Death Bound

Chapter Ten

"...Gaea knows where we came out. She knows she can send her minions to track us down, but she isn't going to. She knows we'll come to her, eventually. She's expecting it. She knows the prophecy. She thinks it a load of crap. She let me and Zanna escape, so that we could lead you to her. In my dream... she..." Nico swallowed. "She was laughing. She's almost... well, she's close to waking up as she was in the first Giant War. She called to me, told me that I would wish I had given in to her when she tortured me..." He trembled slightly, and all in the room were reminded that he was only thirteen, and had face more death and decay then most people.

"She was asking you for something?" Annabeth leaned closer, eyebrows furrowing. Nico wouldn't meet her eyes. Annabeth backed off slightly. "Sorry."

He cleared his throat and continued. "And... and when I told her... told her that I'd die before she hurt anyone else... her eyelids fluttered, like she was going to wake up. She told me not to make promises I don't want to keep. She showed me... pain and torture and..." Nico had closed his dark fiery eyes and was shaking. Both Hazel and Zanna moved at the same time, laying a hand on his shoulder. They glanced at each other, Hazel grinning from ear to ear and Zanna smiling shyly. Nico stopped trembling immediately and shrugged off their hands. "I woke up." he said shortly.

Annabeth was nodding slowly, gray eyes scanning the places Zanna had pointed out. She marked things, using symbols that must have made sense to her, but to Nico just looked like scribbles. "So, Gaea's expecting... seven of us." she concluded, rolling up the map. Nico opened his eyes.

"She knows me and Zanna to be with you, though. And she knows Reyna will be coming too. She doesn't care." he corrected.

"See, that's just it though, Nico. I thought she might expect seven, or eight, even nine or ten... but what if we had a hundred?" Annabeth had on her planning face. Her eyes sparked, her mouth was tugged at the corner, forming almost a smirk.

Everyone was quiet. Percy was the one who spoke. "Yeah, that would be awesome, Wise Girl, but we don't have... I mean, Nico could summon a bunch of skeletal help but..."

Nico looked up through his bangs, which had once more fallen in his face. "I might be able to summon some skeletons, but then I'd be so busy controlling them I'd be an easy target. The... things... she has guarding the Doors... they aren't just her little pawns. I don't know what they are, but I'm guessing they might be some of her Giants."

Annabeth was shaking her head. "See, that's not what I'm talking about. We have Romans and Greeks just sitting back there at camp, yearning to come and kick some monster butt. I say we use them."

"We'd have to send someone back to get them, though." Reyna put in, her natural urge to plan and lead kicking in. She had said what everyone was thinking.

"Yeah, and we really don't have the manpower to spare." Jason agreed with his fellow praetor.

"We'll have to hold out, just until they get back." Percy, though his nickname was Seaweed Brain, had figured out what Annabeth's plan was.

"They? As in, more than one person?" Piper checked. It was odd to see her talk. Her, Leo, Frank, and Hazel had been oddly quiet, just watching.

"Yes." Annabeth's eyes glowed. "We can send Nico and Zanna."

"No. No way. We need Zanna to find the entrance." Reyna shook her head, sending her dark hair, tied back in a braid, bouncing.

"She's given us her most accurate measurements, it won't matter if she's there or not. And Nico will need another person with him, because I know he gets tired after Shadow-travel and we'll need him back as soon as possible with the help." Annabeth argued.

"I think Annabeth's plan is the best we're going to find." Percy decided. Jason and Reyna bristled.

"Of course you'd think that, you love her. Think though, Jackson, its full of holes. Them leaving will leave us two men -er, one man one woman- short. We'll be weakened, and there's no guarantee that they'll be able to bring us help in time." Jason argued.

It was Percy's turn to bristle, and Annabeth looked even more ticked. There was a silence, where tension crackled in the room like lightning, and Nico could swear there was actual lightning crackling in Jason's hair.

"Well, what do you suppose we do, Reyna and Jason?" Annabeth asked carefully, her temper melting her words to a slight hiss.

"We could send someone less valuable..." Reyna began, eyes sliding slowly towards Piper.

Leo stepped in front of Piper the same time Jason did. "You're problem is the people going Reyna?" Leo looked angry. "And there's no way Piper is 'less valuable'. In case you forgot, she's one of the seven."

Reyna straightened up. "Don't talk to me like-"

Jason touched her shoulder. "Come one, Rey." he soothed. Leo opened his mouth to say something but Piper nudged him and shook her head.

Nico watched the whole thing before stepping forward. "Okay, as much as I love being a shadow-traveling taxi... What exactly are you expecting me to do? There's no possible way in Hades I can transport so many of the Romans or Greeks."

Annabeth looked at him. "No. But could you shadow-travel this ship?"

Nico chewed his lip. "I... could try.I would probably pass out after doing it... but maybe."

Annabeth looked at Reyna. She was silent, staring back with a mask on, as if she had nothing more to say. Nico could see the dark anger in her eyes, though. "Well, why don't you ask Nico who he wants to take, instead of just making choice for him?"

It was Hazel who'd thrown it out there, looking slight nervous to be interrupting the stare-off between the two older girls.

Nico hated being the center of attention. It was a trait he'd picked up from his dad. Hades's didn't like the spotlight. He stayed in the back... in the shadows. But this time, there was only one choice. Only two of the girls here weren't part of the Seven. Reyna, the cold older, stubborn leader from the Roman camp... and Zanna. He didn't need to think about it, honestly, but he forced himself to appear to.

"Well... I wouldn't want to take away one of the Seven... they're needed here... so..." Reyna had already rolled her eyes and turned her back, and Zanna's face was splitting into a wide grin.

"Zanna, will you come with me?"

Author's Note: MERLIN'S PANTS I MADE IT TO TEN! (yes that was Harry Potter language, sorry) First off, I just really, really want to thank you for sticking with me this far. This has been... well, Hades... this has been great! I wanted to do something big and bold and surprising for chapter ten... but this is what I did. Sorry about that. I promise, soon I'll have a... well, surprise. Also, in honor of reaching double digits... could you guys maybe leave me a review telling your favorite part so far? I want to see what you guys like about my writing, so I can do more of it.

My last request on the characters still stands, if you would like to enter. Anyways, Review review review, loves!