Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are expressed within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do NOT read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave me suggestions! Enjoy!

Nico's POV:

His eyes opened suddenly. Something felt amiss; something was very wrong. He looked around. He was in his bed. He felt unbelievably warm. He turned to his right and found himself looking at the sleeping face of Will Solace. A very shirtless Will Solace. He remembered them leaving the Infirmary to get some privacy in Nico's room. He was safe; he was content. So, what had woken him up? Why did he feel like something was wrong?

He remembered that he had been having a dream about Aaron. Nico carefully sat up, trying not to wake Will, but the son of Apollo was still deep in sleep. Nico rubbed his face, remembering that Aaron was relevant to his life. Chiron had said that he had banished Aaron from Camp, but Nico had a strange suspicion that the centaur was lying. While he wasn't in the basement, Nico had a feeling the son of Ares was somewhere on the grounds.

Aaron had humiliated him; he had almost killed him. Then, the trial put Nico's relationship and humiliation by the hand of Aaron on display for the entire camp. He was forced out of his comfort zone and picked apart by the camp. Anyone who didn't know, now knew Nico's secrets. Now knew that he was weak. His hands tightened into fists.

Nico stood up. He walked over to his dresser, opening it quietly and pulling out his training clothes. He fastened the fingerless gloves that Hazel had gotten him for Christmas and threw a towel over his shoulder. Training would distract him from his mental worries. He grabbed his sword and left his cabin, closing the door quietly so he would not wake up Will.

He felt agitated as he walked. He was supposed to be doing better. He remembered what he had said to Will: "I want us to be happy." He did mean that, and he did want to be happy with Will. But Aaron found ways to continue to fuck that up. He tried to calm himself down but could not seem to do that. Maybe he could blow off some steam in the arena, so he could put on a happy facade for Will. He needed to be happy for Will. To hide the true turmoil that he was going through. And to conceal the fact that Aaron might still be at camp.

He arrived in the arena and found it empty. Unsurprising, considering it was 7am. He pulled off his shirt, feeling restrained and pulled out his sword. Although it didn't matter to Will, Nico wanted to have that raw power he used to possess back. And only training would get him that. As he went through the motions of sword fighting techniques, he fabricated answers to the questions Will was sure to have for him, that he had avoided last night. Where did you go? Why did your father summon you? Why did you cut yourself? Of course, he couldn't be honest with any of his answers; it would reveal that Aaron was still at camp, which he had agreed not to disclose.

Nico wasn't entirely sure why he agreed to keep it quiet. To avoid inciting anger from Chiron or Mr. D? Possible, but he had had worse enemies. Because he pitied Aaron for being treated as a pawn, controlled by an apparent outside force? Eh. Pity was a strong word and there was no confirmation he had been controlled. The underlying reason was that Nico did not want to feel the same humiliation and pity he had gotten from campers and his own friends the first time Aaron had hurt him. He did not want to relinquish anymore more control to the son of Ares. He thought about the fact that if news got out that Aaron was still at camp. Jason, Will, and Reyna might very well kill him. Or at least injure him severely. A part of Nico relished in the idea of that. Would serve him right Nico thought Justice would be delivered, swiftly and justly.

The son of Hades shivered, lowering his sword to the ground, and leaning on it. That kind of thinking made Nico question his morals. It brought back memories of Bryce Lawrence, and how quickly Nico had served him justice. Panic arose in Nico as he thought about how he had murdered the Roman in cold blood. Not murdered. Obliterated. Nico hated himself for that and for even thinking about wanting Aaron's death.

Nico knelt down, gripping tightly onto his sword, holding it for support. What kind of sick and twisted person was for he for wanting to kill someone who was being controlled? Nico didn't even know who he was anymore. He felt sick to his stomach. Was he becoming the monster that Drew and Aaron thought he was?

—

Will's POV

Will rolled over on the bed. He reached his hand out but did not feel anything besides him. He opened his eyes blearily as he lifted his head. The bed next to him was empty. And cold. Nico was gone. And had been for a while. Will stood up, grabbing a jacket. He slid out the door and started to make his way across the greens. He had a feeling he knew where Nico disappeared to. He yawned as he padded into the arena. Low and behold, there was Nico.

Will grunted appreciatively; Nico was shirtless. His torso was lined with scars. He was going at the punching bag. Punched twice. Ducked. Punched four more times. Ducked. He was so focused on his technique that he didn't notice Will enter.

"Aren't you a little cold?" Will called out, after admiring Nico for a little while.

Nico stopped, grabbing the punching bag to steady it. He turned around, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"I like the cold. It keeps me awake."

"It could also contribute to illness if you aren't careful."

Nico scowled. "Will, we've been over this; you aren't my mother."

Will took the jacket he was wearing off and extended it to Nico. "And my concern for you doesn't make me your mother. It just means that I care about you."

Nico took the jacket grudgingly. He zipped it up angrily and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Will raised his eyebrows at this.

"Let me see them."

Nico pretended to look confused. "See what?"

"Don't play dumb; let me see your hands." Will shot back.

Nico rolled his eyes but removed his hands from his pockets. Will undid the gloves and looked at the raw skin below. His knuckles were bruised and bloody.

"You know how to punch properly, why are you hurting yourself like this?" Nico didn't respond to Will's question. "I'm not dumb you know. I see what you are doing."

"I didn't cut myself today, if that's what you're implying, Solace."

Will took a step back. Nico only called him Solace when he was frustrated. "And I'm not as oblivious as you think I am, di Angelo." Nico moved away and sat angrily on a bench. Will sat next to him. "What's going on? Is it about what happened last night? When we were making out?"

Nico shook his head. "We stopped before I got uncomfortable. I enjoyed last night."

Will breathed a deep sigh of relief. He was scared that he had pushed Nico too far, too fast. After all, the son of Hades was still recovering from his ordeal with Aaron. "Then what is it? What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare." Nico said simply.

Will was surprised; Nico usually thrashed around or spoke when he was having a nightmare. "You didn't wake me?"

"I woke up in the morning. It wasn't like my old nightmares about Tar- that place." Nico explained.

"What was it about?"

Nico looked at the ground. He was grappling with something in his mind. "It was about Aaron."

Will closed his eyes, thinking of a response. He opened them, looking at Nico, who's eyes were fixated on the ground. "You are safe from him; he isn't going to hurt you anymore."

Almost imperceptibly, Nico's hand clenched in a fist. He still feared the son of Ares. "Doesn't change what he did."

Silence fell between the two boys. Will didn't dare break it. He was shocked that Nico was even talking about it. After the trial, the son of Hades had not mentioned Aaron. Now, he was the subject of this conversation.

Nico whispered. "I am a terrible person."

"Why do you say that?"

Nico looked up at Will, with haunted eyes. "I thought about... I want to hurt him, Will. Like he hurt me."

Will breathed in through the nose. "I want to hurt him too, Nico. I want him to pay for what he did to you."

Nico shook his head rapidly. "You don't understand. I want him gone."

"He is—" Will trailed off, realizing the connotation between Nico's words. "Oh. Oh, Nico."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't wish death on anyone. But, this- this monster- he- he broke me." Nico admitted, tears threatening.

Will felt a twinge of fear. He knew what Nico was capable of. He had seen his raw power at the Battle of Manhattan. Because of the trauma he had faced, Will had not seen it since then, but he had heard stories from the Seven, along with Reyna about his power.

"Obviously, wishing death on anyone, even monsters like him, is bad. But you are not a bad person. Sure, you had that thought or impulse, but you would not act on it. You would not kill him. And that's why you are a good person."

"He- he just humiliated me, and there was nothing I could do about it. And his punishment was reliant on me spilling my secrets and my personal life to the camp." Nico was fidgeting as he spoke. "My privacy was destroyed. For the second time in my life."

"No one at the trial judged you. Everyone supported you."

Nico stood. "That's not the point." He started pacing. "Sure, they can support me. Sure, it was only the head counselors and a handful of other campers who heard. But I had no say in what I shared. With whom I shared it to. Mr. D and Chiron forced me to share it all. All of the details of our relationship that no one else had a right to. It- it's just unfair how they did it."

Will nodded. "I agree. I didn't understand the need for a trial anyways. Why they couldn't have just seen what was in front of them. Especially Annabeth. After all, she ran the whole thing."

Nico shook his head. "It wasn't her fault. Chiron put her up to it. Percy told me- he put her under so much stress." Nico's voice was venomous when talking about their mentor.

"Are you angry with Chiron?" Will questioned.

"No," Nico was lying. "Just hated what he did to Annabeth."

"I feel like there is something going on." Will remarked.

Nico didn't reply. Will touched his face, which he flinched back from. But Nico didn't move; he allowed Will to touch him.

Will sighed. "Where are you? You are a million miles away. What's going on in your head?" He kissed Nico's forehead.

"I- I don't know." Nico said.

"Are you sure this isn't about last night?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "This isn't about last night. Look, all we did was make-out. It got heated, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I was never uncomfortable. Okay?"

Will smiled. "Okay, then what's going on?"

Nico stepped away, pulling at his hair. "I'm so frustrated with these disappearances! I don't know what's happening to the campers and I don't know how to find them. I figured if I worked harder, or was stronger, I could do something about them!"

"That responsibility does not fall on you, Nico. There is an outside force interfering. Hurting yourself isn't going to help any of the missing campers."

Nico started pacing. "But I should know! I knew there was something coming, and I was just planning to disappear to my father's palace."

Will followed him, grabbing his shoulder. "And yet, you stayed. You stayed to help. You are still here now, searching. You went to the Underworld to ask for guidance. But you are still here, and you can stay here if you want."

"Will! Nico!" A panicked voice called out. The two boys turned to the arena entrance. Connor came running inside. His usually amused face was tight with stress. "Come quickly. It's- it's bad."

Nico's POV:

The head counselors who had not returned home after winter break had assembled at the ping-pong table. Someone was missing.

"You are saying- Miranda is missing?" Will asked, hands on the table, looking down. He looked up. "A head counselor, just disappeared?"

Chiron nodded gravely, hands steepled below his chin. "Left no trace of where she went.

"Miranda is one of the most responsible campers." Malcolm reminded. "She wouldn't go anywhere without telling anyone."

"Okay, so this isn't just campers leaving camp. Someone, something is taking them." Nico input.

"Do we have any idea of what is happening? Where they are?" Will asked.

"No."

"Is there anyone else we could reach out to?" Sherman asked. "What about Camp Jupiter?" He looked to Nico.

"Communications are down. I haven't spoken to Jason, Hazel or Reyna since they left."

"What about Percy? Or Annabeth? They are still in New York." Connor asked.

Nico shook his head. "Annabeth is dealing with some family stuff. And Percy… I feel like bringing other demigods here will make things worse. Lead to more disappearances."

"We need godly assistance." Sherman stated.

"The only god we can get in contact with is my father, and he swore an oath not to disclose any information." Nico explained.

"So, we are stuck?" Will asked.

Nico looked towards Chiron. The centaur closed his eyes. "It would appear so. We need to take extra precautions. You must be in your cabins before nightfall. Everyone must be with someone else at all times. Use the buddy system. The forest is off-limits. Everyone stay safe. Please."