"The moment I met you,
I held my breath.
And you've been taking
it away ever since,
Nico di Angelo."
[ NICO DI ANGELO x MALE OC ]
[ PERCY JACKSON SERIES ]
[ HEROES OF OLYMPUS SERIES ]
cover by @humaneity !
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0009. | THE LOSS OF ANY AND ALL CONTROL
Sally cried. Paul did too, though he was a bit more discreet when wiping his tears. Then Sally became frantic, shaking Vela for answers. Paul had pulled her back with a struggle, told her to leave him be. Then she made coffee for them but a tea for Vela. They drank, he talked. Told them as much as he could. Told Sally that Poseidon was looking for their son which seemed to calm her down a bit, and told Paul that he'd do his best to find him himself.
He knew Paul knew he was only saying it to comfort them both, but Paul didn't say anything about it. He just smiled and thanked him. Wished him luck. Vela finished his tea, thanked Sally for making it. Promised her too that he'd find her son. She believed him. He didn't know if that made him feel worse or better. He suspected worse.
Vela wasn't good with pressure despite putting a lot of it on himself. He realised it after he kept telling people he'd find Percy. He told his mom, he told Percy's parents, and he knew Annabeth expected it of him too. He knew secretly, though she never voiced it, that she expected him to find Percy; that she had faith that he'd fix all her problems for her. Why wouldn't she think that? He had before. He saved her from Kampê, killed Hyperion, even let her choose how Luke or Kronos or whatever died. He always fixed her problems, why would this time be any different?
Vela also knew he had that expectation of himself too. By fixing everyone else's problems he had convinced himself he could do anything. It was so far from the truth. Vela was drowning in stress and he couldn't find air to breathe.
The news his mother told him also didn't help. What the hell had happened to Athena? He was still so confused. Why were the Romans responsible? Vela had half a mind to call Lea and see if she knew anything about what was going on but he decided against it for today. Tonight was a full moon, she and the rest of the pack would have bigger things to be dealing with right now than the problems of gods.
Vela knew he would have to do this on his own so he made a plan. He managed to borrow a phone off of a stranger (they were easily compliant to such a handsome face and Vela's charm) and dialled a number Annabeth had drilled into him in cases of emergencies. He was reluctant to do so but since the Battle of Manhattan they were at least friends now. Hopefully.
"Thalia?"
"Who is this and how did you get this number?" Vela grinned at the harshness of her tone. Classic descendant of Zeus.
"Thalia, it's me," he paused reluctantly. "Vela."
He heard her laugh on the other end gleefully. "Ah, Fido!" Vela scowled. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Vela smiled awkwardly to the stranger who was watching him use their phone. "It's Percy." He said. "He's missing."
Thalia paused. "Did you check the ocean? Maybe he's having a tea party with Triton." She joked but he knew she hardly found it funny. Thalia and Percy were friends like Vela and Thalia were - reluctantly.
