"Me?" Percy asked incredulously. "Why the Tartarus do you think it's me?"
"You're wearing a mask." He deadpanned, pointing at Percy's face. He groaned.
"It could also be nonliteral, ya know. A mask could be anything, a mask of emotion, a literal mask, an excuse, the possibilities are endless!" He waved his hands around to emphasize the effect. "Heck, it could even be Max for all we know."
"Look, I know it's not you, but that's what I thought first. You said to tell the truth." He looked down at the camp, where things were getting restless. "You need to leave. Now. It's not safe for you here. Everyone will think it's you that it's warning about, and they'll eventually kill you." Percy scoffed.
"I'd like to see them try." He crossed his arms stubbornly. "But if they do kill me, I don't even remotely care. I've got nothing to live for, really, so it'll be fine for me either way." Nico scowled.
"You keep talking about death like it's nothing. What's up with that?" Nico played with the skull ring on his finger.
"Death? I met Death personally, once. It wasn't exactly what you would call 'friendly', but I know him. Dear old friend of mine, Thanatos." He chuckled darkly at that as he remembered the quest with Hazel and Frank.
"What do you mean—"
"Kill him!" The two jumped at the sound of screams and shouts in the air.
"They're coming after you!" Nico gasped. "You have to run. I'll hold them off—"
"Don't even think about it. I've already had too many people sacrifice their lives for me and I don't want it to be you too." He gazed at the coming horde of demigods advancing up onto Rachel's hill.
Percy's POV—
"Surrender, Agnostos, and we will spare you of any agony." Oh, joy. Max. The spawn of the bi—I mean, Athena.
"And why would I do that?" I asked calmly. He looked furious.
"The prophecy said that you would betray us! You little bi—"
"Young ears here, dear Max." I smirked. "Better keep your language in check." He seethed at me, but I was unfazed. I've seen more anger in a little spider.
"Very well. Demigods, advance!" He yelled, raising his dagger. Annabeth stood next to him, glaring at me.
I struck Assassin at all of them, not aiming to kill but just knocking them unconscious. "Try to think twice before you do something, spawn of Athena." I growled as the crowd backed away a little, seeing that they were overpowered. I dodged another demigod and deflected an arrow.
"Chiron! Call off your forces—" I got cut off as someone barreled into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I wheezed as I tumbled to the ground, hitting the floor with a sickening smack.
"Nico...?" I gazed at shock to the person whom I thought hadn't betrayed me. His black eyes were swirling with anger.
"So, I was right." He mused. "He will deceive them with his words. It all makes sense now." I gritted my teeth.
"Prophecies have double meanings, you morons! Why are you so sure it's me?!" I gasped as Nico pressed down harder on my chest. "Dude...Neeks, you're heavier than you look."
"Don't call me Neeks." He pressed his Stygian sword closer to my throat. "Who are you?"
"Um, I'll pass." I smirked as I vapor-traveled out from under him. "Seriously, why do you think that I'm the one who would betray you? I—"
"Shut up!" Nico hissed and leaped at me. "Trying to worm your way out of fate, huh? Well, it doesn't work like that." He pinned me to the cave wall. That cued Max and Annabeth to come closer, weapons bared.
"Furthermore, I don't think you were friends with Percy at all. What if you killed him in the first place? How do we not know that you're lying?"
"Pull his hood down!" The crowd cheered. "Let us see his face!" Uh oh. I'm screwed.
"Has it ever occurred to you that I might have a personal life?" I grumbled. "Fine, I'll tell you the truth." The crowds went silent.
"SIKE!" I laughed and vapor-traveled again. "Alright, can we stop now? As much as I like sparring, this is getting old."
Lord Kronos! I called out with my mind, hoping he would hear me. I need your assistance, my lord.
What is it, godling? A voice growled in my mind.
Ask someone to send an army of monsters here. I'm about to get discovered.
Well, then that's your fault. He huffed indignantly.
But my lord, I have the perfect demigod host for you. I offered, knowing he couldn't possibly resist.
Fine. But you are in debt with me, Perseus...
I sighed in relief as I heard a blood-curdling howl and the three conch horns blowing, signifying that we were being attacked.
"We're being attacked." Nico growled. "Someone has to guard him. He's our prisoner."
"Aw, come on, Neeks! You called me your guest!" I whined.
"Tie him to that tree." He pointed to an oak.
"Hey! Personal space bubble! Jeez people, don't you know what that means?" I backed away slowly as some demigods advanced towards me.
"It's for your own good, Agnostos." Nico replied. I snorted as they tied me tightly to the tree. I'm guessing the tree nymph that lived here wouldn't be so happy...
I rolled my eyes as they performed the basic slipknot. Pfft, noobs. I can untie it no problem. But...I was curious to see what they would do.
"Connor, can you guard him? Please and thank you." Nico raised his Stygian Iron sword and charged down the hill, dozens of demigods trailing behind him. Connor gulped and turned to face me.
"I'm not going to kill you, you know." Connor looked at me frightfully.
"You probably wouldn't." He agreed.
"Thank y—"
"But people change. Luke changed." Connor continued. "He turned into a monster. I—I trusted him. I don't want to make the same mistake." I groaned.
"There's always a 'but'." I grumbled. "Just so you know, I knew Luke personally." He looked at me in surprise.
"You did? Didn't you fight for Kronos last time...?" I shook my head.
"I fought for the gods. Because, well, they created me, I guess. And I still do, sort of. I'm more of a neutral side now." I shrugged. "Um, any chance I could go to the bathroom or something?"
"Monsters go to the bathroom?" Connor asked, bewildered.
"What kind of a question is that? Of course they do!" My lips quirked into a smile. "Nah, I don't really have to go. But monsters do go to the bathroom. They just hide it." Connor chuckled nervously.
"I haven't been here for a while." I murmured, looking down the hill. I distinctly noticed the Ares cabin covered in red sparkly stuff.
"Did you prank the Ares cabin?" I asked, pointing my chin at the glittering monstrosity. He grinned impishly.
"Yup. They hated it but get this. It's covered with super-glue. Don't tell anyone. We just did it this morning." He smirked evilly. "Shows them not to stab the new campers."
"THEY STAB—wait, never mind. That sounds like a total Ares thing to do." I muttered, mostly to the sky.
A scream split the air. It sounded familiar...wait. No. It was Annabeth. Uh oh.
"What was that?!" Conner shrieked.
"They're losing down there." I said grimly. "We need to get over there. Now."
"But—"
"Now!" I sliced at the ropes with my sword, grabbed his arm, and vapor-traveled down to the camp.
"MONSTERS!" I shouted. "RETREAT! I REPEAT, LORD KRONOS ORDERS YOU TO RETREAT!" The fighting ceased immediately, and the monsters disappeared almost as quickly as they reappeared.
"H-how did you...?" Connor whimpered.
"I'm just like that." I smirked. "Now, who screamed?"
"Annabeth's hurt!" Travis yelled, carrying her in his arms bridal-style. A dagger stuck out of her leg, dripping green liquid.
"Poisoned." I sighed, rubbing my temples fiercely, trying to keep the memories out of my head. "Not again." People looked at me weirdly, but I waved them off.
"Back off. What I'm going to do will look really creepy, but I need to do this. The poison's already heading towards her heart." I closed my eyes and let my senses flow. The feeling hit me like a brick, but I sucked it up and detected the poison flowing through her veins. It was awfully close to her vital organs now. I will the venom to move out of the stream, and it obeyed. I heard gasps at this, but I ignored it and focused on the little water inside of it. I clenched my fist, and it evaporated into deadly steam.
"She's losing blood, but she'll be fine if you treat her quickly. The poison's out of her bloodstream." I explained. "Get her to a child of Apollo, like Will or someone. Hurry!" Travis nodded nervously and the brothers lifted her up and carried her into the infirmary.
"What the Hades was that?!" I heard a voice behind me. Piper Mclean was standing next to me, holding up her dagger. "And how did you escape?"
"I literally just saved a camper, and you asked me how I escaped? Gee, I feel so appreciated." I rolled my eyes. She blushed.
"Well, Nico had orders to keep you restrained. We don't want another replay of what happened with Luke Castellan." My gaze darkened.
"I knew him personally, Ms. Mclean." I said coldly. "You wouldn't know, you haven't fought in the Titan War. Well, the second one, anyway." She frowned at me.
"Do I know you?" She asked skeptically.
"Perhaps." I murmured.
"Are you a spawn of Akhlys?" She asked. "You can control poison."
"Ok, first of all, Akhlys is the goddess of misery, not poison, and yes, maybe I can control poison or maybe I can just heal people. You choose. Either way, I don't care." I spun around on my heel and ran towards the infirmary before she could answer.