"Percy, get your ass up, I'm hungry!" Percy groaned and turned on his side, putting a pillow over his ears. "Percy! Please!"
"Go away! I don't want to eat!"
"But Nico has a plan so you can eat blue food."
Percy was out of bed, dressed, and ready to go at the speed of light, dragging Bianca to the dining pavilion.
"Now fill me in on this plan."
Bianca smirked. "Nah. I think I'll just let you figure it out."
"But Angel!" He whined. "Aren't we friends? Don't you care?" He pouted.
"Nope." She said popping the 'p'. "I don't."
Once they finally get there, Percy laid down at the other side of the table and waited until he heard Nico call out his name causing the campers to look at him. Percy sat up and waited for Nico to catch up.
"Have you ever tried blue food?" Percy could hear most of the camper's breath hitches in their throat as they looked at Nico, shock and sadness written on their faces.
At first Percy was confused before he smirked, finally getting what Nico was saying. "No, I don't believe I have. Why?"
"You should try it. It's good."
"Alright, Nico, I'll take your word for it." Percy summons blue pancakes onto his plate. He then asks for some blue syrup and pours it all over. Nico looks at Percy happily as he remembers all those times Nico would say he'd drown his pancakes. Percy smiles as he remembers the same thing then he whispered. "If I can't drown, neither can my pancakes." Percy takes a huge bite and leans his head back. "This is so good!"
Thank the gods! You were staring to annoy me with your complaining.
"Oh, shut up Eli let me have this." Unfortunately the campers heard and stared at Percy like he grew a head. He looks around confused. "What? Did I say something?"
Yes.
"Dude I said shut up."
My gods.
"Why is he talking to himself?"
"Oh shit." Percy seems to realize he's been saying that aloud the whole time.
"Hey, Zeno why are you talking to yourself?"
"I—uh.." Percy doesn't get to finish as a loud roar erupts into the camp. Percy quickly stands up and runs to the source, Cosmos in hand. "Styx." Ahead of him are hundreds of monsters trying to get through the barrier. The campers show up right behind him and the warriors join either side of Percy, their weapons out and in a ready stance.
"Well, I guess the dance begins." Percy says with a smile. He runs forward and slashed at monsters while the campers follow suit. Percy makes sure none of the campers get severely injured and taking out monsters left and right.
Percy uses some of his powers to quickly kill the enemy or when he sees a camper in trouble and knows he won't make it, Eli comes out to play and shoots the monster with an arrow. After all the monsters are gone, Percy looks around at the campers and is thankful that none of them died but a lot are injured.
Percy keeps searching the battlefield until his gaze rests on a dark haired boy leaning against a rock. Percy walks up to him with a small smile.
"Hola, Nico." He looks up and smiles back at Percy.
"Ciao, Percy." He says softly so no one will hear. "Great fight huh?"
Percy shrugged. "Yeah, but that only means that it won't be long until Tartarus starts to come out."
"True." Nico looks thoughtful for a second. "I want to show you something." He grabs Percy's hand and he looks at their conjoined hands before looking back at Nico as he drags him away. They travel through the forest until they reach a sculpted rock. He looks closer and sees there's writing on it. He sends a questioning glance at Nico before stepping forward.
"In Memory of Perseus Jackson.
We are sorry for everything. You were a great hero and friend. May you rest in piece."
Percy stares at it for a while, sitting on a knee. Nico steps next to him and sits down.
"I tried to tell them you weren't dead. But I wasn't even sure because of the missing souls. They didn't believe me and made this."
"Well, I'm here now. Here to help." Percy looks down and says a little more quietly. "But then I have to leave again." Nico snaps his head back to Percy.
"You're leaving again?" Percy looks at Nico.
"Yeah. After the war is over. I'm leaving." He says the next part so quietly Nico wasn't sure if he heard him right. "You come with me you know. Father will let you join."
"You want me to come with you?"
Percy looks down at his hands, playing with them nervously. "Yeah. I don't want to leave you again." Nico just stared at Percy. "It's okay if you don't want to. I'll understand. It'll just be weird without having you around." Percy stands up and is about to walk away when a hand grabs his arm.
"You really want me to go?" Percy looks at Nico and smiles softly.
"If you want to come. Then yes, I really want you to go."
"Okay." He states.
"Wait, you want to?"
"Yeah. I have nothing for me here. Plus, I won't get mad at you for leaving again if I'm with you."
Percy smiles. "No, you won't." They continued to talk while they walked back to the campers. They all stared as Percy and Nico laughed and joked with each other.
"Nico, what are you doing?" Jason hisses as he goes up to the two boys. "Why are you with him? He's dangerous y'know."
Nico rolls his eyes. "I'm with him because he's my friend, something you are not. And I know he's dangerous. He's Chaos's son for Zeus's sake!"
That makes everyone shut up and eyes wide.
"They didn't know did they?" Percy shook his head.
"I forgot they didn't know. They weren't there on Olympus when I told the you and the gods."
"Is it bad?"
"No. I honestly thought they knew but I guess I never said it."
"Wait, Nico has known this the whole time?" Jason turned to Nico. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Well for one, I forgot you didn't know. And two, why would I tell you of all people?"
Percy's bracelet glowed and turned red as Eli took over. He starts laughing so hard and falls to the ground. "Holy Styx Zeno that was funny as shit!" The campers stare at him weirdly and Nico just wants to know what Percy said that was so funny. "You can't just say that about the poor guy. He'd have a heart attack!"
Nico figures he insulted Jason some way in his head and Eli thought it was funny enough that he accidentally took control over Percy's body.
He continues laughing and Nico just smiles widely. "Eli was it really that funny?" Now everyone was staring at Nico wondering why he said Eli.
Bianca steps up. "Eli, people are staring." Eli abruptly stops and looks at the campers as if just realizing they were there.
"Uh... hi? The name's Eli nice to meet ya." He says standing up.
"But aren't you Zeno?"
Eli chuckles. "Nah, I'm not Zeno."
This confuses everyone. "Do you got DID or something?"
"The hell is DID?"
"It stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder dumbass." Some Athena camper responds.
Jason scowls and turns back to Eli. "So do ya?"
Percy's bracelet glows again until it's black and red.
"No, we do not." He says, two voices coming from him.
"Dude, I forgot about that." Nico grins.
"Will someone explain to us what the hell is going on!"
"Alright, alright. Calm your horses." Percy says. "We are Zeno and Eli. A long time ago Zeno went on a mission so he could obtain a sword his father requested he get." He begins, talking in the third person because Percy and Eli realize it's easier to do when they are both in control without the other having to say 'I' as well. "When he was there, a wizard got to him and he did his 'voodoo magic' as Nico calls it and made Eli become a voice in Zeno's head. It's kind of like two people living in the same body. Either one of us can take control, or we both are in control like right now."
"That's wicked!" Some camper said in the back.
"Awesome!" Okay that was an Apollo camper.
Luke stands next to Percy. "Okay so that's another secret out. What's next?"
"Something else is going to be out if you don't shut up." Luke shook is head.
"Anything but that." Percy grinned evilly and started to take out his sword.
"Okay, look I didn't mean it! Honest!" He puts his hands up.
"You and your siblings are anything but honest." Hopefully the campers don't catch on to that.
"Oh, you and yours are?"
"We ain't got no siblings." Percy retorts.
"That's improper English, get your facts straight."
"They are straight!"
"Oh, please! Your sexuality is straighter than that!" Luke exclaims and Percy freezes. "Oh, shit. I wasn't supposed to say that."
"Another secret out." Percy says. Nico looks between Luke and Percy. His bracelet turns black again.
"Did not expect that." Some camper said.
"Wait, so Zeno's gay?"
"Or was he talking about Eli?"
"Wait I got one." Another camper says. "Or.. was he talking about both?"
Dramatic gasps come from everyone until they start laughing. The warriors — other than Luke and Bianca —and Nico are looking at Percy, not knowing he was gay.
"Well, this has been one interesting day."
I hope you find out soon.
"Find out what?"
"Who's he talking to?"
"Eli." Nico says.
The same thing I've been telling you for years!
"What have you been telling me for years? Does it have something to do with what was just said?"
Yes Percy!
"Okay what about it? I'm gay, yes but I still have no idea what you're trying to tell me. I can't figure it out!"
Tsk tsk tsk. Percy you should know yourself better.
"Whose to say I don't already?"
Because if you did you'd have figured it out already!
"I don't get it!" He grasps his hair, with his hood still on. "I'm so confused and you're not helping Eli! Just give me a hint! Please!"
That's gonna be hard give me a minute.
"Ugh!" He turns to the warriors. "Do you guys know?"
Luke shakes his head. "I don't think you realize this yet but we cannot hear Eli, bro. We're getting a one sided conversation and we are so confused."
"You guys are no help!" Luke grapes at him and puts his hands up.
"What the hell!"
"Just tell us what's going on Zeno." Zoë says nicely.
"Okay, so Eli says that he's waiting for me to figure out something that he's known for years and that it somehow relates to me being gay. I don't get it."
Bianca's mouth parts with realization and Percy notices. "You know, don't you?"
"Um. Íroas a little help? Please."
"I don't know Angel I kinda want to know too. I mean Zeno has been saying stuff like this for a while."
"Isn't it obvious?" An Athena camper says, causing the warriors to look her way. "He likes someone."
Percy's eyes widen, even though the others can't see it and his mouth opens. "Who, what, where, when, why, how?" He asks super fast, the others almost didn't understand him. He turns to Bianca. "You know right?"
"Oh, hell no! I ain't telling you shit!"
"She's right, Zeno. You gotta figure that out yourself."
"How does he not know who he likes?" Someone asks.
"Well I mean I have an idea?" Percy says and looks into a certain direction at someone but because his eyes are covered no one knew.
"Well? Who is it."
"Oh, well, uh... ummm." He stutters.
Bianca pulls on Zeno's arm. He looks at her and relaxes a bit. "He's not going to say who it is."
"Oh thank Chaos." Percy looks down and turns to Nico and grabs his arm. "I want cookies." He says and they disappear. Everyone just blinks at where the two used to be before Bianca smiles and she turns back to the campers.
"Are we all gonna forget that we just fought a bunch of monsters not two hours ago?"
Everyone else shrugs and turns to leave.
————
Silena enters the Chaos cabin first followed by Beckendorf and the others. They did not expect to see what they saw. There was flour all over the walls and food dye. An egg was on the floor and the place was a total disaster.
They walked into the living room to see the tv on with movie credits rolling. They look on the couch to see a sleeping Nico laying his head on a sleeping Percy's lap. Percy is sitting down with his head on the armrest.
Bianca gets out a camera and takes pictures of the two. Beckendorf turns off the tv and they all go to Luke's room.
"It's him. Isn't it, Bianca?" Luke asks once they all settle down on the floor.
"Yeah. It is."
"Damn." Silena says. "That's adorable."
"Wonder when he's gonna find out." Bianca says. "He can be just as oblivious."
"Well, I don't know your brother too well, but I give it a few days."
The others nod. "A week tops."
"Nah, I say a week and a half."
"Deal!" Luke and Zoë exclaim, shaking hands.
"Well that happened." Beckendorf says.
"What do we do now? I'm bored and the oblivious duo are hogging the couch."
Luke grins and takes out markers. The others let out a matching grin and take a marker, running silently down the stairs. They put swirls all over their faces and on Percy's forehead they put 'I 🖤 GK' and on Nico's forehead they put 'I 🖤 SP' and put random words all over their faces. They draw a mustache on both of them under both of their noses, Percy gets a swirl at the end and Nico's is going to his chin.
When they finally feel satisfied with their artwork, they go to their rooms and go to sleep. They can't wait to see their faces in the morning.