Yup, so this is just a continuation. Leave a review! :)


"Whoa," Piper said, staring at the sketch Hazel had drawn of Nico. "Oh my god, this is so… on point."

Nico had happened to be walking past, and he peered over his sister's shoulder and scowled. "I do not look like that."

Hazel rolled her eyes at her brother as Piper laughed. "What did I miss this time?"

Nico frowned. "My nose isn't that big. And my hair isn't that long. And I do not have such huge circles under my eyes!"

Will smiled serenely. "I don't know, Nico, that looks just like you."

Nico turned to glower at his boyfriend. "Hey, that's not —"

"Can I have it?" Will blurted over Nico.

Hazel looked at Will, her eyes wide. "You want my drawing of Nico?"

Will bit his lip, as if realizing what he just said. "Um…"

"OH MY GODS!" Piper shrieked. "Oh my freaking gods!"

Jason appeared at Piper's side with Frank and Leo, looking chagrined. "Pipes, are you alright?"

"No!" Piper yelped, causing Jason to glance at her worriedly. "Will wants a picture of Nico!"

Nico's pale cheeks began to turn red.

Jason stared at Piper, trying to take it in, and then — "SOLANGELO FOR LIFE!"

Leo snickered. "Hey, Lover Boy."

Nico facepalmed. "Haze, please don't give —"

"Okay!" Hazel said happily, ripping the page out of her sketchbook and handing it to Will. "There you go!"

Frank stifled a laugh.

Suddenly Nico exploded, "NO!"

Hazel, startled, began pulling her hand back. "Um, if it bothers you that much, then I don't have to give —"

"No!" Nico said again. "Shut up!"

That's when the rest of The Seven realized he was breathing hard, a thin glossy film of tears over his eyes.

Will's eyes widened. "Nico, I'm really sorry if —"

"No!" The word ripped through them, it was coated in agony and anguish and pain. "No, no… it can't be true…"

He was really scaring them. Jason said gently, "Nico, are you alright?"

He didn't reply, only stared at them brokenly. "I — I don't —"

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Will asked soothingly.

"Is he okay?"

"Nico's crying?! Where's a megaphone when I need it?"

"Leo!"

"Sorry, sorry…"

"What happened?!"

"Oh my gods, do some —"

"N - no…" Nico was crying now, trembling as the tears slid down his cheeks. His damp eyes gazed distantly into the hills, seeing something different altogether.

Abruptly Hazel staggered as if she'd been shot. Frank caught her. "Hazel!"

"Oh my gods," Hazel whispered, her voice quivering. "Oh my gods."

Tears began dripping down her face as well.

It was Piper who made the connection first. She looked back and forth between Hazel and Nico, Hazel and Nico, back and forth —

"Oh," Piper said in a small voice, pressing her fingers to her lips. "Oh no."

"Piper!" Jason cried, overcome in a frenzy of desperation as he shook her. "Not you too! What —"

Piper shoved his hand away. "It's not me!" she snapped angrily. "Children of Hades. Someone — someone —"

Silence.

But they all understood.

"Nico?" Will asked, fear present in his voice. "Who?"

The Child of the Underworld looked up from his hands, face blotchy with red and white. "It's him," he whispered, and Hazel turned to sob into Frank's shirt.

They waited.

"P - Percy Jackson…"

Everyone froze.

"That's — that's impossible," Frank breathed. Leo, having faced death before, merely turned away, solemn for once. Jason stared blankly at Nico and Hazel as if waiting for them to jump up and say, 'Surprise! Gotcha!' But no such thing happened.

Piper clutched Jason's arm, leaving red fingermarks. "Percy?" she said, stumbling over her lost friend's name once.

"Percy," Nico confirmed shakily.

The misery enveloped them all, shrouding them like thick white mist in an early winter's morning.


Thanks for reading!