Okay, Thank you so much guys….I love you all so much. Now I don't care about the no. of reviews I get. Just a few really good one's are all that matters..and I'll be updating sooner now…So, enjoy. This is going to be a really long chapter as I am trying to cover a lot on the story line and develop the characters a bit more…so I'm sorry if I'm a bit late and if you expected me to update sooner..

I really should have updated sooner..You guys have been so wonderful..23 reviews..I shall dedicate this chapter to a friend who has helped me out a lot in finding my flaws and helping me improve and giving me a different perspective on a few points..Thank you Lucenthia. Your review was wonderful.

And a special shout out to Fruitqueen. Thanks a lot. I should probably say it's going to sound a bit weird because I have to also show what's happening to the other people on board and not just follow Nico around. But whatever, read and tell me your thoughts.

-AJ

NICO:

He wasn't really as mean and unfeeling as he seemed. He was quite confused as to why he just yelled all that at her. He felt…he just... He was just angry, that's all he knew for now. He never realized so much emotion before…Okay, that was a lie. He had opened up a crack in the ground when Percy told him that Bianca wouldn't be coming back. And he had done it many times after that when he woke up from some terrifying nightmare, screaming and punching at the empty air around him.

Truth was, he didn't even understand himself. And it infuriated him, not knowing what to think…He stormed out the room to keep himself from breaking apart. He couldn't even hear her voice over his throbbing heart and the wild gasps for breath. He tried taking in the air slowly but he shook and quivered on his feet, ready to fall down and smash himself to pieces. If he didn't calm down quickly, he would probably burst into tears. Great, now he was so angry that he could cry. Not the normal weeping in a corner, but a loud scream and a cry of pain that would make him forget where he was and make him feel like his heart was heavier and made out of stone or metal and would carry him down to his death, into the depths of the underworld.

Death. He blinked as he remembered what he first thought of it. How he felt he could control it. Maybe bring Bianca back to life. After all, he was the son of Hades. He should be able to do something like that. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He needed Bianca back. He was useless without her. She was the only one who really cared about him. Or did she?

"Nico! Nico, listen to me. You're going to be all right here. This is a good camp, they'll keep you safe…No more monsters. Remember, isn't that what you wanted ever since we left the lotus casino?"

He didn't want to hear any of that nonsense. He didn't want to know how it was all for his own good. She was his sister. How could he stay at some camp without her? "Yes, but I want you to stay with me. I need you Bianca. I am your brother, little Nico. I am not leaving you! I'll come too! Wherever you go, I'll follow. Please, I don't mind if there are monsters."

"No Nico, You have to stay here and besides, I know you like this place. You think everyone is very brave. Everyone here is prepared to fight monsters, you must be too. They'll take care of you here. And Artemis will take care of me."

"No, The camp will take care of you too. I'll take care of you…Please Bianca, tell them no. Don't leave me." He was scared stiff and couldn't even cry. He looked into his sister's eyes and she spotted the fear. She wrapped an arm around her little brother trying to console him, "You won't be alone. You'll have Percy with you here. You think he's your hero right, he is the son of Poseidon. The one with 5000 points in Mythomagic. He'll protect us with his super cool trident and power- packed water splash."

" Yes, he's my hero. But you're my hero too, Bi. I love you. Who will sing me to sleep with Mama's songs? Who will adjust my coat and hat? Who will hug me when I'm scared? Did you even think about me once?"

She snapped suddenly, "Again, It's always about you, Nico. Everything I do is because of you. I have to fight every battle and I have to win, because of you. I have to protect you and I can't ever fail, because if I do, something bad will happen to you. I can never relax, I have to keep thinking of whether or not you'll be safe. I don't even get the time to think of myself anymore. Whether I'll be safe or not, because I have to worry about you." Her eyes flashed with disappointment, self-pity? Nico never knew. Nico didn't know that she was burning with the pressure of protecting him. Nico never knew her biggest fear was losing her little brother because she couldn't fight a monster, that would definitely be following them, now that they were the children of some Olympian god. He didn't know that she feared failing so much, but she knew. Bianca knew that the reason behind her fears was the one person, she couldn't bear to see dead- her little brother. Nico's death was a forbidden thought to her. She felt like she was forced to live to keep her brother alive and the pressure was squeezing her childhood..no, her very life, out of her.

She tried to make him understand. She looked much more relaxed now, but much more distant. Not one bit like the loving sister Nico knew. She continued slowly, "I don't want to worry about you anymore, Nico. I have my own life and I want to be free of my burden."

Nico felt like someone just punched him hard in the gut, his voice was shaky and almost inaudible, struggling to form words out of the rush of emotions he felt, or rather, the lack of emotion he felt. "You- You think I-I am a b-burden?"

She answered firmly, her face as colder than ice itself, her expression so stern it filled him with anger. "NO." He didn't know what she really felt and neither did she. She did feel like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders but now her heart felt empty, like she lost all feeling, all emotion. Her mind was blank and she couldn't think of anything else to do. Nico yelled back, "FINE! You don't have to bother about me anymore. And I don't care about you either. I hate you! I hate you, Bianca!" He turned and ran away into the woods and cried behind a shadow.

But he still followed her, when he heard her footsteps. He hid behind a pillar and overheard Zoe narrate her situation to the hunters. He knew that Bianca was chosen to go on the quest, but he didn't want her to go. He told himself that she didn't care about him and that he shouldn't care about her too. But he had a bad feeling about all of this. He was scared and he didn't want her to die. He had been having nightmares about her for a few days and without her to sing a song to him, or hold him while he sleeps, he had to cry himself to sleep in the eerie silence of the Hermes cabin. He had to follow her, to make sure she would be okay.

That was when Percy found him eavesdropping. Percy! He remembered Bianca telling him that Percy would take care of him here. The strong and mighty son of Poseidon who had already saved them once before could surely then save his sister. Percy will save her. He will help us again and again. He made Percy promise to save her and he walked away forcefully replacing his nightmares with imaginary visions of the mighty Perseus Jackson saving her from danger. He thought of Percy everyday and every time his thought wandered to Bianca. He had forced himself to think of Percy then to keep his mind of his nightmares, and now he couldn't get him out. Percy was like a dream, a dream that helped him fall asleep when nothing else could.

When he heard of Bianca's death, he didn't know what to feel. His dream had shattered to bits. His savior couldn't keep his promise. The suppressed emotions came out quite unidentified and he didn't know what to do. He wanted to fall down deep into the earth and die too. He wanted to scream his heart out. He felt a tugging feeling in his gut and suddenly the ground cracked before him and a dozen skeleton warriors stepped out. He couldn't understand anything and he was scared. Percy took out his sword and tried to protect him but Percy wouldn't survive this many at once. NO! This could not be happening. He stretched his arm out to Percy to save his hero, screaming and all the skeleton warriors went back the way they came. Nico looked at his hands in surprise. He felt Percy's gaze on him and he ran away in tears without any clue of where to go.

But he did have one idea. He could go find Bianca. He could go to the underworld and bring her back. If he was the one that summoned and then sent away those warriors, he might have a chance. And now, he had a small doubt he knew who his dad was. And if he was right, his dad could help him get her back. But what happens then? Would Bianca go back to loving him like how it used to be when they were little kids? Or would she just leave him again?

He remembered Percy's shocked face when the ground swallowed the skeleton warriors. He seemed terrified. Maybe even Bianca would be scared. Maybe everyone would be. Would there be anyone who isn't afraid of what he could do or what he was going to do? He was tired and dying with exhaustion. That was when he met Atalanta first- When she told him that it sounded cool being a son of Hades.

He thought he could do it. He could control the death, and he was afraid but it made him feel powerful. And most importantly, it gave him hope. Now he felt almost powerless, like as if it didn't even matter. He wasn't really angry at Atalanta, he was just worried about her. He was angry at fate and the universe and everything else, but she just came in the way. Now he could slip into Bianca's shoes. She must have felt the same thing. She wasn't really angry at him, she was just worried. But Nico couldn't just calm down like that, there were a lot of hidden suppressed feelings that bubbled inside him and just wouldn't let him calm down. But he had to, he had to cool off.

So he walked to the deck to blow off some steam. He wanted to be alone, but that stupid girl followed him. Didn't she know when to stop nagging people? Didn't she know when to stop and leave people alone with their lives and feelings? Did she always have to interfere?

"Nico please, stop! Listen to me."

"NO. Go away, I don't want to talk to you."

Even though he said it as clear as that, she didn't get it. Her eyes were watery and she kept trying to pull him down, but Nico pulled himself away, "GO AWAY!" He turned to face her and saw Leo peek his head out of the engine room, "Whoa! What-?"

He didn't want to create a scene in front of Leo. He didn't want to create a scene in front of anyone, but this may be good. She may turn around to talk to him, finally leaving him alone. But she didn't even turn away from him for a moment. He pursed his lips together and walked away with the very irritating and now almost crying girl following him.

"Nico, please. I'm sorry. I just don't get how I'm doing the wrong thing. Please, just tell me."

"You just want to leave! Why? Because running away solves all our problems for us? Nobody thinks it's worth it to wait and fight their battles for the people who care."

"Nico, I-I" she couldn't continue. Nico had paused to let her speak, but she couldn't. She just stood there staring at him slowly opening and closing her mouth again. Nico's expression looked so pained that almost every shadow wilted. He was that terrifying but no special effort was needed. Nico was just naturally freaky and scary. He turned his back on her and started to walk away yet again.

She looked at him, unsure of what to do, then took one step closer to him and almost stumbled. She bent her knees in an attempt to steady herself, "Whoa!" She had tripped on something but what. She looked around but couldn't find anything. Nico had turned back to face her, surprised by her cry to see her steadying herself and looking around the ground. She looked up at him instantly to meet his gaze with a pair of really confused brown eyes. Nico looked bewildered and a more worried and protective part was about to overcome all his other feelings, when heard Leo's voice, "What's wrong?"

He would soon be on the deck and he can help her. Nico wouldn't have to worry about her. He just wanted to get to someplace quiet and lonely for him to think in peace. He had just turned his head halfway when he heard some sort of a screech and thud followed by some soft moaning. He quickly turned his head back.

This time Atalanta was on the floor near the railing, leaning against a wooden crate while gently rubbing her head. His thoughts were scrambled and hers were probably in a much worse condition. Wasn't she just standing in the centre of the deck, closer to a wall? How did she get there so fast? What was going on? He heard Leo say, "Holy Hephaestus, Atalanta! What in Hades just happened to you?" She looked up with her eyes full of fear, "I don't know. Something's wrong." Then suddenly her whole body was thrown off the edge of the boat. It was the weirdest thing the boys had ever seen. Her body was like lifted in the air and tossed out into the waters. She couldn't just fall like that on her own. Her feet were flailing. They gasped. Leo ran two steps towards her but then ran off in the other direction to call Percy and the others. Nico ran to the railing.

She was still there, hanging on to a piece of bronze on the exterior of the boat, just below the railing. She was screaming and crying at the same time. Nico said, stretching his arm out to her, "It's okay, just hold on." She looked up at him, his hand dangling at a point where she couldn't reach. He was stretching his whole body to inch closer, standing with only his toes touching the deck. "It's all going to be fine. Jump and grab my hand." She raised herself higher, only to be pulled down by a much stronger force than she was exerting. She couldn't reach his hand and what was more, she lost her grip on the bit of bronze. "No!" Nico and Atalanta screamed in unison. She grabbed some rope quickly and Nico started yelling, "Don't worry, just hold on. Percy's coming. He'll save you."

Leo was running down the stairs screaming, "Percy! Percy! Man overboard! I mean…woman overboard! Just come quick." A lot of doors to various rooms opened with people ready to spring out. But at that same moment Atalanta chose to start climbing up the rope. She found that the more force she used, more force was pulling her down. Something wrapped around her waist was dragging her down. Nico was yelling encouragement but her fingers were turning red around the rope now. She looked up at Nico, "I don't want to leave, Nico." Then something pulled her so much, that the whole ship tilted. Nico used both his hands to hold on to the railing. He heard something slide past him and ducked. Something flew over the end of the railing and Atalanta raised one hand to hold it thinking it was something to help her up, but it was just a wooden frame, like a ring. Inside the ship, with all the doors open, demigods and objects were being tossed about equally. Percy and Annabeth fell over Jason in his room and Hazel stumbled over to Frank who caught her. Piper fell into a huge pile of towels and spare clothes. Leo fell flat on the dining table with only his arms to brace themselves.

Atalanta's face is scrunched up and she was grinding her teeth, but she manages to speak loud enough for Nico to hear. She was wrapping her legs around the rope and still had the ring in her hand, "I can't hold on that long…It's pulling me down!"

Nico asks, " What's pulling you down?"

"I don't know! I'm scared. I don't want to go…I want to stay here…I-I"

"Don't go then. Please…I can't have everybody leaving me."

She looks up and suddenly screaming, she left her hands and fell down, this time crashing against the huge waves created by the rocking of the Argo II. Nico didn't hesitate for even a moment, and dived into the water, following her. He had always depended on Percy. He asked Percy to save Bianca when he should have gone. He could have done something. He didn't have to wait for Percy then…and he wasn't going to wait for him now.

Everyone else that was tossed around the Argo II quickly regained their balance and ran up to the docks to see Nico diving into the water. They ran to the edge of the railing and looked down.

The water didn't hurt him as he had aligned his body to cut through the surface rather than fall flat on it. It took some time for him to adjust his eyes to the change in surrounding, but he was used to shadow travelling. He looked around and saw her around 10 feet away from him, beating against the water like it was a monster troubling her. She was terrified. Her hair was floating in all directions around her head and air bubbles were surrounding her. She would soon run out of air this way. She should relax. Nico swam closer and stretched his arm out to her. She saw him, her eyes widened, full of hope and she stretched her hand too. It almost reached, they almost touched each other, but she disappeared.

With a blink of the eye, she vanished and Nico stood perplexed. Where did she go? She has to be somewhere here? He spun around looking for her when he suddenly felt like the water was crushing against him. He waved his arms wildly, trying to push it away, but the water seemed to be pushing him away. It was pushing him over the surface and the next thing he knew he was forced out of the water, by some water straight into Jason's arms. Jason was flying around prepared to catch anyone that came out and he grabbed Nico and set him down on the Argo II.

Leo said, "No, Atalanta's still down there. Go quickly!" Jason looked at Percy who was staring into the water…more like he was staring through the water. He flew around the Argo II asking Percy, "Where should I stand? Where is she?"

Percy frowned, "I don't know. There is nothing else in the water."

Nico said, "She's not there. She's gone." Everyone turned to stare at him. Nico stared at the floor holding the towel Piper wrapped around him, his voice cracking on every word. She was gone.