Hello again. I'm sure everyone will enjoy this chapter. Yes, it's probably for why you think. Also, I'd like to point out that I've got nothing else written right now, so it could be at least a week before I update anything else. I'm working on two chapters of Shadows right now. Then I'm probably going to do a chapter of Children, since everyone wants to know what happens when Nico wakes up. After that, I have a new project I'm working on and I need to write the next chapter of this. Busy, right? You have no idea. Keep in mind that I have work. I also procrastinate in my free time. I get distracted with League, recently Mass Effect, and now Civilization V. My life and time just disappears. But I'm going to sit down and write more, for you guys. I've been slacking, and I apologize for that.
For all of you interested, I'm going to be doing another Halloween fic this year. But, this time, I'm going to start on it next month, or the beginning of October. That way, I have plenty of time to work everything out. While I was very happy with the one I did last year, I feel the emotional aspect with the loss of friends fell short. So, this time I'm going to come up with something darker and more disturbing. I know you're all thrilled and excited to lose more sleep. Welcome to my mind.
As a last note, thank you to all that review my stories. I really love you guys, you're all awesome. And especially thank you recently, for all the messages I read and responded to last night and this morning. I am stressed, and no I don't feel like broadcasting all my problems in an A/N. Just thank you for the support and being awesome. I don't think I could ask for better fans and readers. Now, on with the story.
Warning: Hints of rape, death, violence, language.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 4
Two guards patrolled the electric fence, guns held in front of them. The moon was nowhere to be seen in the night sky. Rain poured heavily onto the two men as they made small talk and continued their patrol. A small rattling along the fence caught their attention. One of the guards motioned over to the fence, and the two slowly walked over, taking aim into the darkness.
"See anything?" One asked.
The one who had wanted to inspect the area paused, his eyes roaming the outer border of the fence. Nothing. "Must have just been the wind."
"How long do you think the storm's gonna last?"
"Wish it would fucking stop, getting soaked out here."
The two spun around when the fence rattled again. Their brows furrowed as the fence began to shake, a low grating noise resonating from the metal. The two men cursed and stumbled backwards as the fence began to bend outwards.
"Shit! What the fuck?"
In an instant, the fence shot inwards and was torn from its posts. An invisible force knocked into the two men, sending them, the fence, and anything else that the blast came in contact with backwards. The two pushed themselves off of the ground in a coughing fit.
Standing where the fence had once been stood a single young man, his eyes as black as night. His hair was wet and matted to his forehead. He looked almost feral as he reached out with his hand. Both guards gasped and clutched at their throats as they were lifted off of the ground, finding themselves unable to scream for help. And the alarms seemed to be malfunctioning.
Percy dropped his hand and the two fell to the ground, motionless. His dark eyes fell on the building as he continued on his way.
"Wait, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, running to catch up to him. "Don't be reckless."
The greens of Percy's eyes returned as he turned to face the blonde girl, water slinging from his hair. "They have Nico in there, Annabeth! I've waited two years, and I finally know where he is. I will kill everyone responsible for this atrocity."
"All of them?"
Percy spun around to find the dark haired man from his mirror standing there, completely dry. His grin was present as he spun the ring on his hand. Percy's eyes went black again as he shot forward, clasping the man by his collar.
"Now you see, don't you?" Kronos laughed at him.
Percy found Annabeth's hand around his wrist, using her suit's strength to pry the tan boy's hand off. Percy blinked slowly, his eyes finally focusing on Frank. "I'm sorry," he whispered, taking a step back from the Asian young man.
"S'all good," Frank replied, rubbing his neck.
Percy needed to control himself. Nico was right there, but it would do him no good if he brought the entire building down on top of his boyfriend. Still, he was not planning on being kind to any he found in that building. The only people that he planned on letting go were the Specials that were being kept in there.
He let out a breath before turning around. Annabeth and Frank were the closest to him at the moment, while Hazel, Clarisse, Apollo, Jason, and Grover were just entering the fence. A few of the other residents of the camp had stayed behind with the vehicles, in order to provide a quick escape.
"Let's just get in there." Percy expected as much from Clarisse, and he really did want to go along with her on this. The sooner they pulled this off, the sooner he would have Nico back. And Percy very much wanted Nico back. "I want to punch some faces in, Jackson."
"Preferably without us getting injured, or worse, in the process." Annabeth was never one for violence, so it was a little shocking for Percy to hear her go along with Clarisse.
The green-eyed young man just nodded and turned back to the building. It seemed Athena had already managed to hack into the building. It was very quiet. Percy held his hand out to a set of double doors. He slowly crushed his hand into a fist, the doors responding by bending in towards their center before flying into the building.
That seemed to catch the hunters' attention. Yelling finally came from within the building. As Percy crossed the threshold, he found guns already being aimed at him and his friends. Fire and lightning shot out from Percy's sides and made contact with the hunters that stood before them.
Jason and Apollo lowered their hands as the last guard slumped to the floor, letting out a loud groan. Percy silently motioned with hands down several halls. Some of his friends nodded before dashing off, leaving him with Annabeth and Hazel.
The two girls followed behind Percy as he walked briskly down the dark hall, the lights flickering above their heads. As they passed one room, a doctor came out. Without even turning, Percy held out his hand and squeezed. The doctor's eyes bulged as he was flung back into the room, where he landed on a table of glass beakers.
Annabeth frowned down at Percy's hands as they walked. The young man kept clenching his hands slowly, drawing in each finger separately. "Percy," she whispered.
"I'm fine, Annabeth," he hissed back. He refused to look at her, though. She moved forward to try and catch his eye, but found they were hidden behind his dark bangs.
Two guards rounded the corner, only to be caught by Percy. Their guns were ripped from their bodies and crushed before being flung down the hall. Percy finally looked up, his eyes as black as night. Both of the guards struggled to break free from the invisible grasp as they were raised higher.
"Where are they?" Percy yelled, slamming them both back into the wall.
Annabeth swallowed when she heard a sickening crack from one of their heads.
"Go to hell!" The only one remaining yelled back.
Percy snarled and crushed his fist. The man did not even have time to react before his head was crushed, his brains and blood exploding onto the wall and floor. The Omega dropped his hands, his eyes still dark as he proceeded on.
"Percy, this is not the way to handle this," Hazel pleaded as they walked.
"I don't care."
Laughter. A mocking laughter. Percy whirled around, only to find his two companions standing there. Annabeth's brow furrowed as she stared back at him. "Percy, you need to calm down. What if you end up hurting your friends, or even Nico?"
Percy buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath. She was right, he needed to be in control, or he would not be able to help anyone.
He attempted to reach out with his mind, hoping to find Nico and the others being held here, but ended up with nothing. He did not like this place. He did not like what they were doing to these people. Specials or not, they were still human, and deserved to be treated as such. Not everyone was like Zeus.
Another doctor exited a room and tried to make a run for it. Percy reached out and whipped his hand back. The doctor yelled and fell to the floor, slowly being dragged towards Percy, Annabeth, and Hazel.
As she was raised up, Percy let his eyes return to normal. "Tell me where they are, and I won't hurt you."
The woman gulped and shakily pointed down a dark hallway. "D-down that way."
Percy nodded. The doctor fell to the floor, landing on her back. She sat there, frozen, for a moment before stumbling to her feet and running towards the exit.
They came to a locked, glass door. Percy pressed his hand to the glass. Cracks began to form in its surface before it fell away, swirling inwards. Several doctors looked up as the three entered the room. A few guards took aim at them, but Annabeth and Hazel were already on top of it. The blonde fired off a pulse round, blasting a guard through a side door. The ground shook under a group of three guards before a pillar of stone shot up and knocked them away.
Percy shoved a doctor out of the way as he walked through all of the metal tables. His eyes roamed over each of the unconscious people as he passed. It only served to make him angrier, though. How could people do this to their own kind?
Dark bruises marred all of their skin, many carrying several old needle marks. They looked even more malnourished than when Percy had seen them on camera. "Get them unhooked." No one moved. "Now!"
Several of the doctors threw down their clipboards and began to unhook the IVs that all of the people were hooked up to. Percy's dark green eyes roamed over the room, daring the others to make a move. But he froze when he saw it, his eyes instantly losing every bit of anger.
It was the hair that caught his eye, ahead of black hair that had haunted his dreams for the past year. It had been cut short, though it was already growing out, nearly reaching his eyebrows. There was a bruise on his right cheek, and he too bore the marks of several needles piercing his flesh.
He was so skinny, even more than usual. He looked so small and frail lying there, like he might break at any moment. Percy reached out with a shaky hand to brush the raven haired young man's hair to the side. And then his eyes found something else.
As the brown-eyed young man was only in his underwear, like the others, it was not hard to spot. Dark bruises lined his inner thighs. And a small pool of dried blood lay underneath him, some of it even having dried on his leg.
Percy's eyes flared, his pupils swirling until they covered his eyes in their entirety. He growled and grabbed the doctor that stood on the other side of the table as the man went to unhook Nico from the IV. His fingers slowly crushed the man's neck, his dark voids of eyes staring directly into the man's dark blue ones.
"Don't touch him," Percy hissed.
Blood began to leak from the man's nose. Without a word, the scientist reached down and picked up a scalpel from the table beside Nico's bed. Percy's eyes contracted for a brief second before filling with black again. In silence, Percy watched the man raise his hand and bring the scalpel to his throat. In one swift motion, the doctor sliced his neck open and blood began to pour from the wound.
Percy said nothing, showed no emotion, as he reached down and scooped his unconscious boyfriend up from the table. He turned around to find Hazel and Annabeth staring at him with concern. Percy simply began to walk. "Get the others in here and get them all out. I want to get back to camp."
Annabeth did not argue with him, did not lecture him. She just pursed her lips and pressed a button on her suit.
"What's up?" Came Grover's voice.
"We found them," Annabeth breathed out. "Go get the trucks and bring them around to the building."
Bringing Nico closer to him, Percy made for the door. However, he stopped when Hazel gasped. He turned around to find the girl running over to one of the tables. "It's him, it's him!" She cried.
Percy and Annabeth shared a look as they watched the Omega rip the needle from a boy with light brown hair. He was fairly tall. Not as tall as Percy, but still tall. Like many of the others, he had bruises covering his body. The brunet's build reminded Percy of the boy currently in his arms.
"This is the boy that helped you?" Annabeth decided to ask.
Hazel quickly nodded as she attempted to support the brunet on her shoulder. Annabeth sighed and moved to support him from under his other arm. The two girls had just managed to get him up when a truck came barreling into the wall.
"Fuck yeah!" Clarisse yelled from the other side of the wall.
Percy let out a sigh as the truck drove forward. Grover and Apollo hurried into the building. "Damn, this is a lot of people," Grover mumbled.
"Yeah, we need to work fast." Annabeth hoisted the brunet higher and helped Hazel carry him towards the truck.
Frank frowned at them as he came in. "I guess that's the big hero?"
Apollo chuckled. "Look on the bright side, Frankie. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have Hazel in the first place."
"Shut up." The Asian young man shoved the blond away.
Percy did not move towards the truck. He did not want to put Nico in there. He walked out of the wall and towards the Humvee that he had sat in during their trip up here. Opening the door with his mind, he placed his drugged boyfriend into the seat. He reached over and picked up a large jacket before placing it over Nico's near naked body.
It took a little over half an hour, but they finally managed to get everyone loaded into a vehicle. Percy sat in the back of the Humvee, his eyes never leaving Nico's form. He just wanted the boy to wake up and smile at him, or even yell at him. Percy really did not care, he just wanted to hear Nico's voice, to see him animate. But, for now, he had to settle for the small movements of the brown-eyed boy's chest rising and falling as he breathed. Frank finally cranked the vehicle and they began to roll forward.
They did not make it far before stopping. "Percy, you might want to take a look at this."
Percy frowned and looked away from the unconscious boy next to him. He turned to find several vehicles blocking the road. He frowned and reached out to touch Frank's shoulder. Without a word, he got out of the Humvee.
Sitting on the hood of the lead car was a blonde woman, a bubble of gum currently being blown from her lips. Sunglasses currently rested on her eyes, while her lips were covered in the darkest shade of red lipstick. There were quite a few large men standing on either side of her, none of them carrying guns.
"Ah, you must be the young Perseus I've heard so much about." She flashed a smile, blinding them with her bright teeth. She hopped off the hood of the car and came to stand in front of Percy. "Now then, sugar, I do believe you're making off with our shipment."
Percy frowned as he knocked away her hand, which was trying to fix his hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Snapping her perfectly manicured hand, she flashed another smile. One of the men with her moved forward and handed her a file. The blonde woman blew another bubble before opening it and looking down. "Well, it says here that I'm supposed to pick up two Omegas and a whole heapin' of Specials. And I do believe you've got them in your trucks there."
Percy snapped the file closed in the woman's hands. "Well you must be mistaken, sugar, because you're not touching any of them."
The woman smiled at him, adjust the sunshades on her face while handing the folder back to the man that handed it to her. "You're even more handsome than I heard," she exclaimed while drawing a nail down the side of Percy's face. "I do hope you change your mind about all of this, it would be a shame to destroy such a pretty face."
"If you're looking for a fight-"
The blonde woman laughed. "Me? Oh heavens no. I'm not much for fighting." She smiled again before adjusting her sunglasses. "No, I'll just have to inform my boss that you're interfering with things...again."
She turned and snapped her fingers. The men that were with her moved aside. One of them opened the car to the limousine that sat in the front and allowed the woman to step inside. She smiled and waved at them before disappearing inside.
Percy stood there and watched as the black limousine pulled away, the convey of cars and trucks following behind it. Letting out a breath, he turned and climbed back into the Humvee. "Who do you think she was?" Frank called from the front.
Percy did not look at him. "I'm not sure yet." His fingers moved slowly through Nico's hair, his brow furrowed as he sat deep in thought.
The sun would be coming up soon, Percy thought as he stared out his window. He had Nico propped up against his shoulder, checking on the smaller young man every few seconds. Nico had not moved at all, save for his breathing, which seemed to at least be picking up. He would take it, for now.
Frank had finally managed to get them into the woods surrounding the camp. Percy, for his part, would be able to rest much easier once they were all back safely. His leg kept jerking as he sat there, nervously.
"How you holding up back there?" Percy looked up to find Grover watching him. "You look exhausted, brother."
"I'll be fine, I just want to get home." He reached up and rubbed his face. His green eyes ended up meeting Frank's in the mirror. "You okay, man?"
Frank frowned, returning his eyes to the road. "I just don't understand why she had to ride in the truck."
Grover grinned. "Someone's jealous." He smiled at Percy, who managed a weak smile of his own. "He'll be okay, Percy."
The green-eyed young man nodded, his attention already back on Nico. His long fingers ran through the smaller boy's dark hair. He was just glad Nico was okay. It was also good that his hair had started growing back out. Percy knew how angry Nico would be if he had woken up with a shaved head.
He could not help but smile a little. Hair did not matter to him right now. The only thing that mattered was that he got back what had been stolen from him. His brow furrowed as he pulled the jacket back, revealing the boy's skinny legs. How was he supposed to tell Nico he might have been raped? Hell, the boy probably did not even know how long he had been gone.
Percy leaned in and pressed his lips against Nico's forehead as they crossed the border to camp. Frank came to a stop in front of the hospital, where most of the healers were waiting outside. Leo was there as well, head jerking around to get a look inside a vehicle.
As soon as the Humvee stopped, Percy had Nico scooped up and was climbing out. He glared at anyone who tried to take the smaller young man from his arms. Reyna eventually stepped in beside him, while the rest of her team worked to unload the rest of the rescued people.
"Here, I'll get him a room-"
Percy shook his head. "No, you're treating him in the lab. I want him kept under surveillance at all times, so I can know how he's doing."
Reyna pursed her lips and nodded. "Percy, I have other patients to-"
He turned his dark eyes on her, stopping for a split second. "Not. Right. Now. Your job is to treat Nico, nothing more."
The young woman sighed and nodded her head, following him towards the ranger station. "This is great, Percy!" Leo exclaimed as he jogged up beside them. "I mean, not about their condition, but about rescuing so many people."
Percy glared at him when they simply stood in the station. Leo took a second before realizing they were just standing there. He quickly typed in the password and the floor began to descend. "How were things while we were gone?"
"Quiet." Leo shrugged. "Will did a lot of complaining, but he's out of your cabin."
Percy nodded. "Thanks." They came to a stop and Athena projected herself upon the doors opening. "I need you to monitor his condition at all times, Athena."
The hologram nodded. "As you wish, Percy."
"Assist Reyna in her treatments and diagnosis."
He placed Nico on table and stood next to the unconscious boy. Reyna pulled out a small flashlight and pried one of Nico's eyes open. Percy pursed his lips and took Nico's hand. "The drugs should wear off soon. As for when he will wake up, I'd have to assume it would be shortly after." The woman frowned as her eyes roamed his body. "He may have a bruised rib or two, I'll have to do a scan." She swallowed and looked at Percy. "Did he-"
"I don't know," Percy whispered.
Reyna slowly blew out a breath. "I'll do what I can."
"Just heal him. Make him better. Your abilities should fix all of this."
Reyna and Percy stared at each other for a long time in silence, both of their gazes heated. "I can't," she finally retorted.
"Don't give me that crap. Heal him, I know you can."
She let out a sigh. "Percy, I would not advise-"
"Do it!" Percy's eyes were livid as he glared at her. "If he has bruised ribs, heal them. Heal his bruises so he won't have to see them. Make him better, dammit!"
Reyna took in a deep breath, eyes closed, before looking at Percy again. "Percy, I cannot touch him with my powers yet because of his condition. If I do anything to him, it will only make it worse." She sighed and looked down at the boy on the table. "He's very weak, Percy. I can feel how weak his life force is right now, and I would not recommend using on him. But it's not just him, we can't use on any of them. They are in horrible condition right now, and you know how hard our powers can be on the human body."
Percy rubbed at his face. "How much recovery will they need?"
"Hard to say." The woman spoke calmly now as she watched Percy. "I think it will vary on the person, and how long they spent there."
Percy bent over and placed his chin on his crossed arms. His eyes remained on Nico's face, a pained expression now marring the green-eyed young man's face. "I'm staying here until he wakes up."
Reyna shook her head. "You need rest, Percy. You're not going to be any good to him exhausted. Once he wakes up, you'll just want to spend more time with him, and then you'll never get any sleep. I can come and get you when he wakes up, I promise."
He leaned up and kissed Nico's forehead before looking up at Reyna. "I'll just sleep down here. There's a couch."
The healer gave him a stern look. "Percy, you need real rest. Go sleep in your cabin. He's not going to wake up for a few more hours. I promise to come and get you as soon as he wakes up."
"I want to be here when he does."
Reyna sighed and turned to Athena for help. "Percy, I will have you notified when the boy's vitals pick up. You will be able to get here and see him as he is coming around, I assure you," the AI promised.
"I'll be fine down here," the young man mumbled.
"Oh no you won't."
Percy let out a sigh at the sound of Rachel's voice. He turned to find her standing there with her arms crossed. "I don't want to leave him."
"He will be fine, Percy. Let him rest, and get some of your own. He'll be here when you wake up."
Green clashed with green as the two stared at each other. "You told me to forget about him and move on. Why should I listen to you?"
The red haired girl let out a sigh. "When have you ever listened to me anyways?" She walked around the Omega to stare at Nico's unconscious form. "You're as stubborn as I am. And if there's one thing I know about myself, I always do the opposite of what I'm told."
"I hate you sometimes," Percy mumbled as he combed his fingers through Nico's hair.
Rachel just smiled. "I know." Turning on her heel, she fixed the young man with a look. "Now, go get some sleep."
Percy frowned as he looked between the two females around him. They both stared back at him with stern expressions. He sighed and faced Athena, who decided to turn herself off. Traitor, Percy thought. Leo just shrugged and smiled. Percy sighed and nodded.
"Fine, fine. Just make sure I'm here for when he wakes up."
"We will." Rachel was already shoving him towards the elevator. "You'll thank us later, when you're feeling rested and are able to stay awake to talk to Nico."
Leo chuckled. "She's also avoiding Nico beating her ass when he finds out you're killing yourself over him."
"That too." The red head nodded. "Sleep now, boy later."
Percy rolled his eyes as the elevator doors began to close. He attempted to stifle a yawn, though it did not go very well. He found Jason and Apollo walking away from the hospital when he got back to the surface.
"You get Nico taken care of?"
Percy nodded at Jason. "Yeah, he's sleeping right now."
Apollo frowned and pushed his dark locks out of his eyes. "You don't look so good either. You need to get some rest."
The young man frowned and smacked the blond's hand away. "That's where I'm being sent off to. They won't let me sleep in the lab."
The two blonds smiled. "He'll be fine, Percy," Jason assured him. "You have him back now."
Percy sighed before looking at his friend. "I'll get you your sister back, too."
Jason gave a nod. "Thanks."
"Sleep." Apollo gave him a shove. Percy stumbled and turned to frown at the curly haired young man. Apollo just grinned and waved, slinging an arm around his boyfriend's neck.
Back at his cabin, Percy found he was not going to be getting that sleep yet. Will had his back pressed against the door, his arms crossed. The blond frowned at him as he approached. "So, you found him?"
Percy nodded, running a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah," he managed through a yawn.
Will gave a nod, his brow furrowed. "He said anything yet? I'm sure you want to know what happened to him."
The Omega let out a sigh. "Look, I know this is probably awkward, but my invitation for staying still stands. And, no, he's still asleep."
The blond grumbled under his breath. He shoved off of the door and began to chew on his lip. "Oh. Well, maybe you'll get your answers soon."
Percy jerked the blond's arm before he could walk away. "Hey, don't be an ass. I haven't seen Nico in a year, I don't know why you're acting like this."
"Really?" Will quirked a brow.
Sighing, Percy shook his head. "Yeah, I know why you're upset. But, that isn't going to happen. I could still use you around, though." The Special frowned and let his head dip to the side. "Will you stay?"
Blue eyes stared into green in silence. Will blinked every now and then, but said nothing. He finally let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it. That's the best I can give you." He yanked his arm free from Percy's grasp. "However, you should probably know that several in my group probably won't like being here for too long."
"Because they don't like 'our kind'?"
"Look, just because I'm running with them, doesn't mean I share their views." He frowned and tilted his head back. "I know you're a nice guy, Percy, but you'll have to work to convince others that not all Specials are evil. We were introduced to them in a bad way."
The green-eyed young man averted his eyes. "That doesn't make hunting and killing Specials right. You'd be just as bad as the people you're afraid of."
"Maybe," Will sighed. "I'm just trying to keep myself alive, Percy. That's all most people worry about nowadays." Blue eyes flickered up to meet green before the blond smiled. "I'll see you later, yeah?"
Percy gave a nod, his eyes fighting to stay open. Will gave a nod back before turning and walking off. Percy let out another yawn before opening his door. Now that it was all over, he felt exhausted. Perhaps the others were right, he did need sleep.
But he could still not fully get his head around it all. Nico was back. He was just a short walk over to the lab. And, soon, he would be back in Percy's cabin, where he belonged. But he had been gone for so long, it hardly felt real. Percy worried that he might wake up at any moment, and Nico would not be there. What if it was just a sick dream?
That had really been why he wanted to sleep in the lab. He wanted to be able to see Nico when he woke up, and be there when Nico woke. It would have helped keep his mind at ease. Still, Percy needed to have faith that things were finally turning around for him.
The young man stretched his arms above his head and groaned when his back popped. He did not even bother removing his clothes before collapsing face first into his mattress. His eyes were now closed and the young man let out a sigh. Sleep took him within an instant.
The next thing Percy knew, he was running through a forest. He was breathing heavily and clutching his arm as he stumbled his way deeper into the woods. When he reached a hand up to touch his forehead, he discovered that it was not his own. There was a sharp intake of breath when blood was found on the tips of the pale fingers in front of him.
His vision was whirled around as voices began to be heard behind him. With a grunt, Percy was moving again. Whoever he was seeing seemed to be heavily injured and unable to run fully. He was quick to notice the limp in the bounce of the vision and slow pace that he seemed to be going at.
As he did his best to sprint through some trees, he found himself at the edge of a cliff. He let out a gasp, trying to catch his balance. It was all in vain, though, when he tumbled forward, towards the river below.
But when he blinked, he found himself falling elsewhere. A city lay below him, ruined, just like the rest of the world. He flipped over in midair and stared up at the skyscraper that he was falling from. He could have sworn he saw someone peering over the edge at him. He yelled and clutched at his arm. Turning to inspect it, he found a deep gash on his arm. The skin seemed burned, though it seemed odd with the gash.
The ground grew closer as Percy was flipped back around. But the impact never seemed to come. Percy's eyes fell closed, and that was all there was.
Percy's eyes blinked open, and he found himself staring up at the ceiling of his cabin. He rubbed at his face and sat up. There was a light beeping noise next to him. When he turned, he found the small, square device that let him know he was needed in the lab blinking.
He immediately jumped out of bed and dashed for his door. Maybe Nico was waking up. The sun was still up, though Percy was not quite sure how long he had been out. From the look of things, he would guess around four or five hours.
He quickly typed in the passcode for the elevator, only to find he typed it in wrong in his haste. He sighed and punched in each key separately. His foot tapped impatiently as he rode down in silence. This was another reason he wanted to sleep in the lab. For all he knew, Nico could already be awake.
The young man frowned when he found Nico still unconscious and hooked up to another IV. Reyna looked up from her clipboard as he approached. "Good, you're here. Nico should wake up shortly, thought you'd want to be here early for it." She watched him frown down at the needle in the brown-eyed young man's arm. "He needs it to clear out his system. I've almost got his system clear."
She walked around the table and pulled out a monitor that hung from the ceiling before typing away on a keyboard. Percy continued to frown, though his expression eased up.
Several minutes passed before Percy began to pace around in front of the table. Reyna gave him annoyed looks from time to time, but he always ignored them. If his eyes were not on Nico, they were on the floor. He was beginning to get impatient.
Athena appeared in front of him, nearly giving Percy a heart attack. "Jesus, Athena. What is it?"
"Apologies, but there's something happening outside that requires your attention."
Percy sighed. "Can't it wait?"
"You do have responsibilities, Perseus."
The young man groaned and turned to Reyna. She smiled. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."
Percy huffed and jogged towards the elevator. Whatever it was, it better be important, he thought. He found Leo fumbling with his hands upstairs. He grabbed the Latino young man and spun him around. "Leo, what's going on?"
"Um, well, Clarisse might have started a fight with some of Will's group."
Percy sighed and dropped his head. This was just great. He ran out of the ranger station, instantly spotting the large crowd around the pavilion. He worked to shove his way through, until he found Apollo, who was doing his best to keep Jason from jumping into the heated fight.
Annabeth was trying as hard as she could to keep Clarisse and Amphitrite separated, yelling at both of them to stop. Will stood on the other side of the crowd, yelling at his people to "stop being stupid". Clarisse, however, was unwilling to listen.
She currently had Amphitrite pinned to one of the tables by her neck, while several other campers fought with more of Will's group to keep them away from the main brawlers. Percy pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh.
"You've got to be kidding me," he sighed. Clenching his fists, he glared at the two girls fighting. "Shut up!"
Everyone froze. Clarisse instantly released her grasp on the smaller young woman's throat. Amphitrite coughed and sat up on the table, glaring at Clarisse. Jason finally stopped struggling and stood up straight. Annabeth blinked at him a few times before sighing in relief. Will blew out a breath and glanced off to the side, not appearing happy with what had just transpired.
"If you can all stop acting like children for a few moments, we've got people that need treating. And I would like to be spending my time down in the lab, if you don't all mind." His glare fell upon the two main perpetrators. "Don't make me come up here again, or I'll make whoever is responsible regret it."
Amphitrite grunted, rolling her eyes.
Percy thrust his fist out, sending Amphitrite flying from the table. "Don't get an attitude with me, either. This is my camp. This is our home, and I'm letting you stay as guests. I expect you to act more like the adults you are supposed to be." He turned to point a finger in Clarisse's direction. "That goes double for the residents of the camp."
Clarisse glared back at him. "But she-"
"I don't care!" Percy snapped. "Don't make me come up here again. If there's a real emergency, come and get me. However, I'm not going to tolerate this kind of behavior." His green eyes scanned over the crowd. "No more fights."
With a final glare, Percy spun on his heel and marched back towards the ranger station. Just when he thought he had caught a break, more problems get thrown his way. More than likely, this problem was not going to be over. Clarisse was short-tempered, and some of Will's group did not seem that pleasant and tolerant.
Percy froze when he entered the lab again.
Nico was sitting up on the table. His hair was a mess, and he looked very uncomfortable on the table. He looked confused as well, unsure of what was going on. Reyna pulled out a light and inspected his eyes. Nico frowned and looked down when she was done, until he caught sight of Percy.
Everything seemed to stop for Percy now that those brown eyes were staring at him again. He found himself moving forward, and was now at the table. He reached out and touched Nico's face. The boy's lips still looked chapped.
"Percy," Nico finally whispered.
"Yeah." Percy smiled and pulled Nico to him. "I'm here, and you're safe now."
"What happened?"
Percy's heart threatened to break at the weakness in Nico's voice. He clearly had not been speaking for a very long time. "It's-it's a long story, but we can talk about it later."
"Percy." Reyna gave him a stern look. "He needs to know now."
The young man sighed. "Nico," he pulled back and held the young man's face, "you've been missing...for a while now."
Nico frowned up at him, his eyes slightly unfocused. "How long?"
Percy opened his mouth, but Reyna beat him to it. "A year."
Nico's eyes became panicked as they stared into Percy's. "Wh-what?" He drew back. "No, I was just-" He clutched his head and drew in on himself. "But, I was...that can't be right."
"I'm sorry," Percy whispered. "We could not find you after you went to spy on Zeus. It was like you vanished from the face of the earth."
The smaller young man blinked and looked up at Percy. A shaky hand reached up and touched Percy's cheek. "But you found me." His frown became very deep. "Where?"
The green-eyed young man licked at his lips. "Nico, I don't think-"
"Where?" Nico yelled, surprising both Percy and Reyna with his volume.
"A concentration camp for Specials." Percy and Nico held gazes as the green-eyed young man spoke. "I'm so sorry, Nico."
Percy felt Nico shake in his grasp. "For a y-year?" Nico's voice broke as he spoke, breaking Percy's heart.
Reyna pursed her lips and stepped away, giving the two some space. Percy held Nico's face. He had not really wanted to cry for a long time, but this was not easy on him. He did not like having to see Nico like this, or the trauma he knew that was going to follow. "I'm so, so sorry, Nico. I searched the world for you, but you just wouldn't show up anywhere."
The beeping of Nico's vitals became painfully apparent to Percy at this point. Nico's pulse was picking up, as was his breathing. Reyna frowned and typed into her computer. "He needs to calm down."
"I-I was sedated, for a year?"
"Percy."
The young man chewed on his lip as he peered into Nico's panicked eyes. "You need to calm down, Nico."
"Percy, calm him down, or I'll have to sedate him."
Within Nico's eyes, Percy could already see the young man's dark pupils trying to break free from the brown irises. One of the lights flickered in quick succession before going out. Percy held onto his boyfriend and began stroking his hair.
"Nico, you need to calm down. You just woke up, and I don't want them to have to put you to sleep again." He pulled back and looked into Nico's eyes. "I really need you right now. I need to see you up and awake."
The blacks of Nico's eyes shrank back to their normal state. The pale young man's breathing slowly returned to an even pace. Nico finally nodded, brining his knees up to his chest. "Sorry," he whispered.
Percy smiled and kissed Nico's forehead. Nico simply stared back at Percy when the taller young man pulled back. His brown eyes shifted, lingering on Percy's lips. The green-eyed young man smiled and glanced at Reyna, who cleared her throat and walked off.
The green-eyed Special smiled and leaned in, so that his face was inches from Nico's. "You have no idea how much I've missed you. I was really worried about you." His brow furrowed. "I thought-" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, you're back now."
A small smile graced Nico's lips before Percy leaned in and claimed them. He heard Nico let out a sigh of content, and he even felt the boy finally relax. He frowned when Nico pulled back and frowned at him. "I'm sorry," Nico whispered.
Percy frowned as well. "What for?"
"For leaving. I shouldn't have."
The green-eyed young man brushed his thumb against Nico's cheek. "It's not your fault. I'm not mad at you. I should have never let you go." Before Nico had a chance to say anything further, Percy leaned back in and captured the boy's lips again.
Nico sighed again before wrapping his arms around Percy's neck. Percy smiled as he was pulled forward, until he was leaning over Nico. His fingers brushed against the small portion of exposed flesh, the shirt that Nico now wore riding up ever so slightly. When Nico hissed, Percy quickly drew back.
"Sorry. I'm sorry."
Nico shook his head. "It's fine." He leaned up and pecked Percy on the lips before sitting up, his legs on either side of Percy's waist. "I'm glad you found me."
Percy smiled and intertwined their fingers. He brought his boyfriend's hand up to his lips and kissed Nico's knuckles. "I'll always find you."
Nico bit down on his lip and furrowed his brow. He shifted on the table, never breaking their gaze. "And...how are you? Are you...okay?"
Percy swallowed. Nico remembered his problem. Even when he was just waking up from a coma, even when the focus needed to be on him, he was still concerned for Percy. Percy sighed. "I'm all right." Nico did not look convinced. "I mean, I'm still seeing him...and her now."
There was a sadness in Nico's eyes as he brushed Percy's hair out of his eyes. "Have you been getting help?"
"I've had more important things to worry about."
And then the sadness was gone, replaced by frustration. "Percy, you need to take care of yourself."
"What I needed to do was get you back." He sighed and pressed his palms to the table. "Do you remember anything?"
Nico shook his head. "Not very much. I remember running, and some woods." His brow furrowed, his eyes returning to Percy's face. "And a boy. He helped me. But they...they caught him while we were resting."
Percy held on to Nico's knee, gently rubbing it. "Well, you're safe now. I'm sure it'll all come back to you with time." He pressed a quick kiss to Nico's lips. When he pulled back, he smiled when he received a whine from Nico. He chuckled and kissed the boy again. "I'm really glad you're back."
Nico is back, hooray. Your hearts can all melt at the cuteness with Percy and Nico. There will be plenty of nice little moments to come between the couple, since Percy is being all concerned for Nico's wellbeing. I actually enjoyed the part with Aphrodite, yes the woman blowing gum. Knowing her and her powers made me happy to write her. And I enjoyed giving her a bit of a dialect. Bragi seemed to enjoy Percy making the doctor killing himself, but he's just sadistic. So, of course, I want to hear thoughts. Nico's back, so I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement over that. Don't worry, I was never going to keep him away for too long. But, I'm going to get some sleep. It's now 5:30 in the morning here, and I need to crash. And then do a bunch of writing tomorrow. So I will see you all later.