Neeks wasn't that surprised that the werewolf got them in the same spot, slicing open both biceps as they shadow traveled away. Most of their scars from the first time were being reopened, after all.

Reyna and Coach Hedge were still looking at them like the first time, eyes on the wounds and the wounds only. Reyna had stitched them, but they still stood out since their jacket had been discarded, too ripped to still use.

Their pants and shirt weren't in much better condition, nor were any of the team's clothes. So after buying the supplies they needed at the Buford Zippy Mart, Neeks decided to get them all some fresh clothes to wear. They knew it would help themself feel better, and decided it might help Reyna as well.

That was how Neeks, child of Hades and third-lifer, found themself walking down a deserted North Carolina road in a bright yellow dress that was too loose and too bright. But they could fight in it and it wasn't that horrible shirt they had gotten in San Juan, and that was all that mattered.

They walked back to the campsite down a two-lane road under the blazing sun. This part of South Carolina seemed to consist mostly of overgrown fields, punctuated by telephone poles and trees covered in kudzu vines. The town of Buford itself was a collection of portable metal sheds – six or seven, which was probably also the town's population.

When they got back to the camp, Reyna was sitting at the entrance of the tent, staring off. She had been different since San Juan, silent unless needed. Neeks remembered how she fared last time and knew it'd help to talk, but having "killed" her father? It seemed so little of a crime, like nothing, like she shouldn't even think twice about it compared to what they had done.

But Reyna didn't know what they did. Nobody could.

"Reyna, come take a walk with me," Neeks instructed. "I need to talk to you."

Reyna stared up at them. "I don't need a pep talk-"

"I don't do pep talks. Now, let's go."

"I get it, you don't wanna walk and you don't wanna talk around me," Coach Hedge huffed. "I'll go write some letters." He took his notepad and headed into the woods, leaving Neeks to sit beside Reyna.

"Tell me about it," Neeks said. "I already know from...before, so just say it."

"You never talk about the before," Reyna commented. "Why?"

"It...wasn't good. Lots of death and pain. Gaea won, so that should speak for itself." Neeks played with the hem of their dress and contemplated asking Coach if he could somehow change the color. "But your past wasn't that. It was something you need to talk about if you're going to stop it from harming you anymore."

She explained, but her voice cut out halfway through. Neeks thought about what they could tell her, what could help her feel not alone. They finally decided on something they hadn't said last time.

"In the Before Times," they started, "us three were attacked by a Roman outcast. Bryce Lawrence."

Reyna looked up at the name.

"He wanted to kill us, or put us on Roman trial or something," Neeks continued. "He was a danger, and I...pulled his soul from his body. Efficiently killed him. My mind wasn't...really there, you could say. I was too focused on keeping you guys safe."

Reyna wasn't frowning or smiling, so they thought of something else.

"And further into the battle... My father had warned me before that some deaths shouldn't be prevented, that some people just have to die." Neeks stared down at their blood-stained hands. "My father is the god of the Underworld, Reyna. I don't get recognition from others because of it. Camp Half-Blood saw me as a curse for years. I didn't like to talk about him like you don't like to talk about yours, but some things you just have to let out."

They could sense Bryce not too far away, could feel his soul anywhere. Maybe they could dispel it without Reyna noticing, maybe...

"I killed my own father," Reyna admitted.

"No, you dispelled a ghost," Neeks corrected. "Even worse, it was a mania. You did what I would have done."

"It doesn't matter! If word of this got out at Camp Jupiter –"

"You'd be executed," Bryce said.

Neeks looked up as the Roman entered the clearing. They could feel his soul battering about his bones, ready to take flight as soon as it was set free-

"Bryce Lawrence," Reyna said as she stood. "You need to stand down before you regret it."

She was trying to save his life, hadn't had the lesson taught to her that Neeks had. Lives ended when they did for a reason. It was Bryce's time, no matter what.

"Reyna, remember what I just said?" Neeks asked. "Some deaths shouldn't be prevented, they..."

They remember what happened next just in time. In the millisecond before Bryce brought forth the Roman dead, Neeks stuck their hand out and concentrated on the skeleton inside Bryce. The bones, the skull...

They felt the pull they always did when they used their powers, the jolt, and they pulled until the skeleton was under their control, and that skull landed in their hands. The white bones were covered in brains and blood and liquid they couldn't place.

Silence. And in it, Bryce's body fell to the ground and pooled blood into the old battlefield.

.

.

.

Neeks remembered the fear on Reyna's face but also the determination. They remembered Coach's explanation of "good job, kid!", remembered the way their body felt after harvesting a new power, felt his mind blank out and his very sanity almost shatter before he blacked out.

They had killed before, hundreds and hundreds of people down in Tartarus. But they had never killed like that.

Later, Reyna would say Neeks passed out to contain their own mind- they had felt themself slipping and had to shut it down. They could agree, but that didn't mean they wanted Reyna to be aware of what had happened, how close they constantly were to losing it all over again.

The fake confidence they had lately was coming down, and with it all peace they were close to obtaining.

They could remember seeing things that weren't there, remember getting too far in their own mind to focus straight-

"Turn back!"

Right, the battle was here. This was the day they'd see if it had all been worth it or not. If what they did to themselves, bringing themself down so low, so deep into insanity, if it would work to save the world.

They were still deep in these thoughts when they saw Will Solace's blond head, and all the insanity faded to the edges again.

"What are you doing here?" Will demanded.

"Me?" Neeks asked. They couldn't believe they were still this stupid. "What are you doing here? Getting yourself killed?"

Will scowled. "Hey, we're scouting the enemy. We took precautions."

"You dressed in black," Neeks noted, "with the sun coming up. You painted your face but didn't cover that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag."

"You're the one in the yellow dress," Will shot back. "Couldn't wear anything darker?"

"Don't you think I would have if possible?" Neeks hissed. "Just...Coach made it, right?"

Lou Ellen giggled nervously. "Did he ever."

Will elbowed her. "Yeah. Hedge is fine. He made it just in time for the baby's birth."

"And they're okay?"

"Yeah. A very cute little satyr boy." Will shuddered. "But I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a baby?"

"No."

"I had to get some fresh air. That's why I volunteered for this mission. Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking. See?"

Neeks prepared themself for the skin-on-skin contact, but they didn't prepare themself for how warm and comforting it felt. Maybe the heat of the sun was key to getting better, so opposite to the heat of Tartarus.

.

.

This time, they let Leo Valdez die. This time, Octavian went up in a cloud of smoke, but so did Gaea.

.

.

This time, they won the war, but their heart still beat to the song of battle, rattling against their chest.

AN: So 2 books to come from this:

One will focus on percicobeth since that isn't for everyone
The second will be the sequel