Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus Fanficition – Dark Dreams

Nico pounded on Percy's lifeless chest, again and again, he just couldn't stop. The others gathered around him, trying to pull him away from the cold face of their friend but getting nowhere. Nico couldn't leave, not without Percy knowing. He had to tell him how he made him feel, how he would toss and turn at night thinking about him, how he despised Annabeth for doing this to him.

"Percy! PERCY!" he cried.

Annabeth saw the big cluster of the seven and jogged over briskly to see what was going on. She pushed through the crowd, and as soon as she broke through her face turned pale.

"Seaweed brain wake up! Stop faking it you weirdo get up!"

Percy didn't stir. Annabeth looked around with an uncertain smile for support; someone was bound to give the joke away.

"Come on guys, he'll start drooling any minute now! Help me out here!"

Annabeth walked up to Percy and had a feeble attempt at lifting him off the ground, but then she looked at Nico's red eyes. Nico always had sadness about him, a depression. His usual depression was one of solitude, of giving up. But at this moment it was one of grievance, the same one as when Bianca died.

"He just gave me a look" Percy had once said. "He wasn't the bouncing, happy little boy anymore. He just stopped caring."

Jason looked at Frank and Frank understood what he wanted him to do. Jason gently steered Annabeth by the shoulders with tears in his eyes away from Percy whilst Frank had a more difficult task. Nico didn't want to move so Frank grabbed him by the waist and lifted him off the ground.

"No! Percy! PERCY! Zhang let me go! Percy!"

Annabeth didn't register the situation.

"Seaweed brain you promised we'd stay together." She mumbled her face emotionless.

"YOU PROMISED!" she suddenly screamed.

Annabeth sat up in a sweat and with tears in her eyes. Percy was still asleep on the couch from attempting to study sword techniques but failing miserably. Safe. She ran to Nico knowing somehow he needed her, he was in a sleeping fit when Annabeth found him, blood was dripping down his nose.

"Nico! Nico wake up!

Nico woke instantly, his eyes snapping open. For a second Annabeth saw the little boy she'd rescued when they first met, then it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

"Annabeth, did you…?"

Annabeth nodded.

"Prepare for the worst half-bloods. He won't be you only casualty." Said a dark voice.

Gaia.