A/N Thank you for al the favourites and follows and reviews and EVERYTHING. You guys are amazing. I'm very sorry for not being on for so long, I just couldn't think what to write, and then I had stupid homework, and then I had BoO, and then I had The Vampire Diaries (my random new TV obsession. It's amazing by the way), and then... Then I had pure laziness. I'm sorry! At least you will all have had plenty of time to read BoO, right? Right...
I LOVED IT SO MUCH. WHO LOVED IT? I LOVED IT. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER! IT WAS PERFECT AND I LOVED IT. I MEAN... LEO. NICO. EVERYONE. ARGH. RICK ALMOST KILLED ME. NO, NOT ALMOST. I DIED.
Okay, I'm done. We had to get the BoO fangirling out the way! Now please enjoy this chapter! It's not terrifically long... but it was kinda really hard to write for some reason. So please bear with the beginning part, it's a bit bad.
Annabeth POV
Nick stands amidst the crowd, dripping wet, fists clenched, the veins on his arms sticking out grotesquely.
I realise that I'm waiting for Chiron to sort this out, to calm Nick down. For him to come clip-clopping out of the Big House. But… he's not coming, is he? How could I forget? We made sure of that.
What? We made sure of that? Where in Tartarus did that thought come from?
For some reason, a strange fear takes hold of me, something I can't shake off – the feeling that I should know something, the feeling that I can't remember something horribly important. Something to do with Chiron. And no matter how hard I think about it, all I can remember is picking a plant with pure white petals and deep red leaves. I can't remember when – it was such a long time ago… It probably doesn't even matter…
I blink at the ground in shock. What? What's happening to me? It's as if… as if my thoughts aren't even my own thoughts anymore. How could I not care where Chiron is? What's happening?
I need to know where he is. I will find out what's happened to him. I will find out exactly what Nick is. Because he definitely isn't human, and I'm not just going to wait and see.
Percy POV
The tidal wave erupted from everywhere and from nowhere, pouring over us and obscuring us from view. It disappeared after only a few moments, rivulets of ice cold water streaming away, but the damage was done. And very rightly so.
Everything is still and silent; you can hear the water dripping its monotonous rhythm onto the hard earth beneath Nick. I stand there, waiting for him to do something. He never walks away without a fight.
So you can imagine my surprise when he walks over to me, eerily cool and composed, the only sign of anger in his clenched fists. He stops, inches away from my nose, and then he moves his head so his lips are positioned just next to my ears.
"I really can't believe you thought I'd fall for that," he whispers, his voice almost sympathetic. I try and reach for Riptide, which is hidden somewhere in the folds of black material swathing my body. All of a sudden, a feeling of claustrophobia engulfs me; I can't breathe.
"Oh, Percy. Now I really can't believe you thought I'd fall for that one." The claustrophobia worsens – everything is too much, my clothes are too tight, there isn't enough air, I can't breathe. Invisible fingers clamp around my neck in a vice-like grip, freezing cold, a lingering touch of death. I gasp, struggling for air, unable to draw in even one breath. I terribly underestimated this monster, and now I am going to die.
On the brink of unconsciousness now, I struggle to keep my eyes open. There's a small scuffle behind Nick – Nico has jumped forward, cold rage emanating from his being. Cracks of black spread from his feet, like poisoned veins in the rock. Jason is holding him back, completely perplexed as to why Nico wants save this stranger – me – from Nick.
"NO!" Nico yells, punching and kicking for all he's worth. Jason is trying to keep him from getting any nearer, but I can tell he is getting worn out – Nico is a lot stronger than he was before. Frank steps forward to try and rein him in – the girls are watching in shock, and Leo is just staring sadly ahead, as if he knows it isn't worth it. No one has seen Nico like this before. He breaks free from Jason's grasp and raises his hands – before a tall, blonde figure pushes out of the gaggle of people surrounding us. Will Solace.
"Nico, no. Nico." He steps forward and grabs Nico's forearm: Nico stops instantly, his hands falling to his sides. He throws Nick a look of pure venom, and then stares at me, an inscrutable expression on his furious face. There's an infinitesimal pause, where I swear on all the Gods of Olympus, he smiles at me. An almost non-existent lifting up of the lips, a crack of a grin – and then it's gone, and I'm left wondering, even in my under-oxygenated state, whether it was even there at all.
Before he follows Solace, though, he turns to Nick and leans forward, whispering something only I can hear. Damn, is there a lot of whispering going on here today.
"You'd better leave him alone, Nick." It's less of a whisper, more of a vehement hiss. I see his fingers jerk upwards, and the pressure on my throat lifts as Nick stumbles backwards. Nico turns to go, shouting out.
"Go back to whatever you were doing, people. There's nothing more to see here." Everyone disperses. Wow, has Nico changed or what? I'm left to massage my throat as everyone goes back to their business, I spot Nico and Solace going to the Hades cabin. Nico stops at Leo's side, and tells him something which causes Leo's eyebrows to furrow and his hands to light up. With Piper's arms around Jason's shoulders, they, too walk away, and Frank and Hazel follow.
I realise I'm looking for someone who isn't there – she's disappeared. Annabeth isn't standing there anymore, near the infirmary doors. I ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach, and turn to the more important matters at hand. My throat is going to be pretty colourful by tomorrow, that's for sure. Why this costume couldn't protect me from near-strangling, I don't know.
Nick is still lying on the ground. He moves to get up, but I nudge him with my steel capped, booted toe.
"Nah ah, magic boy. What was that little bit of hocus-pocus, huh? What are you?" I ask, genuine curiosity and pure hatred coursing through my body.
Even in his less than victorious state, Nick smirks.
"Now, why would I tell you that? Ruin all the fun? Oh, no. Just because Death Boy over there gave me a, er… warning… you think I'm just going to let it go? You really are stupid." Faster than is possible, he's on his feet, nothing more than a blur as he gets up.
"What the - "
He closes his eyes, an unnatural picture of serenity. I can't move – my feet are literally rooted to the spot, and I can't tear my eyes away from him. He opens his eyes, and I see a flash of gold. There is nobody around anymore. Only him and me.
I step forward, my feet unsticking from the cement keeping me in place, my hand reaching for Riptide. I lift my foot – and crumple to the floor. A piercing pain reaches out its probing fingers right from the centre of my brain, a spider's web of agony, and I'm unable to even blink. Second time in the space of an hour.
I hear his taunting voice as I drift away from the edges of reality.
"This is only the beginning, Perce. I won't kill you just yet. And I won't let them take off your mask either. I don't want to ruin all the fun!" He laughs.
I feel a foot kick my side, and then everything turns black.
A/N I know, I know. Sorry! I don't even know myself what just happened. Thanks for reading, anyway! Please favourite, follow and review! You know I love it when you do! :)
QOTD: OTP(S)? (because we all know it's impossible to have just one, right?)
AOTD: ERM... SO HARD... Okay. Percabeth, OBVS. CALEO. Solangelo.
GUESS WHAT. I NOW LIKE PIPER AND JASON. I DIDN'T LIKE THEM VERY MUCH UP TILL NOW BUT BoO SHOWED ME HOW AMAZING THEY ARE.
*I apologise for all the capitals. It probably seems like I'm shouting at you... But it's more like I was too excited to type normally about BoO. Haha, anyway. Please review, and thank you! :)
