Chapter Eleven

Percy woke to an empty bed and Annabeth's taste in his mouth. If it hadn't been for that and his surroundings, he could have sworn that last night didn't happen, but the nightmare had been true.

The shower, getting dressed, finding a smashed sandwich in his backpack to eat, was all done numbly. He only thought of how he was going to find the entrance to Hades. There was one in California, but he had no desire to go there anymore. He'd make the journey back to New York to find that stone, he'd just have to sing, or maybe a CD of Ed Sheeran would suffice.

He checked his wallet for money for the buses only to find that there wasn't much left. He'd have to come to a solution later. He returned the key to the front desk and walked out to the parking lot to see that instead of a car in a parking space there was a black Pegasus.

"Heya, boss. Ready to go?!"

"Blackjack? What're you doing here?"

"What're you talking about? Why wouldn't I be here?"

Percy inwardly cursed himself. Of course Annabeth wasn't going to take Blackjack, she was probably taking buses to California, knowing very well that Percy had no money to get out of the state. He hated that he couldn't give her his last gift, but he couldn't deny that it would make his journey much easier.

"You ready for a trip," he asked, patting his side.

"California, boss!"

"No, New York. I'll tell you where to land when we get there." He knew that there was no way that Blackjack was going to land near the entrance to Hades, but he could get him close.

"Gotcha, boss!"

Percy climbed on board, and Blackjack ran, gaining speed and flying upwards until the buildings became the size of Legos. Percy laid his head on Blackjack's mane, the wind pushing against them as they traveled slowly over the state. He shivered from the cold, his jacket doing little to protect his skin, but sleep came anyway.

Jason sat across from Piper at a nice white cafe table with tiny cups of brown liquid. It seemed to have been a date, but ended abruptly when Hazel ran up, clearly frazzled. She placed her hands on the cafe table, interrupting their conversation, something that Hazel would have never normally done.

"Good," she exclaimed, "you're still here."

"We're here for a month until Jason ties some loose ends. You okay," Piper asked.

"Where's my brother?"

"I dunno."

"Think! Did he say anything?"

"Nico doesn't say much," Jason said fairly. "What's the matter?"

Hazel looked up, Nico approaching them from out of a shop. He was counting drachma in his hand, but when he saw his sister's worried face, he looked to only her, stuffing the rest of his money in his pocket. "What's wrong?"

"Annabeth Iris messaged me to say that Percy was leaving. I don't understand it, but it means something. It has to or Annabeth wouldn't have sent me an Iris message to tell me."

Nico first bristled, but said, "that doesn't sound like Percy."

"Annabeth said the same thing."

"What's that," Jason asked.

"Percy wouldn't travel by himself unless he had to," Nico answered.

"Maybe he needed some space," Piper suggested. "Leo's doing it."

"Leo's looking for Calypso," Hazel said. "Annabeth seems to think she knows where Percy's going."

Jason tapped his fingers on his cup. "I don't know Percy well, but what does he do when he makes a mistake?"

Nico's expression became grave as he worked it out. "He fixes it. At least he tries to." He shook his head. "Fall is here. I can't go down there, if I did, I'd kill him."

"Where," Hazel asked, "Hades?"

"Yes."

"I can go. I"ll stop him," Hazel volunteered.

"No," Nico snapped, "if you're caught, you're dead, too. You're not supposed to be alive, remember?"

"We can let Percy try," Jason suggested, receiving horrified glares from Hazel and Piper. "He's gotten out of there before. How hard can it be?"

"With a lot of help and luck. He wouldn't... Survive, if he went on his own. There are too many creatures that want him dead and my father isn't fond of him. Persephone won't be either when she finds out why he's there."

Hazel added, "last time he faced Hades he got locked up and that was only because of Nico and Persephone's insistence that he stayed alive. It was Nico who got him out of that cell."

"Then I'll have to get him out again."

"Nico," Hazel protested, "you said that you can't without killing Percy."

"I'll try to find him before he goes in."

"If you can't," Jason questioned.

"I have to." Nico walked away.

Hazel leaned against Piper, who slowly stroked her arm, Jason taking his girlfriend's hand.

Percy woke to the towering buildings of New York, flying over the small patch of a park that held the entrance to the Underworld. He smiled, his dream now a distant memory. It was fuzzy, he couldn't remember it. His stomach growled, hinted at how long it had been since he last ate, but it was little comfort for it became colder, biting at his exposed skin.

The sky was darkening. He watched the sunset from Blackjack's back as he descended to the earth. When he landed, he patted his back, shaking as his feet returned to solid ground.

"Thanks."

"Where're you going now, boss?"

"Home."

He clicked his hoof to the pavement of the sidewalk. "See ya then, boss. Keep it cool!"

Percy waited until Blackjack was out of his sight, and the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon. Then he set off to the rock, his hands in his pockets, shielding himself from the little warmth he gained from being on ground again.

There was the rock, untouched since the last time he was there. It was only then that he understood it would be his fist time in the Underworld. There wouldn't be anyone to help him, to save him. Not that time.

He sat himself beside it. He cringed, as he started to sing, then snapped his mouth shut. That wasn't right. He wished he had some instrument like a guitar that he could fake playing with. It didn't have to be good music, right? If that was the case Percy was never returning to the Underworld without going back to California. He didn't desire to spend three more days at Camp Half-Blood to take a second trip there.

Thinking of the commercial he often saw at t.v. back at his mother's apartment, he began to sing, quietly at first, feeling foolish. "Let the rain wash away... All the pain of yesterday... I know my kingdom awaits, and they've forgiven my mistakes... I'm coming home... I'm coming home... Tell the world I'm coming..."

The rock split open, revealing its slippery stairs to darkness. So it didn't have to be good music, he thought to himself.

Percy stood shakily, feeling for Riptide in his pocket. He stepped in, the cold air rushing past him, straight through his jacket. If he lived through it, he would have to buy himself something thicker.

He was a few steps down when something slammed down on his shoulder, jerking him back. Percy regained his footing, Riptide out and ready to strike.

"Nico..."

Nico stood in front of him, hands up in mock surrender.

Percy uncapped Riptide, returning the pen to his pocket. He wanted to run at him, but he kept his stance. "What are you doing here?"

"To stop you. Annabeth had a feeling what you were up to."

"I'll fix this," he promised earnestly.

"Not everything is fixable. You go in there, you die. There are no other options for you."

"This is all I can do. Maybe they kill me, but they could allow you back in for good."

"It's not worth it if they take you in its place. You're not a bargaining chip."

"This was my fault."

"Yes, it is."

"Then get out of my way."

"You said you'd never have me wait again for you. I'm not waiting to see you every summer when you're nothing but a ghost and I'm not waiting for me to die to be with you. I was mad at you, Percy, but it wasn't forever, you don't have to do this."

"This isn't to prove anything to you. It's the right thing to do."

"The right thing is to stay with me."

"You weren't around. For all I knew you were never coming back."

"I was coming back. I'm back now."

"So you can leave and come back and think you get everything you want?"

"Never." Nico lowered his hands, shuffling to him. "I promise you, I'll never leave like that again."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Do you know what happened in my death trance?"

He shook his head, "no. You don't talk about it."

"I smelled salt – the ocean. I was being submerged in it. I dreamt that you were coming for me. I saw you coming to save me."

Percy shivered, fearing the things that Nico saw in that trance, but he did his best to hide his emotions. Like Nico so many times in conversations, he didn't respond. He hoped he looked as cold as Nico had, but he doubted it. Only he could pull off a glacial look and he was wearing him down. The idea of going to the Underworld seemed dumber than it did an hour ago. But was it, really? Nico was there... His stupidity once again got him exactly what he needed.

He must have saw the moment of weakness, because Nico grabbed the front of his orange shirt kissing his lips fiercely, leaving Percy breathless.