CHAPTER 2

Criticism is appreciated, I'll try my best for future reference.

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By the time Chiron called everyone back to the big house the sun was setting, but no one looked ready to go to sleep. Argus told them what the centaur had planned would be dangerous to both them, and Leo Valdez. Still the group of friends didn't back down, ready to aid their mechanic. One by one, each entered the room, determination on their faces. Chiron had a shining light blue vial in his hand, there were matching ones on the table next to him.

"These shall help you enter Valdez' dreams," He started to pass them out, there wasn't one for Nico however. "But be wary, the vial shall only keep you there for a day at most, and your bodies can't handle a second dosage."

"Wait," Percy spoke up. "Where's Nico's dosage?" Nico mentally thanked Percy, this was one of the reasons he used to crush on him.

"I need to discuss a few things with Di Angelo before sending him with you all." Chiron explained, no one was buying it and were suspicious of the centaur.

Piper didn't wait even a beat to try and speak up, Nico had every right to come, she's seen the way he'd look at their repair boy when he cracked one of his jokes, he wants to help as much as everyone else does. Someone grabbed her shoulder, she turned to see Annabeth holding her back, shaking her head before looking at her boyfriend. Percy and Piper reluctantly stood down, biting their tongues.

"Chiron-" Jason began.

"No," Nico cut him off. "It's alright, we're wasting time." Chiron's posture relaxed.

"Yes, he's right, lay on one of the beds before taking the vial, we don't want your bodies laying all over the floor." Chiron said, everyone climbed in bed, glancing at each other before downing the vial in one go. They all collapsed in the bed one by one. Nico turned to the centaur.

"Why didn't you want me to go?" Nico asked, hoping he didn't sound as hurt as he felt.

"Di Angelo," Chiron started. "I didn't want them to go." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a red potion, handing it to stupefied the ghost king.

"What?" Nico asked confused, how would they save Valdez?

"Only one person can enter someone's head," Chiron answered. "It needs someone important."

"Then you're making a horrible decision." Nico concluded. The centaur shot him a knowing look.

"Drink this and you will without a doubt make it into his mind, together you will meet Phobetor and convince him to let go of Valdez." Chiron motioned Nico to one of the beds.

"Now hurry, we don't have time on our side." Nico looked uneasily at the potion then gulped it down as his friends did with the other vial.

The potion tasted like a mixture of sweets and vinegar, it was horrible. He found himself getting feeling faint, falling into the mattress, the potion starting to take effect. Glancing at the sleeping mechanic the ghost king vowed to save him as his eyes slowly closed.

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Leo stared at his mother's body, while whimpering, he raised his shaking hand, caressing her face. The tears were coming again, but he blinked them away, he started to question why her body was here, and not rotten as if she died just today. Leo knew one thing, he had to get out of this place, trembling he picked himself up, and there was no way Leo intended to stay long enough for anything else traumatizing to be thrown at him.

Esperanza's hand shot up, grabbing Leo's wrist and pulling him down to his knees. Startled, he started to fight against her hold, but she was too strong. Esperanza eyes snapped open, a wide sinister grin graced her face, Leo's heart sped up a mile a minute. This wasn't his mother, when she smiled his nerves would cease, now, Leo thought his heart would burst from his chest.

"What's wrong mijo?" She sneered. "Don't you love me?" Her face started to decay, flesh falling off in clumps as she cackled crazily. Leo sucked in a sharp breath, covering his mouth in an attempt to keep the bile growing in the back of his throat down.

"Look at me," Esperanza shrieked. "You did this to me!"

"No," Leo shuddered. "Let me go!" His whole body went in flames, lighting his mother up as well.

"Mijo," Esperanza sobbed, not decaying anymore, and flesh intact. "Why did you kill me?" Her sobs grew as the fire surrounded them.

"Mama!" Leo cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He couldn't hear himself over her tortured screams. Leo tried to put the flames out, but it didn't calm until she was completely burned. The boy broke down all over again, holding the charred body close to him, rocking back and forth while muttering apologies in Spanish.

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Nico woke up with a headache, that settled it, he's never downing another potion from a centaur that tricked your friends into drinking a knock out potion. Wincing, he looked at his surroundings, it was dark, but you could still see everything, not that there was anything to see, this place was the definition for vacant.

Nico snorted, he guessed there really wasn't anything in Valdez' brain. Okay, he's been around Leo too long if he's finding the time to bust jokes, but never mind that, there's a mechanic out here in need of rescue. Nico started to explore the darkness, easier to travel around thanks to his shadow abilities. Something moved from the corner of his vision, he turned around, and what the

Hades was that?

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Son of a goddess, he's been running for hours, when would these creatures give up? At this rate he'd never find Leo, he was by his caught ankle and yanked down, while he let out a stream of curses, and soon it was encircling his waist. The thing was choking him, it seemed Nico was about to die when a thought hit him. It's some form of shadow right? Maybe he could manipulate it somehow.

Nico let himself be swallowed by the shadows, not fighting against it, but accepting it. When it seemed as if he was completely swallowed by the beast, his hand burst through the monster's ribcage, the shadow tried to fight to repress the boy, but eventually the shadows became prey for Nico's. Exhaling, he continued his search, Leo's mind was more dangerous than he originally thought, he would need to act with more caution, the mechanic better be more than thankful once they're both safely out of here. A noise woke him from his musings

Sobbing, it was coming up ahead, he blended into the shadows, this could be some sort of trap set out. He saw the person weeping into, Nico swallowed, a charred body, burned so badly it was unrecognizable. Nico got closer until he saw the curly hair and felt his heart jump in relief.

"Leo…" Nico called out softly, hesitantly reaching out, Leo nearly jumped out of his skin, causing him to relinquish his hold on the body, his mother's body. He shouted in protest and tried to pick it back up, but the corpse decayed at an alarming rate, leaving Leo with a handful of remains. This time Leo couldn't stop himself from hurling up his

Awkwardly, he approached and put a hand on the mechanic's shoulder to comfort him, but to Nico's surprise Leo leaned into his touch. Before he even blinks, Leo's sobbing into his shirt, hiccups and sniveling. The Nico ran his fingers through the trembling boy's hair. Soothingly rubbing his back, encouraging Leo to let it all out, and he did. Half an hour later the crying ceased, but Leo didn't make a move to get up. Nico didn't want to move yet, but he knew they needed out of here as soon as possible. Especially if they wanted to find this Phobetor God.

"Leo," Nico said lightly. "We have to go get out of here." As if broken from his trance, Leo sluggishly let go. He didn't release his hold yet, waiting for Leo's reply.

"Okay." Leo said. The pale boy winced at how raspy he sounded, knowing he was still out of it, Nico took Leo by his wrist and started to lead him through the dark.

They walked for hours, Leo starting to return to normal much to Nico's relief. To pass the time Leo told stupid puns, which he didn't put much effort into while Nico cracked a faint smile at them. No matter how much Nico wanted to know whose charred body that was and why Leo was near hysterics over it, he knew better than to make Leo relive that all over again, and subdued the urge to interrogate both became somewhat comfortably in one another's company, Nico decided to fill Leo on what happened and how they're both walking through his mind. (Deciding not to mention the part where Chiron knocked everyone out.)

"Why are you only here?" Leo asked, did Piper and Jason not care for his safety? If he really came back?

"Piper and Jason wanted to come," Nico reassured quickly. "But Chiron said only one of us can come, and my shadow abilities gave me a better advantage." Lying was bad, but a half lie wasn't too bad.

"So," Leo tried to joke. "You're my Knight in shining armor? Does that mean I kiss you when we're out of here?"

"Valdez?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay."

Leo nearly tripped over himself, he could always count on Nico to say something endearing out of the blue, even if he wasn't okay, far from okay actually, the statement had Leo smiling a little, looking slightly better than when Nico had found him.

"Tha-" Before Leo could express his gratitude . There were more than a hundred of the shadow creatures surrounding them, not looking like they wanted to sit and chat with the way they were emitting snarls. Nico stepped in front of Leo, he wasn't use to shadow traveling with someone else, but there didn't seem to be any other choice.

"Y'know now would be a good time to, I don't know, shadow ourselves out of here." Leo quipped nervously.

"Leo," Nico held his hand out. "Take my hand." He was surprised when Leo didn't argue and actually grabbed on with a firm hold.

"I'm going to try to shadow travel." Nico said, pulling Leo a bit closer than he intended to, not that Nico was complaining. He closed his eyes concentrated on intermixing with the shadows for a few minutes. When he opened them they were still facing snarling creatures.

"My powers," Nico muttered in disbelief. "They aren't working."

The monsters decided this was the best time to lunge at them.

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Hey, you just met me, and this is crazy, but here's my fanfic, so review it maybe?