At first, Leo didn't move. He didn't know how to move. Actually, he forgot about the whole 'moving' concept in general. All he knew was that Nico's lips were planted on his. Leo didn't go with it or anything, but he didn't rip away. He stood there silently, letting Nico's lips stay on his for a few more seconds. When Nico ripped away and Leo could take a deep breath, his eyes were filled with pain. Leo's lips parted, but Nico spoke before him.

"I don't love her," he said, turning away from him suddenly, "I'm not…like that." Leo was tempted to bring up what just happened, because Nico couldn't just dismiss kissing him that easily. Not that Leo really thought of himself as extraordinary, he still believed it was a big deal to just kiss someone. But he realized it was a different issue.

"Then who is she? If you don't, you know, go for that side?" Leo asked carefully. Nico turned around slowly, and Leo instantly saw the sadness in his eyes.

"I think she's my sister." Almost immediately, the name rung in Leo's head. Hazel. It's Hazel! At first he was excited – so thrilled he forgot about the kiss in general. He would finally have Hazel!

"I'm not sure if you knew this but…" Nico's voice cracked a bit as his eyes adverted away from him.

"I was given up when I was seven," Nico mumbled, "Well, really, it was more of taken away. My dad was a politician in Germany, but my mom stayed in Italy – I'm Italian, if you didn't figure that out yet. I lived in a small village that had a lot of raids. The government was unstable, and my mom was poor. One day, a man busted into our house and demanded money. My mom…My mom didn't have it, Leonardo. She just didn't. And so he took her. He took her and…" The anger seethed through Nico's voice that he couldn't finish for a moment. Leo was tempted to look away when he saw the tears form in Nico's eyes, trying to spill down. But somewhere inside of him he knew that Nico didn't want him to turn away – he wanted him to see the pain he was going through.

"I was stuck in an orphanage until I was thirteen," Nico started again, "I ran away when I heard one of the nuns say that a war was boiling up. That War World I was having a comeback or something, and they were sure that armies were going to start growing again in the next few years, meaning they would be recruiting. Leonardo, I would have stayed but my sister lived with my dad. We got split up when we really young, and I knew coming to Germany was my only chance. So I took the job. I'm a spy so that I can find my sister. And I did." But when Nico's voice ended, there was sadness in it. Like he was a child again, seeing his mother being taken away.

Leo understood that.

"Did you know, Leonardo, that the S.S. Guards call my sister 'Hitler's Daughter'?" Nico asked, his voice shivering.

"Hitler didn't have any children," Leo replied softly, "Don't worry about it. It's not true."
"No, I know," Nico snapped sharply, "It's figurative. They call her that because they believe she will be the perfect little wife for Grace. The perfect wife for a politician that worships Hitler." Leo couldn't help it; he choked.

"They don't even know her real name," Nico hissed. Leo's eyes lit up.

"What's her real name?" He asked.

"Bianca," Nico replied, saying her name so softly it reminded him of a feather, "Bianca die Engel." Leo's body slumped suddenly. Bianca? He had sworn he had heard that name on the Argos before. Bianca…Hazel once said something about her to him. She was someone important, someone who meant something big to him. But then the message hit him, like a baseball to his throat.

"That's not Hazel," Leo said aloud, "That's Bianca. Your older sister. Your dead one." Suddenly, Nico's eyes hardened. Leo, though, had his hands clamped to the sides of his face in horror. This was just getting worse. She wasn't part of the seven either. What was going on?!

"What did you just say?" Nico hissed as he leaned back over to him. Leo shook his head.

"It's all over," Leo said, "I'm doomed."

"Wait!" Nico said as Leo squeezed around him.

"I would, except you don't believe me!" Leo growled angrily as he turned toward the freezer door. He almost walked out until he heard Nico whisper his words so softly he barely heard them.

"Then explain it to me. Explain it to me again." Leo turned his head slowly. Nico wasn't crying anymore, but his eyes were still red. He looked tired. Exhausted, even. But there was a piece of him that Leo could see clearly. He didn't believe in people much, Leo realized. But he believed in him.

"What?"

"You're my best friend," Nico admitted sourly, "So I'm giving you two minutes to re-explain this—this story of yours." At first Leo stared at him stupidly, but then his mouth started spurring out details quicker than he could process. He started from the very beginning – from where he first met Jason, to the end of the war.

"And so now there's some box at Camp Half-Blood and I have to reunite everybody. I don't know if we're supposed to destroy it, to hide it, I don't really know!" Leo ended, with a heavy breath. Nico looked shaken. He was silent for a second, contemplating his words.

"You wouldn't lie to me," Nico said to himself, "I know you wouldn't." Leo swallowed. Guilt squeezed his stomach slightly, remembering how rude he used to be to Nico, and now here he was…seventy years in the past and the only reason Nicholas believes him is because he is his best friend.

Who knew.

"So," Nico cleared his throat slightly, as if the words pained him, "Leo Valdez, huh? And my name is Nick-"

"Nico," Leo corrected, "Nico di Angelo." Nico nodded slowly.

"Right," Nico accepted half-heartedly, "So why are you here? In this time period? And what happened to the real Leonardo?"

"I don't really know," Leo said shakily, "I'm supposed to fix something but I'm not the…" His sentence didn't finish, but he saw how Nico nodded his head.

"Look, I know I haven't known you long," Nico said, "But, I promise you, you are the same butthead as the Nicholas I know, and the Nicholas I know can do anything." Leo showed a small smile.

"Then will you help me?" Leo asked me. Nico huffed.

"Who else is going to help you?" He asked with a sarcastic sneer. "You have no other friends, dumbass." And for a moment, Leo forgot about Jason. He forgot about Hazel and Frank and Calypso. He forgot about all them. Instead, he was only thinking one thing: Nicholas die Engel was his best friend.

(three dashes here)

"So, why can't I kill him again?" In Leo's vision, the sun was touching the dry landscape as if humoring the dead grass. It was the next morning, and surprisingly Leo had gotten a lot of sleep. When he met Nico though, after speaking to Jason about new organization for meals, Nico looked startled. It was as if Nico had finally digested Leo was from the future.

Leo sighed.

"Nicholas, for the fifth time, you can't kill Percy. He's the leader." Nico's lips pursed impatiently.

"Fine," Nico decided, "But something better happen to that guy by the end of this." Leo rolled his eyes.

"He's not that bad," Leo told him, "He's just…a little crazy." Darkness flushed across Nico's face.

"I don't like killers," Nico told him, "There was something about that guy when he talked about killing Holly. Something in his eyes. It's not normal." Leo stared at him skeptically. The first time he saw Nico look at Percy he thought Nico was admiring his boldness, but now he was wondering if he read him all wrong. He didn't go in depths about the connections between all the seven – especially him and his friendship with Percy, or Hazel, or how he was a bitter jerk. He thought it'd be better to just go through the basics with everybody, rather than a full on biography about everybody's lives. But he told himself he would never lie (or keep anything hidden) from Nico ever again.

He bit his lips tightly, and quickly decided he would keep one last lie: Nico would never know what Hitler was planning on making them do to the minorities.

"Maybe Holly is evil," Leo said reasonably, "What if she shouldn't be alive?" Something flickered in Nico's eyes.

"You-"

"Um, excuse me?" A small voice peeped behind them. Quickly, Leo spun around, and beside him he heard Nico suck in his breath.

Bianca die Engel was in front of them again, with her arms twisted together and her eyes filled with something between fear and anxiety. She wasn't wearing an extravagant dress like the previous times he had seen her. Instead, she was wearing a white, hand-made cotton gown that tickled her ankles. Around her, a ragged shawl – probably made from the same cloth her gown was made in – draped around her elbows. It didn't seem extremely amazing to him, but Nico's eyes sparkled brightly.

She had looked at Nico first for a response, but he was too in awe of her presence to answer so Leo said calmly, "Yes? How can we help you?" He noticed how she wrung her wrist roughly, as if in a nervous habit.

"Well, Jason isn't here right now. He's meeting with another politician in his office," she said, her voice shaking slightly, "And, well, I don't know where the food is." Nico's eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean you don't know where the food is?" Nico asked, and Leo could hear the anger in his voice. He knew what Nico was thinking – that they weren't feeding her. Her anxious dark eyes held onto his for a moment too long.

"I'm sorry, Jason usually brings the food to me. He thinks it's too dangerous for me…" she choked for a moment, "But it's okay. You don't have to-"

"No, it's okay!" Nico said, catching hold of her arm. At first their eyes connected, and Leo felt a quite large awkwardness, until Bianca noticed Nico's fingers around her elbow firmly. His eyes fell to it instantly, and quickly let go.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I can take you if you'd like." She hesitated.

"I don't know," she said, her voice soft, "Jason should be coming back soon. Maybe-"

"Nonsense," Nico said, wavering his hand, "I'll take you." Her lips curved into a sheepish smile.

Nico walked in front of her, beckoning. Not knowing what to do, Leo followed along with them. He couldn't help but marvel at Nico's suddenly warm personality. He was smiling gladly, lighting up his normally-dark face. In front of him he noticed how Bianca's eyes shot back and forth, as if looking for somebody who wasn't there.

"What food would you like?" Nico said as he opened the door to the large grey building. At first her eyes shot up jerkily, but then she took a deep breath.

"It doesn't matter," she said honestly, but Leo saw the way her tones turned. He always said that to his foster parents – I don't care, it doesn't matter, anything is fine. But in all reality, it was that he wasn't comfortable enough to actually speaking to them.

"Pretend it's your last night." Leo was surprised to hear the humor in Nico's dark tone. "What would you have? Anything." At first Bianca blushed, but then a small smile appeared.

"Soup," she said honestly, "Tomato soup." Nico's eyes sparkled for a moment.

"Right on, then," he said, "Sit at one of the chairs." He hurried toward the pantry, getting out as many ingredients as possible and shoving them into a large pot recklessly. She sat in one of the stools next to a counter.

"Thank you," she said. Nico shrugged casually.

"So," Nico started awkwardly, "We all want to know you, Belinda. What's your story?" Leo noticed how his eyes dragged away from her, as if making sure she didn't see the suspicion fogging in his eyes.

"Um," Bianca hesitated, "What do you mean?"
"Like your favorite color, favorite thing to do, your deepest darkest secrets." Bianca

giggled in response and Leo's eyebrows perked up.

"Well, I'm with Jason," she said.

"How did you meet him?" Nico persisted.

"We met on a train," she said, and Leo could hear her voice opening, "Long ago. We were only ten or eleven. My father was a politician and I used to ride the train with him. But one day it was really crowded and I didn't get off in time. I started crying, and then Jason – not a day older than I – came up to me and held my hand. He told me it would be alright. For then on, we started writing letter to each other, but after a while we lost touch. And then, about three months ago, we met each other again on the street." Leo watched as the light glittered in her eyes. Though she looked more alive than he had ever seen her, he wondered if that was the entire story. Nico turned off the oven, carefully pouring some of the soup into a small bowl and then scooting it toward her.

"What about you?" She asked, as Nico stared at her numbly.

"Me?" Nico's voice cracked when he spoke. "I'm just…me."

"That's ridiculous," she told him sharply, "Just as you said, Nicholas; everybody has a story." His lips pressed together tightly, as if contemplating his words.

"I-"

"BELINDA!" A voice roared. Belinda's spoon fell into her bowl with a clunk, and Leo swerved around. Jason was coming through the door, but it wasn't the light, happy Jason he remembered. Instead, a dark shadow casted across his face.

"Come on, we're leaving!" He barked at her. Nico was so shocked to see the sudden arrival of Jason that he had froze. The light in Bianca's face had vanished, and there was, again, emptiness in her eyes.

"Wait," Nico said desperately, "We were just trying to get some food, you don't need-"

"What?" Jason said sharply, for the first time acknowledging Nico was even there in the first place. "This isn't about food, die Engel. It is about that stupid Japanese bigot!"

"I heard that," a thick voice chimed in. Leo's eyes shot back toward the entry way of the kitchen. A large Asian guy, broad but fit, leaned against the doorway.

"I'm not staying here with you!" Jason yelled at the Asian guy as he pulled Bianca out of her chair. The Asian guy's dark eyebrows shot up.

"Grace, I don't think you have a choice," the Asian guy said, "Unless you'd like to forfeit your badge?" Jason's face flushed.

"You think if I leave here that I won't still work in the government?"

"I know you can't." Jason lingered there, his fingers still wrapped around Bianca's arm harshly. Nico's eyes were glued on his grip.

"Don't threaten me," Jason said through his clenched teeth. Nico went around the counter, growing closer to the men.

"I am not threatening you," said the Asian guy, "I'm telling you the truth." Before the Asian guy could prepare himself, Jason arched back his arm. The punch was in mid air before Nico jumped between them and caught the fist in midair.

"Stop it," Nico said under his breath. Jason's fist shook.

"Get out of the way, die Engel," Jason demanded, "Before I hurt you."

Nico's face hardened, and Leo was sure there were a million things Nico wanted to do to him, but instead he said, "In front of a lady?" Jason's face collapsed briefly, his eyes turning toward Bianca as if he noticed her for the first time. Hastily, he threw his fist to his side. Nico turned to the Asian coolly.

"Who are you?" Nico hissed.

"Kato Nakamura," the man said, giving him a small bow, but Nico's eyes didn't warm.

"And?"

"I'm the representative for the Japanese right now," the man replied, "I'm here to help at the camp."

"You don't sound Japanese." It was true, he didn't. Leo would have never pointed it out since the comment seemed rude, but Nico was brave.

"I was raised here," Kato replied fast. Nico pursed his lips.

"Alright, than what are you here to help out with?" And then, just for a moment, Kato's eyes hit Leo's sharply, as if he was communicating a message that Leo just did not get.

"The special projects," Kato said in a low voice, "You know what I'm talking about." Jason's lips curled back.

"The hell you'll be a part of my projects!" Then, quickly, he stomped out of the kitchen. They all watched as Jason dragged Bianca with him, and nobody said a word until they were out of sight.

"You must hate him," Kato said. Nico's eyes flashed toward him.

"Excuse me?" Nico asked.

"I can see it in your eyes. You're a warrior, like me. It is impossible to hide the emotion in our eyes," Kato replied. Nico didn't even blink.

"Look," Nico said, "There is some extra bunks next to ours. You passed them on the way here. Take it, get some sleep." Though Nico's words seemed generous, his tone was cold as ice. Kato reflected his glare, as if to intimidate him, but Nico didn't look away. Instead, he stared him down proudly.

"Thank you," Kato finally said, then walked out of the kitchen just as fast as Jason did. But the moment his shadow disappeared, Nico whipped his head toward Leo.

"Who was he?"
"What?" Leo replied. Nico's eyes seemed a thousand times darker than they originally were.

"Something is odd about him," Nico replied something, "Something like…like you." Leo's eyebrows furrowed down.

"Look, man, I know I'm not amazing and all but there no reason to be mea-"

"No, I mean, energy wise," Nico corrected sharply, "It's like he's not supposed to be here. Is he one of you?" And as Leo stared back toward the kitchen door, he found himself memorizing the man's appearance – the way his large shoulders arched back, the strong shine in his eyes, the everything.

"It's Frank," Leo said, blinking, "The Japanese man was Frank. And he's going to take over the camp."

(three dashes here)

"27830," Leo called dully. A line of bald, sulken breathing bodies lined up roughly in front of him. There was so many that he couldn't see the end of the line. He tried not looking at them when he gave them their new stations for work. He had never felt so terrible in his entire life. He was giving them a death sentence.

"You're working in the mines in the back of the camp," he said to the bald man – or was it a lady? He shook his head and gave the vague piece of paper to Jew.

"27832. What? TWO? Where's 27831?" Leo said, his fingers shaking. He was so tired now that even the smallest things ticked him off. His head whipped toward Nico quickly, who was organizing the files whenever the next prisoner came up.

"Hmm?" Nico asked as he wrote violently on a piece of paper.

"I said that one of these numbers is missing." Nico rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Oh no!" He said, with false exclaim as he rumbled through the file, looking for the missing number. "A number is missing, end of the world!" Leo's lips curled angrily.

"Man, I'm just trying to help," Leo said, "I don't exactly want to-"

"Wait," Nico said sharply. "I can't find it."

"Wow," Leo replied, mimicking Nico's past tone, "Nicholas die Engel is wrong! Who knew!" Nico shook his head.

"No, seriously Leo," Nico said sharply, "I think that's…I think that's Peter…" Nico and Leo stared at each other sternly for a moment, contemplating.

"You know, come to think about it," Nico said, as he stretched up on his tippy toes and looked along the line of death, "I would remember those crazy eyes anywhere, and I don't think I've seen him."

"Hey, Harrison!" Nico barked at one of the younger S.S. Guards, probably fifteen, wobbled toward them awkwardly.

"You do this," Nico said as he grabbed Leo's papers and shoved them into Harrison's hands. Nico than gripped Leo's forearm and pulled him roughly.

"Come on!" They walked away quickly, Nico pulling him toward Percy's barrack. Once they got closer to the door, they heard two voices murmur.

"I have no idea who you are," they heard a voice say clearly. Leo was about to walk in and interrupt the conversation, until Nico yanked him back and gave him a tight look. Be silent.

"Actually," the voice continued, and this time Leo could recognize it as Percy's, "I don't even care." Suddenly, a slap-like sound echoed through the air, followed by a ragged gasp. Nico winced.

"I don't think you're as dumb as Jason thinks," a voice – female, this time – hissed, "So tell me: Why are you here, Peter Johanson?" There was a period of silence.

"Fine!" The female voice continued. "I guess I'll just keep whipping yo-"

"Wait!" Percy's voice yelped, and Leo could hear the desperateness. "Look, I'm here to save the boy." A cool chuckle ran through the air.

"What boy? You are alone," the female voice reminded him coolly.

"The Valdez boy," Percy said, "I'm supposed to-" But again, a snap interrupted him. A louder gasp, a seething, came out of Percy.

"I'll let you be when you decide to stop speaking rubberish," the female voice snapped. And before Leo and Nico could move, the door that was on the barrack opened. Annabeth slammed it shut, and locked it, so that Percy would be there in the pitch black. Nico tried pulling Leo back so they would be unseen, but then the sight of Anna stopped them. She looked them dead in the eyes, with a whip tied in her hand tightly. Blood, for the second time he's seen her, was splattered on her forehead. Leo's fingers were shaking.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We heard noises," Nico retorted fast, "We thought we'd check it out." She gave them a small, innocent smile.

"Sorry, I was just exchanging words with the prisoner," Annabeth told them, "He's mad, I think. Completely maddening." Her smile was sweet, but Leo saw the horridness in her eyes. Nico didn't even pretend to smile back.

"That's not ethical, you know," Nico told her sternly, "Jason would disagree." She walked toward them slowly, her face close to Nico's.

"Jason doesn't know what's happening," she said, and before Nico could even open his mouth, Annabeth planted a kiss on his cheek. Nico flinched in response.

"I'll see you guys later," she told them sweetly. Nico rubbed the cheek she kissed him on roughly, as if to get her germs off of him, while Leo stared around him dumbly. What had just happened?

"Are you really going to go talk to Jason?" Leo asked him quickly. Nico gave him a surly smile.

"Of course not," he snapped, "That emotionless, airhead dimbag doesn't have a dime of intelligence in him. Forget Percy for now; Anna has the key and we can't exactly break open the door. But whatever it is, he knows about you, Leo. We need a way to get him out." Leo nodded in agreement.

"Yes, and Holly," Leo reminded him, "We can't leave Holly."

"Of course not! And at the end, I'll make sure Jason has it," Nico murmured darkly, "I'll make sure he's dead for doing this to all these people."

"Wow, you must really hate him," Leo said, whistling, "I mean, ever since we got here all you've done is give Jason darker and darker looks, but you really hate him." Nico sneered at him.

"That's not true," he hissed as he continued to walk. Leo smirked to himself.

"You were mad at him for Bianca – I get it," Leo said, "But he's treating her alright-"

"Bianca? You thought I was giving him those looks when I first came into this dreadful camp because of her?" Leo could tell by the time Nico said it aloud, he didn't mean to. His words came out by pure unfiltered anger. Nico's lips gaped for a moment, stuttering as if he hadn't meant to say it.

"Well, what else would you hate him?" Leo chortled. Nico's eyes turned away hastily, his face turning dark.

"Look, I love Bianca and all, and I really hope I one day get her out of here so she can have a proper life," Nico said quickly, "But Leonardo – Leo – you're the closest thing to a real sibling I ever had. I gave him those dark looks because I thought he…well… took you away from me. If you ever truly left me…" He didn't finish his sentence. Leo blinked stupidly. He wasn't expecting that many sympathetic words.

"Is that why you kissed me?" It didn't mean to fall out like that, but the words leaked from Leo's lips. Immediately, Leo regretted it. But he didn't know what the kiss was for – maybe Nico didn't know how to express his feelings, or maybe it was Nico's way of proving he could never love a woman like he could love a man. But either way, Nico face flushed harshly.

"What?" Nico asked, his voice cold as ice. "That was all for Belinda, remember? I don't love you, Leo." If anybody said that to Leo, it would embarrass him, but he knew Nico too well. Nico used that tone when he was being defensive, not when he was trying to talk somebody down.

"Look, man, I'm not trashing you," Leo reassured, "I come from a place where homosexuals are more easily accepted than a stuffed-animal-killer." Nico's black eyes stirred.

"Stuffed-animal-killer? You mean a killer who kills teddy bears?" Nico asked, half-curious.

"Point is, I know gay kids. I mean, it's not like a different species. You can talk to me about it if you'd like," Leo said. Nico's nose flared.

"Whatever," he muttered darkly as he started to turn back toward the line of prisoners. But then, Leo said after too long of choking it down, "But it doesn't matter how you told me. You knew me from the moment we met – well, the new 'me' – that I would accept you. So why did you kiss me?" Nico froze.

"You think just because I-," Nico choked on the word, "That I must be in love with you?"

"No!" Leo said sharply, "It's just, if I ever kissed anybody…" Nico was almost over there, a good fifteen feet ahead.

"I thought you'd understand," Nico said, "I guess not."

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