No need to fear Chapter 8 is here!!! (wow did I really just type that?) Anywaaayy, this next POV is Annabeth and then to Jason as our heroes are on their way to Rome to save none other than Nico himself!!! Okay so like I promised the next chapter is slam packed full of action and you get to see everyone in battle for THE FIRST time!!!! Woah!!!! So comment and vote if you like it and stay on edge for the next chapter!!!
Chapter 8
Annabeth
Percy and Annabeth made their way back towards the Argo II. Percy had introduced her to Reyna, which in her opninon, couldn't have been worse. The minute they walked in to talk to her, two gold and silver dog statues growled and began arching their backs to attack. Reyna had introduced her lovely pets as Aurum and Argentum. Apparently, they were like her personal body guards, but to Annabeth they seemed like just another reason to get out Camp Jupiter as quickly as possible. After that, Reyna didn't even want to hear about anyone leaving camp to go on a quest, let alone have Jason go on a quest after he'd just gotten back. It took a lot of convincing and promises that Jason would return back to camp safetly to finally convince Reyna to let them travel to Rome.
"Well I think that went rather well, don't you?" Annabeth said. Percy wrapped his hand around hers.
"What are you talking about? I think it went great!" He responed sarcastically. Annabeth laughed and swung Percy's hand back and forth as they walked. It felt amazing to finally have Percy back after almost eight agonizing months; to finally be able to look into those deep, sea-green eyes again and know he remembered her.
"So I've been thinking," Percy began, "Once we get to Rome, where do we start? I mean we know Nico is in some kind of trouble, but we have no idea where to even start." Annabeth had been thinking about that, too. Here were seven teenagers about to embark on a life-threatening mission, and they didn't even have a game plan.
"I'm sure we'll think of something," Annabeth replied. As they walked, Annabeth thought more and more about the mark now permanently burned into her arm. What if Percy was right? What if the Mark was bad, after all? But, Athena herself told Annabeth that it would aid her in time of need. Why would it be bad? As the questions filled her head, so did a voice.
"Join me Annabeth Chase. I see your future. If you do not join me, you and your friends will die in vain. You can not stop me."
"Annabeth?" Percy suddenly stopped walking, "Annabeth, what's wrong?" But,That was the last thing she heard before blacking out.
Annabeth saw darkness. It surrounded her, like a blanket of never-ending night. Then, things became clearer and Annabeth found herself inside a large building with no roof because when she looked up the stars shone brightly above her. It looked to be like a large circle that was at least 300 feet long. The terrain she stood on was plain sand that seemed to be moving. Annabeth looked around and saw in the dim light the moon provided, a figure, about 5 feet tall, that seemed to be literally sinking into the ground. It looked like it was struggling to escape, but was stuck. As the thing's head jerked one way, Annabeth caught a glimpse of an unmistakable mop of coal-black hair.
"Nico?" she heard herself whisper. Nico was too busy trying to stop himself from being sucked into the ground, that he didn't notice Annabeth standing there. Annabeth began running to help him, but a booming voice shook the ground, knockin her to her feet.
"Do not struggle Son of Hades. It is of no use. You will not escape. Once the earth has fully claimed you, I will have the ability to once again control death and my army will rise. It is a shame your friends won't be here to save you, though. With you and your sister on my side I would control death as I pleased."
"You leave her alone!" Nico shouted, although it was probably hard to sound tough as you were slowing shrinking into the floor. Annabeth wondered who this 'her' Nico was referring to was and then she remembered: Hazel. But, what did Gaea mean? Did Hazel even have special abilities like her brother? "My friends wi-will be here in no time and you'll hate that you ever even thought of getting up!"
"Oh, but the question is in your belief, Nico Di Angelo. For is being her in no time, in time to save you?" The voice cackeled deeply as Nico sunk another inch deeper into the sand.
Annabeth snapped awake as tremors shoke her body. She bolted up and was still lying on the ground with a familiar face standing above her.
"Percy?" she asked rubbing her eyes, "What happened?" Percy just looked relieved to see that she was okay.
"You and I were walking and then you stopped suddenly, like something caught you off guard. Your face got really pale and you blacked out. I caught you before you cracked your head on the ground."
Annabeth sat up and looked at the ground. It was just plain grass: not moving sand about to devour her. Then she remembered: Nico!
"Oh gods!" she exclaimed.
"What? What is it?" Percy asked.
"It's-it's Nico! When I blacked out I saw Nico and Gaea was trying to claim him. She said once she did she would have his powers and could control death! He doesn't have a lot of time, and neither do we." Percy's eyes widened with understanding.
"Come on, we need to tell the others," he said.
Now to Jason!
Jason
Piper led Jason to the main room where all the steering controls were.
"Now that we've told Chiron where were going," Jason said looking out the window, "I guess we'll be heading to Rome soon."
"Yep," Piper agreed as she hopped up on one of the tables and began swinging her legs back and forth. "So I've been meaning to ask, do you have any idea who Nico is?"
Jason felt like the wind was knocked out of him every time Nico's name was metioned.
"Well, you know he is a son of Hades, the son of death thing and everything?" Jason began.
"Sure, Hazel sure seemed freaked out when she found out," Piper said.
"Well, that's the thing. Hazel is a daughter of Pluto, making Nico-"
"Her half-brother," Piper gasped. "Oh gods, I didn't know."
"No, No," Jason reassured her, "It's okay. She's just a bit shaken up and all. She's really protective of him, ever since-"
"Ever since what?" Piper tried to get the answer out of Jason.
"Ever since Nico's real sister, Bianca died. That's why Hazel is at Camp Jupiter, Nico-No nevermind, it's not important," Jason said as he caught himself about to reveal Hazel's secret. He guessed Piper knew he didn't want to talk about it, because she stopped asking questions after that. There was an awkward silence between the two until Leo came bursting through the door. Jason felt relieved that something had stopped that conversation...for now. No, Jason thought, It's Hazel's secret to tell. When she's ready, she tell everyone.
"So everyone ready to get this party on the road? or sky? or-whatever," he asked smiling like he'd had one too many bottles of soda. Jason had to remind himself once in a while that Leo was the kind of person that the last thing he would ever need was sugar.
"Bout' time!" Piper laughed, "So everything ready to go, Commander Repair Boy?"
"Yep everything's all revved up and ready to roll! I-wait, hey!" Leo protested. Before he could come back with some sarcastic comeback, Hazel and Frank strolled through the door.
"Hey, were back!" Hazel said a little louder than she probably meant to. Jason guessed it was beacuse of the nerves she was trying to conceal.
"And we brought food so, you know we don't starve," Frank added. He tossed some packs to the ground. "One for everyone!" The packs contained some of the basics: some nectar, a few squares of ambrosia, a new pair of jeans, and a fresh puprle t-shirt.
"Always been kind of an 'orange' kinda guy," Leo said as he held up the shirt in front of him. Suddenly, Percy and Annabeth came bursting through the doors, panting and out of breath. Annabeth looked shaken up and scared.
"It's Nico! He-he-Gaea's holding him captive! We need to find him soon or-or-" but she couldn't finish the sentence. Percy helped Annabeth fill in the blanks about what she saw. Hazel's fists clenched and her face turned pale when they told everyone about how Gaea said she would be the master of death if only she had Hazel and Nico. Jason prayed no one would ask why. It was quiet for a few agonizing seconds, but of course, Leo was the one to break it.
"Well I guess it'a time to get moving then!" He pulled a long lever and began pressing a sequence of buttons. There was a sudden lurch and the ship began ascending into the sky. "Rome, here we come!"
Jason wold've been fine if the sky hadn't turned black and foreshadowing. It was pouring like crazy and rain pelted the windows.
"Hey Jason!" Leo began, "not that I don't mind but could like tell your Dad to tone this storm down a bit!"
"Um, guys I don't think that it's him who's-" but before he could finish, one of the glass windows shattered to pieces, and wind and rain poured into the ship.
"What's going on!" Piper yelled over the wind.
"I don't know!" Jason was barely audible above the screeching wind. He squinted his eyes and began to see figures forming through the misty rain: Venti.
"Heads up guys!" Jason yelled.
"You mean those things that attacked us on the skywalk at the Grand Canyon?" Leo shouted. "Oh that's perfect!" The wind howled and everone had to hang on to the conrtol panel to stable themselves.
"What are they doing here? I thought that Aeolus sided with the gods!" Annabeth yelled.
"I- I don't know!" Jason replied.
"Isn't this the guy who wanted to kill us?" Leo had to shout as loud as he could now. "I never would have suspected him!" Jason realized they were going to have to fight there way out of this one.
"Leo! You focues on steering the ship! Everyone, we gotta get rid of these guys now!" Jason yelled. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"NOW!" and they charged, hopefully not for the last time.