Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully as he heard Thanatos and Hades take turns deliberating a plan to capture Perseus, but quite honestly, he wasn't paying that much attention. He was gazing past Hades' shoulder, staring at the empty throne made of a blue marble that swiveled 360-degrees and had a spot for the trident that should've been there: Poseidon's throne.
"-and that's our plan," Hades finished, a smug smile on his lips.
He blinked, refocusing his gaze onto his older brother. Zeus didn't understand why Perseus was such a big deal. He had saved Olympus twice now, it wasn't surprising that he had cheated death. That son of Hephaestus had cheated death, but Thanatos didn't make such a fuss. And as much as he hated to admit it, he would've lost Jason if Thanatos cared that much. But the second Perseus decides to ditch death, Olympus is in an uproar. He just didn't get it.
"Hades," Zeus started, "why does it matter to you if one demigod cheats death, hmm? I see no harm in letting the boy live."
He saw Athena and Hera gawking at him, mouths wide open. Artemis looked shocked while Demeter was humming to herself about different kinds of grains. Apollo and Hermes kept looking at each other then at him and back again until it looked like their necks had a rotator plate installed in them. Dionysus was asleep. Ares was carving something into his throne with a knife. Aphrodite was reapplying lipstick. And Hephaestus looked up from the pieces of metal he was tinkering with for a couple of seconds before he resumed his work.
"Uh, are you our Father?" Apollo asked, raising his hand. "You know, the guy that killed my son for reviving people?"
Hades looked over the sun god with obvious displeasure. "For once, I agree with Sunny Boy over there. Unless Perseus did something to win your eternal favor, I honestly don't see why you're protecting him."
Zeus sighed. "We just fought two major wars, brother. Would you really want to face Poseidon in battle?" From the hearth, Hestia smiled at Zeus, almost like she was proud that he wasn't going trigger happy. He smiled back.
"No," Hades admitted, "but the line of life and death cannot be crossed. There is no grey area, only black and white."
"I agree, but-"
"Then why won't you send a search party to Alaska to bring him here?"
"Hades, take this from the perspective of a father. If your boy, Nico, was dying and he saw Thanatos, but he escaped before his soul could be claimed, would you really force Thanatos to bring him at your feet in chains when you're just going to kill him again?"
"I wouldn't. I'm not going to waste my time and energy on a soul that I'll collect eventually, even if he is my own son."
Zeus splayed his hands out in front of him. "You've just confirmed my point. I don't see any point in wasting our resources on finding Perseus. Anyways, he'll eventually have to come back. Poseidon made me swear on the Styx to not blast a few demigods from Olympus when they visit on the winter solstice, and I believe Perseus will be among them."
"Fine," Hades grumbled. "But if he escapes death again..."
"I seriously doubt that, brother. Now, if that's all..." Zeus trailed off seeing if anyone needed to say anything else. "Well, then, I'll see you all next we-"
"Wait!" Aphrodite cried.
Artemis rolled her eyes. "I swear to Olympus if you try shipping 'Artollo' one more time, I'll shoot you so full of arrows that Echidna will look prettier than you."
Zeus winced at the thought as did many of the other council members. Aphrodite blanched, but she didn't show any fear other than that. She actually was brave enough to smile.
"Now, as much as I do love shipping you and Apollo together-"
"Ugh!" Apollo said. "Gag me!"
"Gladly," Artemis said with a sadistic smile, picking at the string of her bow with anticipation.
"-this isn't about them," Aphrodite continued, as if the twins hadn't interrupted her. She puckered her lips, the blood red color standing out boldly against her still slightly pale skin.
"Then who?" Athena asked. "It's obviously about some relationship, Aphrodite. But why does it affect us?"
Aphrodite pouted. "Love always affect us."
"Some more than others," Hera mumbled under her breath. Zeus just glared at her before stopping, conceding to his wife's statement.
"Anyhow, I want to tell you all, because this relationship is between some of the strongest demigods that have existed since Hercules."
"Spit it out already!" Hades demanded. "I've got an Underworld to run."
"Patience my dear, Uncle." She smiled wryly. "But your son is involved in this new relationship."
"Sweet Olympus," he grumbled. "You better have not influenced my son."
"Oh, I haven't. He's had these feelings for a certain demigod for a long, long time. Both have openly acknowledged their feelings now, so they are officially a couple."
"Okay," Zeus said. "So it's between Nico and...?"
"Why, Percy of course!" she chirped happily.
As if in a horror movie, all the Olympias excluding Aphrodite stopped what they were doing and turned to face her in one coordinated movement with matching expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces. Zeus saw that Hades looked on the verge of either blowing up or passing out. No one, god or not, should be that unnaturally pale.
"While the council has time to...digest this new information, I suggest we reconvene at the winter solstice," Zeus told them all, breaking out of his stupor. "Dismissed."
No one flashed out yet, still staring at Aphrodite as if she was the strangest thing to appear on Olympus. She just flashed them a knowing smile before disappearing in a shower of red and pink rose petals, which landed at the foot of her throne.
0o0o
When Poseidon stirred, it was already midmorning. He had fallen asleep next to the fire, but now it was extinguished with the wood burned black and a thin layer of ash left behind in a circle. He groaned as he sat up, not used to sleeping on the floor instead of a bed. There were various cracks and pops in his back, and he knew that his back would be slightly sore until he grew accustomed to these new conditions.
Groping on the ground beside him, his hand closed around the shaft of his trident, which he shrunk into a necklace. It was harder to use his powers out here, and it saved him energy to change his weapon's shape rather than keeping it in the water molecules in the air. Poseidon thought to himself, I'm weaker here than on Olympus, yet Percy seems to be getting stronger by the hour he is here. Funny how life works.
Poseidon rubbed the side of his face, glad to not feel any snow from the floor having frozen his skin over. If he was being completely honest with himself, being in Alaska terrified the schist out of him. While Percy and Nico were gone last night, he had accidently pricked himself on the spear points of his trident, drawing blood. He had woken up to inspect the wound, and instead of ichor flowing through his veins, there was mortal blood. Yes, it was a lot shiner than a regular mortal's with streaks of gold in the mix, but still. Even when Zeus had stripped him of his immortality once before he still had ichor flowing through his veins. Maybe it was just him being in a place beyond the gods, but for once in his life, he feared dying. Who knows what Hades would do to him if he showed up in the Underworld as a resident? Poseidon shuddered at the thought.
He knew he had promised to stay with the boys and help them out, but it was at the risk of his own life. And if he died, Triton would take control of the seas. As much as he loved his son, his loyalties were somewhat blurred. Only Poseidon being in command had kept Triton from joining the Titans the last time, and that had frightened him dearly. If his own son was willing to betray the gods, then just how bad of parents were they, was he? He didn't know. But he couldn't leave Percy, not now. Not when his brothers wanted him chained and at their feet only to be killed right then and there.
It's too early for these kinds of thoughts, he told himself. I'll deal with my own dilemma later.
Poseidon looked around the camp and smiled when he saw Percy and Nico cuddled up next to each other, sharing the musty grey blanket from the old house. Percy's arm was hooked over Nico's shoulder, pulling the younger boy closer. Both were smiling in their sleep. It had been a while since he had last seen Percy happy, and even though he was only smiling in his sleep, that meant everything to Poseidon.
There was a distant sound of thunder, but the sky was a clear blue. Cirrus clouds were white and feathery high up in the atmosphere, promising good weather, yet there was still thundering. Poseidon looked around for any cumulus clouds, but when he found none, he scowled.
"Di Immortales," he swore under his breath, shouldering his pack. He grabbed the food Percy bought at the supermarket yesterday and shoved it into Nico's empty backpack. He threw the blankets of the boys, exposing them to the chilly air.
"Hey!" Percy complained, his voice thick with sleep. "What gives?"
"Get up," Poseidon ordered. "We need to go."
To his merit, Percy jolted up immediately, shaking Nico as he hastily threw his overcoat on. Riptide was in his hand in pen form being twirled between his fingers. Nico was still sluggish when they began to move, but at least he wasn't tripping over his feet. That wouldn't be fun to explain to Hades that his own son committed unintentional suicide by impaling himself on his own sword from being drowsy.
"Where are we heading to?" Percy asked, his green eyes alert and scanning around for any attacks.
"I don't know," Poseidon responded. "I don't know much about Alaska."
"Knowledge!" Percy exclaimed. He grabbed Nico and Poseidon's wrist, and before he knew it, he was just another water molecule in the air, drifting with the breeze.
When they reformed, they landed in the middle of a library. Ugh, Athena's daughter must've rubbed off on Percy more than he thought. For the most part it was empty with only a few people there and an old librarian running the checkout and returning station. Luckily, there was no one in the section where they appeared.
"Reading this early in the morning? Seriously?" Nico complained.
"Now, now, my Death Angel, we're not here for reading," Percy said, running a hand against a bookshelf. "I'm looking for an atlas-"
"He's holding up the sky," Poseidon reminded him to which he just received a glare.
"I know that, Dad. No, I mean like the kind of atlas that has maps - aha! Found one for Alaska!" Percy brought out a thick atlas with a blue cover and in bold, white lettering read World Atlas: Alaska. He opened to the map of the state, tracing his nimble fingers near the word: Anchorage.
"Okay," Percy said, "we're here, and I have no idea what's chasing us. But, I know a place where we shouldn't be bothered. Hopefully, the three of us have a large enough control of our domains so we shouldn't be too badly affected, and we can stand our ground."
"What do you mean domains?" Nico asked, leaning over to get a better look at the map.
"Our shared control over earth," Percy explained, tapping his fingers on a blue spot on the map - water.
"Cook Inlet?" Poseidon read aloud. "What's there?"
"Volcanoes. Lots of them."
"And this helps, how?" Nico questioned.
"Ye of little faith," Percy said with a grin. "Volcanoes are usually Hephaestus' forges, and they're all linked together. We've got Mount Augustine, Mount Iliamna, Mount Redoubt, Mount Spurr, Mount Hayes, and Mount Double Glacier." He touched the last black triangle, which represented Mount Double Glacier.
"That better be an inactive volcano," Nico threatened.
"It is," Percy reassured him. "Annabeth told me I should learn more about geography because of my powers."
"What powers?" Poseidon asked. "What didn't you inherit from me?"
"Dunno. I can create earthquakes, though, and that can be helpful from time to time."
"And you didn't use this against Gaea, because?" Nico asked.
Percy shrugged. "I didn't really tap into that power until after Tartarus. Anyways, we don't need to worry about magma in Double Glacier. We should get going." He shut the atlas and shelved it back in its spot.
"Percy?" Poseidon asked.
"Yeah?"
"How much did Annabeth influence you?"
He flinched, causing for Nico to place a hand on his shoulder. Pain gleamed in his eyes with a little smoldering ember of anger. "Dad, if you're accusing Annabeth of teaching me to appreciate books a little more making me enter Athena's domain of knowledge, drop it. I hate it when people think I'm stupid when I'm not. Now, I may not be book smart, but I have street smarts and I do know information."
"That's not what I meant, Percy. I just never thought of you as the sort to consult books first."
"And that's what I mean by people thinking I'm stupid. I hoped you would've thought more of me."
"Percy-"
"Poseidon, stop it," Nico warned, a silent threat evident in his eyes. His sword began to suck the heat out of the room, along with Poseidon's resolve to continue arguing. "Wait. Percy look at your father."
Percy laughed bitterly. "Why?"
"Just, trust me on this, okay?"
"Fine." He looked up, hatred burning in his eyes. Other than his eyes and the set of his jaw, Poseidon couldn't tell that Percy was mad. It was almost like he had learned how to mask all emotion.
Nico held his hands out, palms open, over both of them, almost as if he was reading their aura. For all Poseidon knew, Nico could've been doing just that. The son if Hades frowned, drumming his finger against the hilt of his sword.
"We can talk later," he decided. "How far is that volcano, Perce?"
"About three to four hours hiking," he answered.
"Let's get moving. Whatever's tracking us, it's getting closer."
"Yeah, I can sense it, too."
"Sense what?" Poseidon asked.
The two demigods shared a look, making Poseidon nervous.
"Never mind," Percy said, taking the backpack from Poseidon. Riptide was clutched in his right hand so hard that his knuckles were turning white. "Man, I wish that Jason was here."
Right then there was a car horn beeping outside of the library, reverberating around the mostly empty building. Some of the younger children jumped from the children's section and looked out the window, plastering their faces against the glass. The librarian just glared at the red Toyota venomously for disturbing the silence.
Poseidon, Percy, and Nico walked to the doors, looking over the head of all the children. The door to the Toyota opened, and a blonde boy wearing golden rimmed glasses walked out. He opened the passenger's side door, and a Cherokee girl came out with a feather braided in her hair. Both of them had their weapons in hand, as if they were waiting for an attack.
"Holy Hera," Nico muttered. He looked at Percy in confusion. "Why'd they follow us?"
Percy shrugged. "Beats me. Let's go greet our friends."
"Isn't that Jason?" Poseidon asked uncertainly. "And Piper?"
"Yup! Now, let's hope they don't slice us to bits!"
"Cheery," he grumbled, but followed his son as Nico and Percy shoved the doors open and went out into the chilly air.
0o0o
Jason exhaled a warm breath of air onto his chilly hands. Yes, they had the heater on in the car while they drove, but getting out of the car with nothing more than a light windbreaker was a mistake.
He gripped the hilt of his gladius tightly, prepared to fight. There was some powerful aura exuding from this library in particular, and he and Piper knew they had to check it out. If it was a monster in a place full of mortals, who knows how much damage it would've caused? To his relief, Percy, Nico, and some other guy walked out with looks of surprise on their faces.
Jason's expression turned dark, and he dropped his gladius in fear. No, he was in Alaska. Percy shouldn't have been here. He looked at his hands, sure that they were trembling, but they were stone still.
"Jason?" Nico called out. "Is that you?"
"Y-yeah," he stammered out.
Piper sheathed her dagger in its scabbard by her waist before slinging her arm over his shoulders, trying to calm him down. With her other hand, she gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, reassuring him that he wouldn't go on a murderous rampage.
"Sup Nico?" Piper said with a smile. "Didn't think we'd see you here."
"Ditto that," Percy said running down the steps of the library with a smile. He fiddled with the leather cord around his neck. "Small world after all, huh?"
"Yeah, really," Jason said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. When Percy held his hand out for a man-hug, Jason took a few steps back, bumping into the side-view mirrors of the rental car. He could feel his pulse in his fingertips. He couldn't be near Percy. He would kill him, intentional or not.
"No god can control you out here," Piper whispered, having to go on her toes to be near his ear.
He cleared his throat, steeling his nerves before giving Percy that hug he wanted. The son of Poseidon beamed at that.
"So," Jason said, "who's that you have tagging along?"
Percy glanced over his shoulders, rolling his eyes in disgust before looking back at Jason. "Oh, him? That's Poseidon. Dad, don't you have something to say to Jason?" He glared at the man behind him with such ferocity it made Jason want to cringe away and go hide in a hole somewhere far, far away.
"Sorry for almost killing you," Poseidon apologized, not looking into his own son's eyes. Jason knew Percy was intimidating - the dude had nearly killed him in Kansas, after all - but being treated with fear and respect from your own father, a god, was a whole other level.
"Apology accepted." Jason saw Nico slip his hand into Percy's, and he couldn't suppress a smile. "I see that being alone together for a week is a great bonding experience." Both boys blushed heavily. Jason smiled even wider, if that was even possible.
"Calm yourself," Nico reprimanded, but it wasn't as forceful with his face still a tomato color. "We just got together two nights ago."
"Percy and Nico sitting in a tree!" Jason began.
Nico narrowed his eyes. "Jason get away from me!" he continued with the same tune of the song.
"First comes love! Second comes marriage!"
"And the son of Jupiter with spinal damage!" Percy finished, with his own smile plastered to his face. The boys broke off laughing to which Piper and Poseidon just rolled their eyes. As Percy opened his mouth to speak again there was the sound of thunder in the sky. Jason looked up, looking for any storm clouds while Poseidon cursed under his breath.
"What's after us now?" Piper asked. "First those ice giants and then those gryphons, what next?"
"Venti," Jason said. "At least that's what I sense."
Poseidon gripped his head like he was getting a headache. His skin flickered from a strong tan to sickly pale, and it was like he had been drained of almost all of his energy. His form solidified, though, and he grit his teeth while rubbing his temples. "Let's use the Greek terms, shall we?"
"We healed your divisions, though!" Piper complained.
"Not the sea," Percy explained. "While I was at Camp Jupiter, I learned that, well, the sea wasn't respected. My father's shrine was nothing more than a plate with moldy fruit on it and a rusted trident. The navy was a decrepit skiff that is at the bottom of Puget Sound in Washington now. Romans don't trust the sea or respect it, Piper, so even the slightest talk of Rome can send my dad into the schism of dominating sides. Like how Athena and Minerva are different, that's how it affect my dad. He loses a lot of power."
"Don't compare me to Athena," Poseidon threatened.
"Hush, hearing Jason say something in Latin just drained you." Percy pulled out Riptide. "I've got a plan, but we need to get going now. You think the car will be able to survive a little rough terrain?" He nodded in the direction of the Toyota.
"It should," Jason said.
"Good," Nico said. "We need to get to Mount Double Glacier. I've always wanted to hike through an inactive volcano."
"Really?" Percy asked, eyes wide with surprise.
"No, you dork. It's called sarcasm." Nico rolled up the sleeves to his jacket, feeling to make sure his sword was still around his waist. "We should get going."
"Right you are, Death Angel. Let's go."
0o0o
During the car ride, everyone had fallen asleep except for Percy, who was driving, and Poseidon, who was messing with the radio in the passenger seat. Piper and Jason were curled up with each other in the back seat, while Nico tried to be as far away from them as possible, curled against the cool glass. The sun was still high in the sky as the car lurched and bumped as the tires rolled over the rocky dirt underneath them.
As Poseidon went to turn the dial on the radio, but Percy said, "Touch that dial again and I'll cut your hand off." He pulled his hand back.
"Sorry."
Percy sighed, readjusting his grip on the steering wheel. It still bothered him somewhat that his father was intimidated by him. He had heard that he was scary, but he never believed it until Poseidon, who was a god, began to listen to him for fear of him snapping. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's just...with my ADHD, changing the music so fast is really distracting."
"I never knew that," Poseidon said.
He sighed again. "I wouldn't expect you to know."
"Percy, I've got something I need to tell you."
"Whelp, that sounds like trouble," Percy said with a small smile, but he knew how serious Poseidon was by the tone he used.
"This isn't a joke, Percy." Poseidon looked over the car seat, watching the three sleeping demigods in the backseat. "Promise me you won't tell them anything."
"I swear on the Styx not to say anything about Poseidon's secret unless I am granted permission." Thunder rumbled in the background.
"Okay. Good, good." Poseidon began to mess with the hem of his shirt and messing with the trident pendant on his necklace. It was almost like he was more ADHD than Percy was, and that was saying something. "I'm mortal."
"What?" Percy exclaimed, slamming his foot on the break. The car careened on its side as the tires squealed from being abruptly stopped. He could almost smell the burning rubber even though the ground was mostly frozen. The three demigods in the back, despite being buckled up, slammed onto Nico, which was a rough wake up call for him.
Jason and Piper only stirred in their sleep, while Nico complained, "What the heck, Percy?" as he rubbed his head, groaning as he shifted under his friend's combined weight.
"Sorry, Nico," Percy apologized. "Go back to sleep. We'll be there soon."
"How about a warning next time? Geez, they never learn."
Percy rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's antics, but smiled anyways, especially when he heard the soft snores escaping his mouth about five minutes after they started driving again. His smile faded, though, once he realized that it was only he and his father still awake, and they still needed to talk.
"Let's try this again without nearly crashing into a pine tree, shall we?" Poseidon asked. Percy nodded his head. "I'm mortal."
"Yeah, I heard that the first time," Percy snapped. "Sorry. Just...how long have you known?"
"Since last night."
"Do you know why you're a mortal? Zeus hasn't taken your immortality away again?"
"How do you know about that?"
He shrugged. "Told you, I did some research with Annabeth a while ago. Anyways, you still haven't confirmed or disproved my theory."
"No, I don't know why I'm mortal. I think it has something to do with me being here, in Alaska, beyond the gods. No one has been here longer than a few hours, and it may be affecting my immortality."
"Then go back to Olympus, Dad. We'll be fine on our own."
"But-"
"Dad, Poseidon, listen to me." Percy gradually slowed the car to a stop before unbuckling his seatbelt and shifting in his seat, so he could face his father. "As much as you've annoyed me on this trip, I still care for you. You're my father, after all. I couldn't bear to see you hurt. And if what you say is true, I don't want you here, risking yourself. The sea needs its ruler, and you can't do that if you're dead."
"I can still fight," Poseidon protested. "And I helped you buy those groceries."
Percy gave a knowing smile. "I'm grateful you did that, Dad, but I won't have anyone to be grateful to if you get yourself killed. Go back to Olympus. Nico still has his shell, so you can track us with it."
"I don't like this, Percy, not a single bit." Poseidon was frowning, like he was surprised that his son sounded like the mature one in this conversation. "I just wanted to keep you safe," he said in a rushed breath. "Is that so much to ask for?"
"Dad, I'm a demigod. I won't ever be safe. Please, don't make this harder than it needs to be."
"Fine. But know that I'm still bringing you back to Olympus on the solstice. I trust that you won't get yourself into too much trouble while I'm gone."
Percy laughed, breaking the silence of the car. It had been such a long time since he had laughed a good, proper laugh ever since Annabeth's death, and he had to admit, it felt good. "Hey, I'm your son, trouble finds me. I'll promise you that I'll take care of myself, that much I can do."
Poseidon sighed but gave his son a proud smile. "I'll take what I can get. Stay safe. And know that whatever happens, I will always love you...son."
He watched as his father disappeared in a swirl of mist, exiting through the slightly open car window. He leaned his head against the headrest tiredly, wiping a hand over his face before grabbing the wheel and starting up the car again.
"I love you too...Dad," Percy said in the quiet car, dialing the radio up just loud enough for him to make out the words. It felt like his father was still in the car beside him as he forced the car down the unforgiving terrain to Mount Double Glacier.
0o0o
Nico found himself wandering through the darkness again with nothing but those cursed spotlights giving him any sense of direction. There were only three tubes illuminated, and they were all equidistant from each other...almost like they were in the cardinal directions. To his front, back, and right there were tubes, and he would've bet 50 drachmas that there was one directly on his left. That raised the question: who would be trapped next?
As if Leto had been anticipating his question, the tube all the way on the left lit up with a purple beam. He gave one last look around, seeing Annabeth fend off the spiders and Will screaming at an invisible voice. Percy's holding tank was empty as of now, since he was awake. Nico took off in the direction of the new tube, wanting to see whose fate was also in his hands.
His eyes got comically wide as he reached the glass prison. No, he thought to himself, first Will and now they bring my sister into this? That's just cruel! She still looked exactly like he remembered her the last time he had seen her. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and she still wore the silver clothing she had last been wearing. Her combat boots were laced up, and Nico could see the hilt of a knife protruding from the heel. Her skin was unnaturally pale, more so than usual. Something seemed to be forcing her onto her knees, but she spat and fought to get to her feet.
Her eyes flicked upwards, and they caught a hold of Nico's incredulous look. She smiled for a split second before looking around the tube in fear and mouthing: Run! He shook his head. He wouldn't lose her, not again. She continued screaming for him to leave, but tears sprung to his eyes as he held his hand out against the glass. She sadly met his hand, the thick glass separating the two of them, but her eyes still held a great sadness, almost like she was asking: Why didn't you run? Why are you still here, baby brother?
Fire then erupted around her, licking up the sides of the glass, until only her face was left visible through the tube. Leave! she shouted. Run! Save yourself! Nico watched in horror as the flames washed over her face, like the waters of the Phlegethon itself were pouring into her trap.
Nico collapsed onto his knees, fighting to keep the tears back. He didn't cry often, but seeing his sister enveloped in fire, well, that was almost enough to do him in. She didn't deserved to be pulled from her life to be held as ransom, it just wasn't right.
"Leto!" he roared, brandishing his sword. "Show yourself!"
The Titaness appeared next to him, smiling her sadistic smirk while twirling a silver hunting knife the length of his arm in her hand. The purple mixed with orange light gleamed off the metal, giving it a more sinister appearance than it already was. And the fact there was something rust colored on the serrated edge wasn't helping matters. At least the light seemed to reflect off his own blade, making it look even more deadly.
"You called for me, Nicholas?" she asked, wiping what Nico guessed to be dried blood off on her gown, leaving a thin smear of red on the purple material.
He gritted his teeth in anger. "It's just Nico."
"Pardon me, then. I always call people by the names they were given at birth. I guess that's why Heracles never liked me much."
"Cut it out!" Nico demanded. "Why do you have my sister in one of these glass tubes? She doesn't deserve this. None of the people in the tubes deserve this!"
"Oh, believe me, I know," Leto told him with fake sympathy in her voice. "But orders are orders, my young demigod. Surely you know what that feels like, being ordered around by Olympus, by your father, by the ones you love."
"Shut up," Nico growled, his fingers twitching in irritation at the hilt of his blade. He was so tempted to summon a legion of skeletons to fight this wench, but he had sensed earlier that there were no mortal souls that had died here, despite the people being held captive. He'd have to fight Leto himself with nothing but his swordsmanship as backup.
"It appears I have struck a nerve. You know what I say is the truth, son of Hades. You know, there's still an opportunity for you to join us. We'll set them all free, and the best part: You get your sister back."
"No," he said. "I won't join you, even if it means sacrificing my sister. She's a hero. She wouldn't want me to trade the fate of the world for her."
"You speak with such confidence. Almost reminds me of myself when I was a young Titaness. Trust me, boy, once you've seen enough death and destruction and devastation, that confidence dies until the only thing you're sure of is that you're insane."
"I know I'm not the epitome of sanity, but neither are you. Now, I've made my decision." He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look like a formidable opponent. Though he was good at fighting, he didn't want to test his luck against a Titaness by himself. "I stand with Olympus. If that's all, send me back."
She frowned. "Mark my words, son of Hades: Something bigger and more ancient than the gods is out there, and your little pet will be the one leading us to victory."
"Pet? I don't have any-"
"And when you see him, you might not recognize him at all." Leto shimmered out of existence again, leaving Nico dumbfounded, mulling over her words.
"I was right!" he decided, screaming into the darkness. "You're insane!"
He didn't get a response.
Grumbling something in Italian, he sheathed his sword abruptly, making sure he didn't accidently stab himself in the thigh. Nico walked over to the tube his sister was in and put his hand against the glass again, surprised at how hot the glass had gotten over the course of his conversation with the insane Titaness.
He never knew his sister feared fire, but he wouldn't judge her. She hadn't judged him, after all, not when he confided in her about how he liked boys and not girls, or even when he said the dumbest things when he was sick, and instead of getting annoyed like most people would, she'd just laugh and give him another spoonful of soup that she'd sneak out of the kitchen. Nico looked down at the skull ring on finger. It had been one of the last gifts she had given him before she left.
Nico knelt at the foot of the glass encasement, feeling his temper flare up as the fire licked the sides of the glass relentlessly, like it was going to be an eternal inferno. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll try to save you and Will, I promise. I owe you that much for being a great sister, Bianca."
0o0o
"Come on, guys, and Piper, we're going questing!" Percy announced cheerily, throwing the driver's seat door shut with a thud. He slung his backpack over his shoulders, checking once that all their provisions were in there. In his hand he held a flashlight for when they went in.
"Uh, you're way too happy for climbing into the mouth of a volcano," Piper grumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"Well, I'm fire-proof for a short amount of time, so we don't need to worry!"
"What did you do to discover that ability?" Jason asked, slinging his knives sheath across his torso before strapping his gladius to his back.
"Yeah, really," Nico snorted, walking to stand beside Percy.
"I blew up Mount Saint Helens a few years back - a year before the war with Kronos, I think," Percy said, receiving looks of awe in response. He chuckled. "Yeah, getting lava thrown at you isn't the most fun thing in the world."
"You can say that again, bro," Jason remarked, half-smiling and half-gob smacked as he fixed his glasses. "Alright, lead the way."
Nico glanced over the car. "I hope you don't have to return that anytime soon," he said, nodding in the direction of the mud covered Toyota.
"We're demigods," Piper said. "The world should be prepared for collateral damage from us."
"Preach it, sister!" Percy exclaimed with a cheeky smile. "Okay, follow me into the volcano."
"I'd never thought I'd hear that sentence before," Nico grumbled before slipping his hand into Percy's.
Percy squeezed Nico's hand, and with his other hand, he flicked the flashlight on, illuminating the dark cavern. Stalactites hung from the roof of the tunnels like jagged shark teeth, dripping water onto the floor. He had to be careful to not get his backpack caught on any of the stalagmites on the floor, which were up to his waist and pointy at the top. There wasn't any water in the tunnels other than the constant drip, drip noise that came from the stalactites from permeated water from the surface of the volcano.
"Whoa," Jason said, shining his own beam of light from his flashlight on the hollowed out walls. "What is this?"
"Lava tubes or tunnels, if you prefer," Percy answered. "Back when this was an active volcano, these tunnels were used as holding storages for magma. When the volcano blows, the magma would go up there," - he pointed at tunnels leading upwards - "up to the mouth of the volcano, where it would reach the surface and become lava."
"And you're sure this place won't blow up on us?" Piper asked, grabbing Jason's free hand with her own.
"Positive. There's no magma down here at all. We'll be fine, as long as there are no telekehines," he mumbled that last part to himself. Making Mount Saint Helens erupt and releasing Typhon really wasn't his choice, it was either that or die. Still, the eruption shot him to Ogygia, where he had met Calypso, and only the thought of Annabeth had been enough to coax him to leave.
His eyes must've glazed over or something, because he saw someone's hand wave in front of his face. Most likely Nico's. He blinked twice, snapping back into reality.
"Yeah?" he asked, looking down at the younger Italian boy holding his hand.
"You seemed...out of it," Nico said bashfully. "Anyways, right or left?"
"What?"
"Right or left?" Nico repeated, pointing at the tunnels that split into two.
Percy frowned, letting go of Nico's hand so he could go inspect the tunnels. He placed a hand on either side of the division before delving deep into his father's domains. He remembered his father's titles: God of the Seas, Father of Horses, Earth shaker, the second son of Kronos. He let his mind open up the power of the earth, sensing everything he could feel beneath his feet and above his head. Percy could sense everyone in the tunnel from where they were standing to their heartbeats to how many feet above sea level they were.
He slowed his breathing, becoming one with the earth. He felt like his skin was made of dirt and ice that made up the ground. The magma churning under the surface of the earth became his blood. He saw through the eyes of all creatures that had feet on solid ground. Percy could sense the tunnels in the volcano like its circulatory system, all linked together like a well-oiled machine. The tunnel of the left was a dead end, while the one on the right split a few more times until you went straight down, connecting the volcano with other ones, ones that would take them back to the states.
As Percy was about to back up, he felt three pairs of hands yank him from the tunnels, sending searing pain flaring up his arms and back. He screamed but muffled it by biting his tongue. Looking down at his hands, he was surprised to see that there was star shape burned into the palm of his left hand, almost like the asterisk-shaped scar from that pit scorpion that had stung him six years ago.
"What gives?" Percy hissed, holding his injured hand close to his chest. "I was just finding the way out!"
"Percy, you were becoming the earth," Jason told him solemnly, holding Piper and Nico close to him, almost as if he was afraid they'd turn to stone if he touched them.
"Yeah, bro, I was using my earth powers."
He shook his head. "No, you were literally turning into stone. Almost like Medusa looked into your eyes. I don't like this place."
"This isn't your domain, Superman," Piper reminded him, smirking at her nickname for him. "But I agree anyways. There's something creepy in the air, like someone's watching us."
Nico reached out to say something to Percy, but Jason pulled him back, giving him an admonishing look. The son of Hades scowled and huffed but didn't try to wriggle free again. Percy looked down at his hands again in revulsion. Could he really turn people into dirt or stone with a single touch? He didn't want to find out the answer. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jackets, showing that he didn't want anyone touching him.
"O-okay," Percy stuttered out, still afraid of the extent of his new found powers. "The r-right tunnel. I'll lead the way."
"We didn't tell you that to scare you," Nico said, jogging to catch up to him as he was on the verge of breaking into a full blown sprint pretty soon. "We were just concerned."
"How are you even standing this close to me without being disgusted?" Percy asked, taking a few steps to the side, giving Nico a two foot berth between the two of them. "With a single touch, I could accidently kill you."
"You don't know that."
"I'd rather not find out."
Nico scowled before running in front of Percy, clamping his hands onto his shoulders, forcing for Percy to stop walking. He looked up, fear evident in his eyes, as he tried to back up. No, he had failed Nico before by not convincing Bianca to keep going, he wasn't going to kill Nico too.
"Stop this," Nico demanded. "All of this self-pity...it's sickening, Percy. You've dealt with PTSD and Panic Disorder and everything else before, and seeing you get affected so easily is insane. Look at me." Percy obeyed and looked up. "I love you as you are with all your powers and quirks and anything else I don't know. Don't worry about that, okay? I'll be here every step of the way."
Percy fisted a clump of hair on his head, slumping against the side of the tunnel. "You know what? Everyone sit down now, because I need to get something off my chest, and I don't know how much time I have to say this."
Jason, Nico, and Piper sat in a small semi-circle in front of him, curiosity burning in their eyes. He sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. He was about to tell his friends something that he hadn't even told his mother about. He snapped his fingers, dispelling the Mist around his body that he had so precariously worked on maintaining every day. The three of them gasped, and he shut his eyes, not wanting to see the matching looks of pity they'd give him.
He felt someone run their fingertips against his wrist up to his elbow. The scar tissue was thick there from when Gabe threw a knife at him, and he had lifted his arm up in defense, ending up cutting about eight inches of his arm. With his other hand, Percy traced a scar on the base of his collarbone, from where a shard of glass from a beer bottle had gotten stuck in his skin.
"Who did this to you?" the three of them asked with venom in their voice. Each one of them was tracing a different scar, each with its own story.
"My stepfather," Percy replied, nearly gagging on his memory remembering how badly he stunk. The scent of cigars and stale booze and week-old food stains flooded Percy's nostrils, and he coughed, trying to clear his nose of the putrid odor. When he finally smelled the mildew scent of the tunnel, he felt a wave of relief pass over him. Some memories were better left untouched.
"Paul?" Nico asked incredulously. "He did this to you?"
"My first stepfather," Percy corrected. "Gabe Ugliano. Married my mother when I was six. Good guy for the first thirty seconds I knew him before he already started demanding money from me so he could gamble with his poker buddies."
"That fiend!" Piper hissed. "Why would your mom put up with him?"
"He reeked, masking my demigod scent from monsters. I'd rather take my chances with the monsters, quite honestly. When I fell to Tartarus, the place smells just like him. Imagine living with that every day of the summer until getting sent back to another boarding school, trying to keep me 'safe' from the Greek world. Yeah, did a great job of that Gabe." He said everything with a bitter tone in his voice, all from having these thoughts pent up for such a long amount of time and no one to vent them to. His mother would've felt guilty for the abusive childhood he had been through, and Annabeth would've immediately told Sally. There was really no one for him to talk to, and that saddened him.
Nico's ice cold hand traced something along his forehead, making him shudder at the touch. That scar was one of the worst, because it had nearly paralyzed him. Percy remembered the belt cutting him above the eye before Gabe prying the cut open with a switchblade, poking deep into his head, shredding muscle and tissue before he had inevitably passed out before the knife had reached his skull. When he woke up in the hospital, his mother was in tears while Gabe had fake tears glistening on his cheek, begging for Sally to forgive him for not trying to protect him from the "thugs" that had "jumped them". What a load of Minotaur dung. His stitches were left in for a week, and when he went back to school, all the kids in his third-grade class would be staring at his head, blatantly ignoring the teacher.
"I will kill that man," Nico threatened, pulling his hand away from Percy's forehead. "And then I'll send him to Tartarus for the pain he's caused you."
"Don't bother," Percy said, letting the Mist wrap around him again. "My mom killed him, courtesy of Medusa's head."
"He better be in Punishment for his crimes!"
"Hey, don't worry about me, okay? That was all in the past, Nico."
"H-how old were you?" Jason asked. "When this began?"
Percy bit his lip as he got to his feet, picking up his backpack and flashlight. "Six. He hit me for the first time while my mom was working at the candy shop. I mean, the dude was a huge jerk." He scowled, brushing the dust off his jeans and jacket. "He hit my mom, too. I was twelve when I first learned about that. He deserved a much more painful death for the hell he put us through."
"I'm going to take a guess and say, he's a statue now?" Piper asked, strapping her dagger and two borrowed knives from Jason on her weapons belt. "If he is, I want to turn it to dust."
"Oh yeah," Percy replied. "Looking right into Medusa's eyes will do that to you." He looked down at his arm, relief washing over him as the scar melted into his skin as if it was never there in the first place. He felt for the gash on his forehead, glad that he could no longer feel it. Being without the Mist made him feel...exposed, vulnerable - almost like had lost the Curse of Achilles in the Little Tiber again. Percy didn't like the looks of pity he received from his friends. He was still the same person they knew him as...just a lot more scarred than he let on.
Nico must've sensed that Percy was beginning to get uncomfortable with all the attention, because he said, "Let's keep going. I don't want whatever's tracking us to pick up our scent."
"Good idea," Jason said. He inclined his head towards Percy. "Lead the way, bro, just no more of that earth power stuff."
Percy shrugged. "If you say so. Follow me." He hefted his pack, flicking the flashlight on again as he lead them down the right tunnel, not at all afraid of what he'd find down there.
0o0o
Nico for the most part was playing a game of tag between Percy and Jason the entire time. Right now, he was to the right of the son of Jupiter while he spoke of his own fears to Nico and Piper. Percy was up front by himself, leading them through the endless maze of tunnels underneath the surface.
"-and I'm scared I'll hurt him," Jason finished, his voice only a hair louder than a whisper. The tunnels had great acoustics, but Nico could tell Jason wanted his opinions for only him and Piper to hear. "His dad being here only made my suspicions even worse. I don't want to kill him, but I might not be able to control myself."
"You saw how weakened Poseidon was," Piper reminded him. "They won't be able to control you out here."
He still didn't look convinced.
"Jason," Nico said. "Gods only have power equivalent of that to their demigod children, including your father. I know for a fact that no one would be able to influence or control your thoughts as long as we're beyond the gods."
"But the second we cross the threshold into the U.S.-"
"I'll knock you out well before you can do any serious damage. Plus, Piper could also just charmspeak you to sleep."
"That's true," Piper said softly. "Don't stress yourself over this, Jason. You're strong, and no one can control you."
Jason sighed, relief visibly washing over his features as he straightened out his glasses. "Thanks guys."
Nico shrugged. "Don't mention it." He then left Jason to talk with his girlfriend as he jogged up to reach Percy. He was perfectly in rhythm with him, stepping exactly at the same time he did, which made him feel uncharacteristically giddy inside. It was like he was with Will again, and it felt nice. After losing him, well, it was becoming increasingly harder for Nico to find a reason to get up in the morning. Percy had healed that part of him, making him forever grateful for the son of Poseidon.
Percy flinched violently when Nico's arm brushed against his own. "Gods, Nico!" he yelped, fumbling with the flashlight. "I'm seriously debating tying a jingle bell around your neck!"
He chuckled. Good to know that Percy was easy to jump scare. He'd have to be careful to not get decapitated, though, if a scare went too far. "You know I'd break the bell into smithereens," he replied.
"Well, then I'll just have to have a lot of bells on hand," Percy joked, cracking a small smile. Nico could tell that this smile wasn't faked, unlike the ones he had gotten so used to seeing. It made him happy.
"I'll keep breaking them."
"And I'll keep bringing them."
Nico went to reach for Percy's free hand, but Percy jerked his hand back, harshly shoving it into the pocket of his jacket. His other hand was tightly squeezing the flashlight with so much force, his knuckles were stark white. Worry lines seemed to crinkle around the corners of his eyes as he pursed his lips together.
"Percy, I told you already-" Nico began.
"No, Nico. I'm not risking your safety," he argued.
"I'm not a little kid!"
"I know that, but I am not sending you to your father, intentional or not. I still don't know what will happen if I touch someone." He took a few steps to the left, putting himself closer to the wall than being next to Nico.
Nico scoffed. "Whatever you say, Aquaman."
Percy frowned at the nickname but didn't say anything. He forged forward, weaving through the stalagmites with ease, kicking the base of one of them causing for a few to topple over in a domino effect. He didn't understand why Percy had suddenly gotten so aggressive, but he continued kicking the compacted rock, his expression a mix of grimness and macabre pleasure as he destroyed what could've been century old rock.
Their shadows were eerily cast against the sides of the wall, elongated, making them look much taller than they were. The sound of dripping water and Jason and Piper's hushed whispers were the only thing Nico could hear. The tunnel reeked of mildew and sulfur - a strange combination, but one he had already grown accustomed to after how long they had been hiking. His feet ached from the unforgiving, rough ground they were walking on, but he didn't voice his complains to anyone except his own mind. He caught up with Percy again, learning from his mistake and standing a few feet away from his hands.
"I still didn't get to tell you what I sensed in the library," Nico told him, readjusting his sword on its chain belt.
"Well?" Percy asked, stopping to check the tunnels as they split into four different directions at the intersection.
"Your dad, there was an aura of death around him."
Percy frowned before sticking the flashlight in between his teeth as he lifted his hands out in front of him. Once it appeared he made a decision, he asked, "So? What does that mean?"
"It means Poseidon is mortal," Nico said. He expected some sort of reaction, whether it being a panic attack or even a few tears, he wasn't expecting indifference coming from Percy. "Does this not concern you?"
"No, not really. Dad told me earlier, while we were in the car. I forced him to go back to Olympus after I found out. No way would I leave him here to potentially die."
He felt his eyes widen. "You love your father that much?"
Percy shrugged. "I wouldn't necessarily say I acted out of love, but I really wouldn't want Triton becoming the new Lord of the Seas. The guy already hates me. My existence as the last demigod child of Poseidon would always mock him as long as he reigned."
"That shouldn't bother you. Godly families are massively screwed up."
He snorted, nearly impaling himself on the nearest stalagmite. "My dad has had the most number of children in the myths. I'm related to nearly everything in the mythical world."
Nico shuddered in disgust. Really, couldn't any male god just keep it in his pants for once? He had yet to come across any male god that was an eternal bachelor.
"You know what, forget I said anything. But, there's still something else I need to tell you."
"Shoot. Not literally, though!" Percy quickly added once he saw the smirk on Nico's face.
"Spoilsport. Anyways," he looked back, glad that his friends were engrossed in a conversation and not paying attention to the two of them. "I saw my sister in those stupid tubes you keep telling me about."
Percy's walking faltered and he nearly dropped the flashlight. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the bangs out of his eyes. "Hazel's in there? Gods, I'm sorry."
"It's not Hazel," Nico said, biting his bottom lip from preventing his façade to crumble. The memory of the fire consuming his sister whole still haunted him even though he had only seen it for the first time earlier today. That wasn't the kind of thing you just forgot about and moved on with your life.
"Bianca?" he asked, his voice so low Nico thought he had misheard him. "But I thought she went for rebirth!"
"So did I. They must've kidnapped her or something."
He watched as Percy pulled out Riptide; as he twirled it in his fingers, he cursed silently under his breath. "If I could only break through that stupid prison, I'd be able to help her. I'm so sorry. Maybe if I just joined them, they'd leave you all alone."
"If you join them, they'd brainwash you," Nico reminded him gently. "They'd make you attack Olympus, bringing it down to its knees."
"I don't even know whom we're facing!" Percy exclaimed, his voice echoing off the tunnels. He turned left, checking that everyone followed him before hopping down a hole to a lower sublevel of the tunnels. "But I do know that someday, very soon, I'm going to punch a certain Titaness in the face, hard."
"And I'll help you. Trust me, I want to send her to Tartarus to her father as much as you want to."
Percy nodded grimly, the harsh, yellow light making his sea green eyes look a sickly, scummy color, almost like algae on the surface of a lake. The color didn't suit him, making him look more like a broken soldier than the teenage boy he was. Nico hated seeing that fractured look in his eyes, like everything that was good and beautiful in the world suddenly died, leaving behind only lifelessness and destruction. But who was he to say anything? He saw that look every time he looked at himself in the mirror.
The four of them fell into a comfortable silence with Percy and Nico leading the group, while Jason and Piper watched their backs. The deeper they moved into the volcano, the more unsettled Nico became. He didn't understand why - the earth was a part of his father's domain after all - but Hazel was more finely tuned to that part of Pluto's domain than he was, especially with her control over precious metals. At least he could control the dead, giving him a miniscule amount of control over the ground and earth.
They weaved through lava corridors, leaving Nico surprised at how intricate a volcano could really be. After what seemed like hours of walking, Percy announced, "Welcome back to the states."
"Where are we exactly?" Piper asked, her voice filled with unease.
"Mount Saint Helens in Washington State," Percy answered, pulling out his water bottle and taking a few sips before putting it back in his backpack. He shucked off his jacket, too, shoving that in his backpack as well. "We should get going. The last time I was here wasn't a nice one."
"You can say that again," Nico grumbled, following Percy as he took off to the left.
They called for a break about an hour later, taking a moment to rest their aching feet and replenish their energy. Nico munched on a granola bar from his pack half-heartedly despite the fact his stomach was growling louder than a lion roaring.
"We might be able to get to Camp Jupiter to spend the night at the rate we're going," Jason said, wiping his mouth clean of crumbs from his sandwich. "It's crazy how these forges are all connected."
"Hephaestus likes all his ducks in a row," Percy said, only taking sips of water instead of eating. Nico frowned, concerned that he would pass out from over exertion if they continued covering this amount of distance in a single day. Percy caught his lingering gaze and gave a rueful smile before licking his lips to retain moisture.
Being in Mount Saint Helens was like being in a sauna or in the Roman baths back at Camp Jupiter, which he had never been in. He only heard stories of how great the baths were. The heat wasn't as bad as Tartarus, but it made his skin blister either way, his face flushing with the hot and heavy air they were stationed in. His jacket had been long since packed away ever since they crossed over the Mariana Trench in the Pacific a couple hours ago. Walking over the crust of the earth that was constantly spewing lava was excruciatingly hot. It had felt like his insides were being boiled.
He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, which was beaded with sweat. Nico could see everyone's faces were flushed from the magma that was flowing in tunnels beneath their feet. The scary part was that he didn't know how many feet below the surface the magma was or how thin the floor was in certain places. He did not want to burn to death in magma, especially not after Bianca's own fear of fire shook him to his core.
"We can't stay long here," Percy said, screwing the cap back onto his water bottle as he stood up. "This is an active volcano, and my presence could make it blow again after what happened."
"I still don't completely understand what happened," Piper said in awe.
"Typhon and Hephaestus happened," he said bitterly. "Never mind that, though. Let's go."
They packed their supplies away just as the ground began to rumble under their feet. Percy swore violently under his breath as the ground started to crack in places, revealing the vibrant orange color of magma underneath the rock that had only appeared to be sturdy.
"Stupid ourae!" Percy cursed. "The tunnel splits into two - go right! Then keep going straight until you need to go up! Stay on that course, turn left one more time, and find the Mark of Daedalus! Nico knows what it looks like!"
Nico's eyes widened comically. "You can't be serious!"
"Run! I can survive a little longer than all of you, but run! Go through the labyrinth. I'll meet you guys there, I promise!" Magma began to seep in through the cracks under their feet, and Nico had to jump back to avoid his feet being fried off. "GO!"
He probably wouldn't have started moving until Jason grabbed him by his arm, dragging him down the path as more fissures broke, pouring in the scorching hot magma. (But was it lava now even if it was inside the volcano?)
The air shimmered with the heat, tinting the tunnels an evil shade of red. Magma bubbled, ricocheting off the tunnels as it boomed, nearing the sound of an eruption. If they didn't get out of here soon, reaching the labyrinth would no longer matter as they'd perish immediately.
Jason flew him and Piper up the tunnel Percy had told them to go through, but the magma seemed persistent on burning them alive as it rose up with them, following them with its vibrant orange torrent of death. Nico's lungs were burning - not literally, bad pun - as they ran, the sulfurous air making it harder to breathe.
They turned left, and Jason shouted, "Look for the mark!"
Nico scoured the walls for the delta sign, slamming his hand against it when he found it. The delta shimmered blue and the rocky wall shuddered open, giving them a pathway to get through. He had just enough time to make a wall of obsidian rock appear to let Jason and Piper in first before he tumbled in afterwards, nearly collapsing from the energy drain.
It was then that Nico realized that he was in the labyrinth again, but this time he didn't have a ghost to guide him through the dangerous maze. Worse yet, Percy hadn't made it in time. He was still under the mouth of a volcano that was about to blow with minimal protection against the magma and heat.
"Percy!" Nico shouted, making a mad dash for the delta again.
Piper pinned him down. "If you open the doorway again, we'll all die!" she exclaimed.
"But he'll die if we don't open the doorway!" Nico screeched. "I just lost Will. I can't-I can't lose him too!"
Then the wall shuddered with a great big BOOM! causing for dust to trickle down from the ceiling of the maze they were in. It was the sound of an eruption. Jason winced from the shock, but he wrapped his arms around Piper and Nico, pulling them away from the Mark of Daedalus.
"NO!" Nico wailed, pounding his fists against Jason's arms. "Let me go!"
Jason let him go with some reluctance, but Nico ran to the wall haphazardly running his hands across the wall looking for the mark, not even caring when he cut himself on a jagged piece of rock. It was like the area of the labyrinth they were in changed, leaving Percy behind to fend for himself.
Nico collapsed on his knees, weakly beating the side of the tunnel with a bloodied fist. If summoning that rock hadn't drained him enough, he was now emotionally drained as he sobbed uncontrollably, curling into a ball. First his boyfriend, then his sister, and now he lost his crush, again. He cried for so long that his throat hurt, and his body was shuddering with his uneven breaths.
Eventually, he cried himself to sleep with his last conscious thought being: I'm sorry, Percy.
~~~~
Ha ha, sorry not sorry about that ending
I'm evil 😈
Ok, seriously though there's something I want to talk about. My uncle was the one that told me about Chester Bennington's death today. Needless to say, I was shocked.
I know I'm not the biggest Linkin Park fan, especially since I'm only recently getting into their music, but I was still saddened anyways.
I mean, how else are you supposed to react when you learn that the lead singer of a band you're trying to get into killed himself? My prayers go out to his family, friends, bandmates and fans.
Guys, please know that it gets better. I personally have no idea what's going on in your lives, but suicide isn't the answer. There's so much good in the world, and if you're willing to look past its ugly exterior, I know that there is some form of happiness waiting for each and every one of you.
If any of you ever need to talk, know that I'm here and more than willing to listen to whatever you have to say.
That being said, thank you guys for reading
I love you all so much 💜