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Disclaimer: Rick Riordan continues not to accept my continuing requests to please, please let me possess his soul and write pointless fan fiction stories. So for now, I own nothing. Continue on with your reading young souls.
Percy's POV
As Nico fell to the ground; Thalia rushed to his side and fell to the ground beside him. Annabeth ran over to him too. I was to shocked to lift my feet at the moment, but I'm sure If I could I would've rushed over there also.
Suddenly, Nico's eyes shot open. Thalia screeched and crawled backwards with a small tear running down her cheek.
"Oh, my gods." Annabeth whispered.
"I'm not Nico, so don't be too shocked." A voice said that was obviously not Nico's, but still came from his body.
"Who are you?" Thalia yelled, warily. She had gotten off of the ground and was now standing next to Annabeth, who was currently clinging to me like I was her last strand of life.
"Fear not children. I am Hades Nico's father, your uncle." He said pointedly looking at Thalia and me.
Annabeth's grip on me loosened a little. Thalia was now hastily wiping away the one stray tear on her cheek.
"Why did you posses your son's body like some puppet master?" I questioned.
"This is the only way the gods cannot tell that I am giving you information. I must hurry or Nico's soul will stay out of his body forever."
"We wouldn't want that." Thalia said quickly. "Tell us where to find the elixir."
"Ah, the elixir is currently it is in Nike's possession."
"Nike, as in the goddess of victory?" I asked.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No seaweed brain, he means the shoe company. Of course he means Nike- the goddess of victory!" She said to me as if I was the dumbest person in the world.
"Why would she have it?" Thalia questioned.
"Zeus currently has a reward for your capture. If a minor god captures you they get to become an Olympian. Nike has always wanted to become an Olympian, so she really wants to capture you. She thinks the elixir will lure you to her, I assume she was correct." Nico-I mean Hades said.
"Where is Nike?" Annabeth asked.
"Oh Tartarus, Nico's soul is leaving his body; I must leave his. Remember the games!" He said slowly fading away and his eyes shutting.
Then, Nico's eyes shot open and he inhaled a giant breath of air, like he was drowning.
Nico's POV
I groaned and lifted my head off the ground. I felt like I got hit like a truck. One minute I'm walking to the entrance of the underworld, the next I'm in total darkness. I sat up for a second, only to be toppled over again by a certain daughter of Zeus. My head connects with the ground again as my back slams into the dirt. I look up to find Thalia smiling over me with a tear marks running from her beautiful blue eyes to her chin.
"Oh my gods you're alive!" She shouted with joy.
From behind Thalia's curtain of soft raven hair, I saw Percy and Annabeth ambling towards us. Only then did I notice that Thalia was basically straddling me after her failed attempt at a hug. I coughed and a look of shock passed over her face for a split second then it was gone. She hastily climbed off of me and sat beside me in the dirt.
"What just happened?" I asked sitting up.
"Your father just possessed your body Nico." Annabeth said.
"What, Why would he do that? " I questioned.
"He said it was the only way he could give us information without the gods knowing."
"What did we learn from my horrible experience?" I asked jokingly.
"Nike has the elixir, and your father said, 'to remember that games'—whatever that means." Percy said, confused.
"What games?" I asked.
"That's what we're trying to figure out." Thalia said.
I could see the gears turning in Annabeth's head, and then her eyes lit up like a light bulb.
"I know that look." Thalia said accusingly, "What are you thinking?"
"Do you think Hades could've possibly meant Olympic Games?" Annabeth wondered.
"My girlfriend is a genius!" Percy shouted.
"Yes Percy, we've established that already." Thalia said sarcastically.
I love it when she says things sarcastically; she's so cute when she does that. Wait—did I just call her cute? No, no, no, no, no I cannot possibly even the smallest tiny bit like Thalia Grace. On the other hand what's wrong with it? She's funny, beautiful, caring, smart, powerful, strong-in many ways, and feisty. If she finds out she'll dig my grave and bury me alive. Oh, shut up Nico focus on the task at hand.
"No I'm serious! Nike is the goddess of victory, what could be more victorious then winning the Olympic Games? That's where her spirit is the strongest, so I think she follows the Olympic Games." Percy said
"Well where are the Olympic games now?" I asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, I don't like not knowing things so we need to find somewhere with Wi-Fi access. I can look it up on my laptop." Annabeth said.
"They have Wi-Fi access at Starbucks around the corner." Percy remembered.
"We need to get out of the city first; we're too close to Olympus." Annabeth explained.
"Well what are we waiting for?" Thalia asked.
"Can someone please get me some nectar or ambrosia?" I asked. I groaned as I sat up with my hand on the back of my head.
"I got it!" Thalia shouted, already jogging to the car.
"So Nico, what's going on with you and Thalia?" Annabeth asked teasingly.
I blushed looked down and muttered disappointedly, "Absolutely nothing."
"I think there's something, when you collapsed Thalia was crying a little. Thalia Grace doesn't cry." Percy said winking.
"She was crying?" I whispered caringly. That's why there was tear marks on her face.
"I'm back with the food of the gods, it's a little crushed but it will do." Thalia said handing me a mushed up bag of ambrosia.
"Thanks." I said taking out a square. I took a bite and it tasted like the pastries my mom used to make before she died. Yes, I know I still remember what they tasted like. They were the best thing in the world. I smiled with pleasure as I finished off the small square.
With renewed strength, I climbed off the ground and walked over to the group.
"So how do you feel?" Annabeth asked cautiously.
"I still feel like I got ran over by a truck, but a much smaller truck then before." I said seriously.
"Let's go find that Wi-Fi hot spot." Thalia said walking over to my motorcycle.
"Wait up!" I said jogging to catch up with her. I waved over my shoulder to Percy and Annabeth, who were already walking towards their convertible. Thalia just looked over her shoulder and slowed down a notch.
"So, you cried when I feel to the ground?" I whispered curiously. I swear I saw a little bit of blush spread over her cheeks as she looked down at the pavement.
"I just couldn't lose another person I-" I couldn't hear the last word, but It didn't matter.
I stopped her, held her by her shoulders, tilted her chin up towards me, "Look at me, I'm not going anywhere." I whispered looking into her eyes.
"That's good to know." She whispered. Then she did something I never would've expected, she wrapped her arms around me and enveloped me in a hug. My body and hers fit together like a puzzle piece.
She was shorter than me so my nose was buried in her soft black hair. I breathed through my nose and smelled the most intoxicating scent, warm vanilla. I know, you never would've thought a son of Hades could be such a softie. This is what she does to me though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
She let go too soon and yelled, "Race you to the motorcycle!" Then she took off running.
"Not fair! You got a head start!" I shouted before taking off behind her.
We both got to the motorcycle at the same time, despite the fact that she got a head start. Getting to the motorcycle involved a lot of jumping over hot dog carts, dodging old ladies crossing the street, and nearly missing getting hit by a cab.
"I win, I win, I win!" I yelled while doing a happy dance.
"It was a tie!" Thalia screeched. She had a flushed face and wind whipped hair, yet she still managed to look beautiful.
"Considering the fact that you got a head start and you still didn't win, that means I win by ten seconds." I said smiling triumphantly.
She gave no protest, but instead ushered me onto my bike. I climbed on and waited for her to get on also.
"What are you waiting for?"
"If you plan for me to keep riding on this thing, you need to buy helmets." She said smugly.
Helmets are not bad ass! I cannot work that look, plus it messes up my sexy hair. I'm not gay, but a little bit conceded about my perfect body. Just kidding, but a helmet does mess up my entire image. I thought about it for a minute and came up with a solution.
"My car is being shipped to Camp for the summer as we speak. If I call I can stop it where ever it is, and pick it up."
"You have a car and a motorcycle?" She said incredulously.
"The car was a gift from Hades, the motorcycle I bought myself."
"Okay fine. I'm acting like such a softie, this isn't like my usual self. Ever since I got kicked out of the hunters I lost some of my pride and confidence."
"That's understandable, I kind of like the softer Thals, she's easier to get along with."
She smiled and climbed on the motorcycle and we followed Percy and Annabeth out of the city, through the Holland Tunnel, and into New Jersey. We drove thirty minutes, and I could feel Thalia's head lay across my back. Somehow we ended up in front of Percy and Annabeth, after another twenty minutes we entered a town named Cranford, New Jersey. As soon as we passed the city limits we saw a tiny diner, on the sign it said "Buy one steak dinner get one free!" and "Free Wi-Fi access."
I turned on my turn signal to tell Percy and Annabeth we were stopping here. There weren't many cars in the parking lot so I managed to get a front spot. Percy pulled the car up next to us and smirked. I turned off the engine and waited to feel Thalia's arms to unwrap themselves from around me, but they stayed glued to me.
I shot Annabeth a what-is-going-on look. She shrugged pulled out her camera and snapped a picture. She showed it to me and I saw Thalia with a peaceful smile on her face and her head pressed against my back. I was glancing away from the camera and blushing with a small smile on my face.
Thalia was asleep, that's why she wouldn't unwind herself from me. I slowly unhooked her arms from my waist and wrapped them around my neck. I carried her bridal-style into the diner and asked for a table for four. Percy and Annabeth trailed behind me awkwardly as they showed us our booth. Thalia grinned wider whenever I spoke, I wonder what that meant. Annabeth slid into the booth and I sat Thalia down next to her.
I knelt down to her sitting height and whispered, "Wake up, Thals."
She moaned and fell onto my shoulder, then whispered something incoherent. I blushed then put her back into the sitting position. She fell onto Annbeth's shoulder, and then Annbeth jerked and rolled her shoulder. Thalia's eyes shot open and hastily sat up straight, smoothed down her hair, then squinted her eyes.
"Where am I?" She wondered aloud.
"We are in a diner in Cranford, New Jersey, about 50 minutes away from Central Park since there wasn't bad traffic." I explained as I slid into the booth beside Percy
"That's not the whole sto-"Percy was then interrupted my elbow burring itself into his stomach.
"He's right that isn't the whole story. You fell asleep with your arms around Nico and you wouldn't let go, so he carried you in here bridal style sat you down at a booth still asleep. He attempted to wake you up, but you moaned and muttered something and was then woken up by me. Now here we are." Annabeth explained while I was glaring daggers at her.
Thalia blushed then said, "I'm hungry, let's get some food while we do research. What does it take to get a waiter around here?"
Just then a girl in her late teens or early twenties came over and asked what we wanted to drink. As she asked me she lowered her arms on the table in attempt to show off cleavage. I shot her a weird look then said I wanted a coke like everyone else.
"What was all that about?" Percy asked.
Thalia was steaming in her seat with gritted teeth and looking like she wanted to stab the girl in the heart.
"That girl was all over Nico." Annabeth said, winking.
"Okay, ew, she's old and looks like a worn down mule." I said with a disgusted look on my face.
That brought a grin to Thalia's face while Percy and Annabeth snickered. The waitress came back with our cokes and asked us what we wanted to eat. Percy ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fries, I ordered a bacon burger medium-rare, Annabeth ordered a hamburger medium-well, and Thalia ordered salmon.
As soon as Thalia mentioned salmon she was met with a death glare from Percy and decided to change her order to a chicken panini.
When the waitress left Percy gave Thalia a glare and said, "You could've been eating one of the salmon friends I talk to when I'm bored."
"Why don't you make out with Annabeth some more, that's all I see you doing in your free time." I said. Percy and Annabeth blushed a deep scarlet red, as Thalia snickered next to Annabeth.
"At least I'm not constantly body locking with a guy who isn't my boyfriend while stifling a moan." Annabeth said angrily to Thalia. Thalia shot Annabeth a death glare worthy of a child of Hades, then stomped outside the diner.
I moved to get up but Annabeth stopped me and said she would handle it. I put my head in my hands and looked over at Percy who just shrugged.
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