing Nico. "Come on. Everything will turn out for the best. You have to remember that you are dead, Nico."

Nico took her hand. "I...I trust you."

Annabeth smiled. "Okay. Now, let's get going. If you can help us in the war, it'll be a major turning point in our favor."

"And...you do think I'll be able to help?" Nico asked as he followed her out. "I can control the shadows, and travel through them, and recently we started working on raising the dead."

"We? Percy's been helping you?"

Nico cleared his throat. "Um...no. A ghost has. He said dad sent him but I don't really believe that part."

"A ghost has?" Percy ran to catch up with him. "Is that where you've been disappearing to?"

"Um...is that bad?" Nico asked.

"You should have told me," Percy replied. "I could have gone with you to help you, made sure you were okay."

"I was okay," Nico gestured to himself. "I'm okay."

"You almost faded multiple times."

"Faded?" Annabeth asked. "Explain."

"When I use too much of my shadow abilities, I start to...fade into them..." Nico looked around the camp as they walked, tried to see passed Annabeth and Percy, who sandwiched him in between them so that he wasn't clearly visible to any passers. The fresh air and the smell of strawberries were enough for him, though. "Will Solace can help, so it's not too dangerous."

"Will Solace...son of Apollo?" Annabeth glared at Percy. "Will Solace knew, and I didn't?"

Percy held his hands up in surrender. "I needed someone to heal him. Then...then I..."

"He was scared to tell you." Nico finished. "He was scared you'd hate him for bringing someone back from the dead. Someone who really didn't necessarily deserve it but could use it, I guess. And-"

"You overtalk, Nico," Annabeth commented gently. "We'll work on it. Now, let's visit Chiron." She gestured to the Big House as they got closer. "Ready?"

Nico nodded. "Definitely."