Chapter 27: The Role We Play

Later that night, when everyone was snoozing around the campfire, I couldn't sleep. As quietly as I could, I slipped out of my sleeping bag and silently made my way over to a nearby log to sit on. I stared up at the night sky, admiring all of the twinkling stars weaved in the velvety shades of midnight.

When I couldn't sleep due to… that place, I would make my way to the railing of the Argo II and just… think. I would think and ponder and let my mind wander, sometimes allowing it to delve into the darkest of thoughts or the impossible hopes I just can't let go. But never too deep in.

That could be dangerous.

How did my life get to this point? How did everything go downhill so fast? I tried so hard to keep everything together. I lied for my sister, I conned for my father, I fought for my life. Where does it end? In what scenario can I truly be truthful? Even when I'm telling the truth it's never the full story. Never. Ever.

I admitted to Annabeth I was a time traveler and even managed to spill out how it all came to be. But I couldn't spill the location of the Romans to her. I told everyone I'm a son of Hades, but I conveniently left out the fact that I time traveled. When I finally told them I'm a time traveler, I couldn't even muster the courage to break the hard news to Thalia that her little brother is still alive. I couldn't even tell my sister how our mother died.

Why? Why do I have to know this? Why do I have to be the bearer of bad news? Sometimes I wish I could go back to being that innocent little 10 year old again. That boy used to be annoying, loud, and obnoxious, but at least he was ignorant of all the death surrounding him.

Well, ignorance is bliss, right?

I shook my head, ridding the thoughts from my mind. I can't be thinking about this right now. Not when Bianca's life is on the line. So that leaves the question: What other options do I have if everything goes south?

Well, there's always the nuclear plan—taking her place. With how my life is spiraling at the moment, maybe it's best for everyone that I take the nuke option. Bianca will be safe, Percy won't be betrayed, and Annabeth is smart enough to figure everything out on her own. I provided the framework, she's more than capable of drawing out the blueprints.

But… What about Will?

I can't just leave him, right? Or can I? He barely knows me and I barely know him. Perhaps it's better for both of us if I'm out of this equation. After all, who am I to taint his sunny aura with my depressing one? Besides, Will wouldn't want me around—no one would if they knew what I truly am beneath this tragedy.

I am the tragedy.

"Nico?"

I turned to find a tired Percy gazing at me in concern. His seagreen eyes looked dimmer than usual and deep purple bags were etched in his otherwise chiseled face. His movements were sluggish as he plopped down next to me.

"You okay?" He asked, glancing at me.

"No," I answered shortly, not in the mood to elaborate. But really, am I every in the mood to elaborate? I studied the constellations, avoiding his gaze.

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

After a moment of silence Percy spoke. "The stars are nice tonight," he said conversationally.

I didn't say anything.

"So… did you find a way to save Bianca?"

"I think so."

"Care to share?"

"You don't want to know." Translation: I don't want you to know.

If he does know, I'm sure he'll find some way to stop me or convince me otherwise.

A tired sigh escaped Percy. "Nico, if something's bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?"

"Something's always bothering me, Percy. The difference now is I can't hide it from you," I said.

Percy frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what I said. Sometimes you're just too observant for your own good. That can be dangerous. You ever heard the term 'ignorance is bliss?'" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a pretty common phrase," Percy said.

"It also holds a lot of truth," I pointed out. "Especially in this situation."

"Which situation?"

"All situations," I replied. "What you have to understand is that people hear what they want to hear. People see what they want to see. Some people just don't have that luxury. Some people have to know the truth. If they don't know, who else will?" I sighed. "Not everyone wants to accept what's right in front of them, but someone has to."

"You're saying you're that someone?"

"I'm saying I've always been that someone," I admitted. "Time travel merely changed the name of the game. But the rules are still there."

"And what are the rules?"

"Let's just say the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is a big part of those rules. Probably the very foundation, in fact."

A look of realization dawned on the Son of the Sea God's face. "You're still hiding something! You're still holding something back! But we—we trusted you!" He whispered-yelled, making sure to keep his voice down so the others wouldn't wake up.

"Of course I'm holding something back! Even when I'm telling the truth, I can't tell the full story! And you know why? Because people hear what they want to hear! They simply aren't ready to process anything else. They aren't ready to accept it," I whispered-yelled back. "You think Bianca would be ready to accept the fact that she might very well die tomorrow?"

"That's not your choice to make. She needs to know," Percy argued. This is exactly what I was afraid of. This is why I didn't want to tell Percy the full extent of my job.

"She'll know when she's ready to know. Just like she'll know how our mother died when she's ready. Or how the Greeks will know the Romans exist when they're ready. Or how Thalia will know when she's ready. Or how everyone—including the Gods—will know of their possible extinction in four years when they're ready. It's a job, Percy. An art most people can't perform. What do you think will happen if they aren't ready to know? If they aren't ready to accept it? If you tell them something they don't want to hear? If you push them into the deep end too early?"

"They learn to accept it and swim across," Percy answered matter-of-fact.

"No, they drown. Believe me, Percy, I've seen it first hand. I've seen people's minds shatter at a truth they aren't ready to face, at a truth they didn't want to hear. The Greeks and Romans… they slaughtered each other when they figured out the truth. That's how the end of the world started, Percy. Sure it was the giant's destruction. Sure it was the resurrection of a giant almost 70 years ago. But it's more than that. Who do you think allowed it to happen? It was us. We are to blame," I admitted quietly. "For the first time, us demigods truly broke."

"So… How does someone learn to accept it?" Percy asked quietly.

"Time, experience. That's how I've seen it happen," I said.

"What happens if they never learn to accept it?"

"Well, let's just hope they never needed to know the truth in the first place."

"That's… terrible. How do you live like that?" He asked. There was no hate, no resentment in his voice. Just concern.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I guess it becomes a part of you after so many years of doing it, but one never truly knows," I replied. I turned to him for the first time that night. "The point is, Percy, we all have a part to play in this. This isn't just about the hero and the villain. You and Annabeth, you're the heroes of this story. So are most of Camp Half Blood. Luke and his crew, a lot of them are the villains. But nothing is ever set in stone. There is always a grey area. So, I guess what I'm trying to get to is… don't be surprised if the tables turn so quickly. Don't be surprised if you face a bitter truth too."

Percy nodded, getting the message. He then frowned in contemplation. "What kind of part do you have to play in this? The hero?"

I stared straight into his ocean eyes. Even in his youth, Percy's eyes looked as tired as ever. "The angel who must send the message."

Percy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think that's you too." He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Are you a guardian angel or an archangel?"

I stopped and thought for a moment. Which one am I? Guardian angels are depicted as ethereal beings who are like the personal guides to humans on earth. They do whatever those above them tell them to do. They're the equivalent to godly puppets. But that's not me. I'm here for everyone. I don't want to be a puppet. Archangels, on the other hand, are like the police officers of heaven and humanity as a whole. Like me, they are entrusted with a specific task.

A ghost of a smile graced my face. "I'm an archangel. I'm here for everyone." I glanced at the sleeping form of my sister a few feet away. "Not just one person."

I got up to leave the misery log 2.0, but stopped in my tracks when Percy said, "I don't judge you for handling things this way. I admire the fact that you're trying to save everyone by hiding the truth until they're ready. Just… don't let the truth kill you inside, okay? If you ever need to talk, I'm here. I can accept it."

The thing is, I don't doubt him. But I don't want him to know what I know. He's got enough on his plate. He's the hero. The hero doesn't bear the knowledge the angel bears, that's just the way it goes.

"Hey, um, Nico? Is there anything going on between you and Will?" He asked suddenly, hesitance evident in his voice.

For some reason, I felt my ears and cheeks heating up. "Uh, no! No, we're just friends! We met at capture the flag!"

Percy watched me very carefully. "Yeah, of course. Just friends," he repeated. I could've sworn his lips quirked in a smirk. "Just friends."

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Why is he acting so funny? Percy threw his hands up in surrender and didn't comment. Whatever it is it can't be that important, right? Right. Nothing I need to worry about.

But even as I snuggled into my sleeping bag, a few things still lingered in the back of my mind. The scene of Aphrodite's transformation as she looked at me still rubbed me the wrong way. For one thing, Aphrodite admitted that I already found my soulmate. Then she morphed into a spot-on replica of Will? Will couldn't possibly be… No. No, I'm not going down that path again. I refuse to.

Love is a lesson that must be taught one way or another. And you, Nico di Angelo, still have a lot to learn, Aphrodite's words echoed through the caverns of my mind.

Aphrodite is a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them.

I took a deep breath and cocooned myself deeper into the thick lining of the sleeping bag. This is just too much for my head to wrap around. I still want to brainstorm more options to save Bianca, but I'm afraid that the nuke option may be theI only card I've been dealt with for this scenario. There's a possibility I could just ask Bianca not to pick up that figurine. It's worth a try, but if there's one thing I've learned in his line of work, nothing's ever that easy.

One way or another, Talos will be awoken, and I have a feeling that there's nothing I can do to stop it.

A/N: You should probably read this. Sorry it's so long.

Hey guys... it's been a while. So... I kind of lost inspiration for this story, which is why I haven't updated in a while. But I'm back and I think I got my inspiration back too! You see, I'm not about to write the climax when I'm all out of ideas and motivation to write this story. That would suck more than not writing it at all. Also, my interest strayed away from MSMR and to other books I've been waiting for the chance to write. For example, the sequel to Interrogational Therapy is in progress and so is the sequel for the sequel because I couldn't decide which book should be the second book and which book should be the third. You'll see what I mean if you read it, which won't be until one of the two books is finished of course. Also, my interest went to another book, a Percy Jackson AU take on Six of Crows because why the heck not? It's basically the Percy Jackson characters replacing the original characters from Six of Crows, all with new story arcs and stuff, as well as new abilities. It's kind of a dark take on the characters, but I wanted to give it a try. If you're in to that kind of stuff, you should check it out. And another thing... I'm really sorry for not updating. I know what it feels like to wait for days before the author updates, yet I just pulled a fast one on all of you. Call me hypocritical, but don't tell me you guys haven't done the same thing with your stories. Anyway, this chapter was another filler but not really. It's more there for the sake of the character arc and to make the reason behind Nico not wanting to tell Bianca about everything clearer. Well, that reason was probably already clear enough but whatever. I felt this chapter was important so I wrote it. Next chapter is the climax so get ready. Stuff is about to go down and I don't think you're ready for it. Again, sorry for not updating. Hopefully it won't happen again.

-Echo