A/N: Yeah, you all hate me for what I did to Nico. Oh well, just deal with it. I never said that some people aren't gonna get hurt in this story- and I was debating over killing someone or not. If you think I'll tell you what happened then you're wrong, its called 'read the next chapter'. Or in this case, just read on. Enjoy, and sorry for the short chapter.

A/N 2: I just learned this story is up for an award! The site is called fanmortals(dot)web(dot)com. I'm not gonna beg anyone to vote for me, but if you want to check it out (there are a few other contests, just as orginal character FYI) then cool. Thanks to whoever nominated my story!

'Damn you! Why did you have to do this to me?' -Percy

Was Nico sorry that he was putting Percy through hell? A little. Did that change the fact that what he did was for Percy's own good? No, and that's what Nico told himself as he ignored the phone, turning up the volume on the TV, the music in his head, anything and everything. 'Damn, why doesn't he just hang up?' Nico thought. It would make things easier... Nico sighed and got off the couch, turning the TV off- he hadn't been paying attention to the TV anyway. He grabbed the phone and immediately said,

"What the hell do you want Percy?" Nico felt a stab of guilt and quickly added, "Yeah, I'm fine Perc. No, I don't want you comming around. And no, I am not going back to your house." Percy paused, unsure of what he could say to try to convince Nico otherwise. The silence was thick, Nico felt like he could grab a bit of it and eat it.

"... Nico I... Hades is, in all honesty, a nutjob. He's not going to just let your return home!" Percy's voice had an edge to it. Was it sadness? Or something else, a need for Nico to come back? Nico shook his head. He sighed and replied,

"That's... Listen Percy nothing you say can help me. I'm here and I'm here for good." He waited for Percy to break, for him to beg him to return, that Percy would die if anything happened to Nico, but it didn't happen. Nico knew that, Percy would never love a boy like him. Nico sighed and was about to put the phone up when Percy's voice came out again, like an angel's voice (at least that's what Nico heard).

"Please... N-Nico... I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you..." It was good enough, Nico decided, and he was about to reply when a stinging pain hit him in the back of the head and the world went black. He dropped the phone and found himself hitting the ground with a thunk and the first thing he saw as his eyesight returned was his father's shoes.

"So. You finally decided to return. Or was it that your 'friend' cast you out?" Not waiting for a reply Hades kicked Nico sharply in the head. Nico's gaze snapped back and forth and then everything went black.

The last thing he heard was Percy's anguished cries;

"Nico? Nico!"

Percy was thanking God that there was no traffic on that night. He drove like his life depended on it, breaking all the speed limits and wondering if the car could go any faster then the current 88 MPH. He did a sharp turn, nearly taking out a trashcan (and one side-view mirror) and loosing another bit of paint. He was only about three mintues from Nico's now. 'Come on, come on!' He thought, as if his thoughts could make the car go faster. His mom was already going to kill him, the car was a mess, and Percy was sure every sharp turn was taking five years off his expected life-span.

None of that mattered, all that mattered was that Percy got to Nico's as soon as he could. Percy thanked his lucky stars for what was the tenth time that night- he lived a typical twenty-minute drive from Nico's. That was going thirty-five miles per hour. Percy was averaging a neat eighty-eight miles per hour. The drive was just under ten minutes. Percy made another hair-raising turn which brought his thoughts back down to earth. He was insane, that's the only reason he could be doing this. Risking car, life, and limb, all to try to get to Nico before Hades killed him.

Percy gulped and felt himself trembling at the thought of Nico dying, when Percy could have done something about it. Percy grit his teeth. No, Nico wouuld survive, because that's the kind of person he is. Percy shook his head as he turned another corner. Only three more blocks to go... Two more... One more...

Percy slammed on the brakes and released his seatbelt, opening the cardoor and grabbing the keys within seconds of each other. He ran up the stairs to Nico's appartment, making so much noise that he probably woke up the entire building and alerted Hades to his presence (if the sound of car breaks didn't already). He saw the door and slammed into it, shoulder first. He had expected Hades to have locked it, so it surprised him when the door opened and he nearly ran into Hades then and there.

The man looked fine. Of course his suit was a little rumpled and his shoes were covered in blood, but that could be fixed. Percy's eyes fell onto what appeared to be a bloody pulp on the floor, which barely moved.

"N-No! Nico!" Hades stepped aside as Percy ran next to Nico, falling to his knees. The younger one had a broken nose (the source of most the blood, Percy quickly realized) and was knocked out. He had several large bruises on his head, something Percy noticed almost imediatly, and it looked like a rib was poking through his skin, from the amount of blood around his chest. All this Percy took in, and all this, Percy thought, was his fault.

"... Y-Y-You!" Percy stood up, his eyes full of plain fury. Hades regarded Percy coldly. They both stood there for several seconds, neither saying anything, neither having too. Percy's eyes regarded Hades like he was the devil himself, and Hades knew that. Hades' eyes still were cold, no emotion at all.

"... Yes, me. The boy needs to be taught a lesson, something I have done." Hades' face twitched in a smile. "That he always should listen to his elders." Percy lost it and swung a wild fist at Hades. Hades simply dodged it and hit Percy in the back, causing the teen to fall to the ground, slightly winded. Percy was about to get up when he felt Hades' foot on his back, forcing him back to the ground. 'No! I can't loose... Not now... Nico...' Percy thought, his head screaming at him to think, use his fucking brain already!

Percy was just able to look up for something, anything that could save him and Nico. Nothing! Nothing, not even a potted plant! Then Percy noticed something that could help, even a little. He didn't know why it was on the floor, and could only asume it had been dropped and Hades hadn't bothered to pick it up, but it was the only thing in sight. Percy's arm darted out and his fist closed on it. Hades must not have noticed, because he lowered himself so he could speak into Percy's ear.

A mistake, one that Percy was sure to make use of.

"And a lesson you are about to be taught, Jackson." Percy grit his teeth as Hades grabbed a lump of his hair and then felt Hades' hot breath on the back of his head. Bingo. The phone in Percy's hand slammed into Hades' head, confusing the man and giving Percy the time he needed to kick Hades in the most obvious place (the balls). Hades fell to the ground, swear words falling thick from his mouth, and a few in Greek. Percy grabbed the small coffee table from the legs and slammed it into Hades' back, once, twice, three times.

Percy breathed heavily, the smell of blood the only thing he could smell. His blood was raging to finish Hades off, to kill him, to make him pay for what he did (to Nico?). Percy dropped the table with a crash and pulled out his cell phone, calling 911, and telling them to bring two ambulances.

Percy was numb the entire way to the hospital. The police had already comfirmed that Hades and Nico were both going to live (much to Percy's relief- he had no wish to be charged for killing anyone, even if the anyone was a piece of slime). Nico's ribs would mend, as would Hades' back (Percy felt a strange sense of acomplishment hearing that Hades' back was broken). Percy wouldn't have any lasting damage either, although he would have to work off a three hundred-dollar debt to his mother from speed-tickets.

Overall Percy felt a strange feeling as he sat in the back of the ambulance, watching Nico's heart-rate monitor beep. The constant sound relaxed his tense muscles, calmed his buzzing brain. It also reminded Percy that Nico was still alive. Percy was confused though, his mind wondering why he was so calm even though his mother was sure to kill him. Why he was so calm even though Hades had yet to be put in jail like he should. The answer? Percy realized that he cared for Nico, even more then he thought he had.

Percy shook his head and sighed. Nico... A world without Nico, Percy thought, would be a dark place. And it was that dark place Percy would have to ensure he never visited, or, God forbid, stay. Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, sweat from the fight and anixety running down his face. They had yet to arrive, and all Percy could hear was the sound of the sirens, the constant shout that drove into every nerve that could still sense something. Percy felt himself slam into the side of the ambulance as it made a sharp turn, the cool metal somewhat comforting.

The parimedic looked at him warrily, as if wondering if he should say anything. He had been the one to put Nico in the ambulance, guiding the others as the teen had been hooked up to the monitors. Finally, over the ring of the ambulance, the man spoke.

"How do you know him?" He nodded towards Nico, although it was quiet obvious who he was refering to. Percy felt a lump in his throat-what was he supposed to say? That he loved Nico more then life itself, that he had come to Nico's rescue almost too late? That he hoped he was Nico's knight in shining armor, and that Nico would feel the same way? Instead Percy swallowed and replied,

"We're good friends." The other man nodded and then fell silent, the back of the ambulance a strange green hue from monitors, the soft beeping of Nico's heart over-run by the sound of the ambulances' sirens.

Once the ambulances pulled up to the hospital the parimedics from both vehicals jumped into action, wheeling Nico and Hades to different parts of the hospital. Percy was mostly off the shock, but was still only ablee to catch a little of what they were saying.

"Get the boy to urgent care-"

"This man needs to have surgery-"

"Several fractures, possible enternal bleeding-" It all jumbled together and molded together, not a single understandable word to Percy's ear. Yet they crew and the doctors and nurses seemed to understand everything, and when Nico was being wheeled away Percy took a step forward before hesitantly looking around. One of the doctors, a woman, caught his gaze and nodded. Percy took off after Nico's wheeling bed, the sound of his feet hitting the ground sticking out for some strange reason.

Behind him, Percy could hear Hades being wheeling into a different direction and Percy, again, felt a strange sense of acomplishment. He had saved Nico and had destroyed the beast- now all he had to do was get the girl. Or, in this case, the black-haired, brown-eyed boy of his dreams. Percy was still several yards behind Nico when he heard someone shout his name.

"Percy! Oh my God, thank God you're safe!" Mom. The word spun around in his head, not making mcuh sense. The world seemed to blur together, the faces, the names. Mom... Nico... Percy felt a sudden flash of pain and then everything went black.

Percy woke up to the sounds of a heart rate monitor, the world impossibly quiet after last night's events. Still, the constant noise helped him relax as he struggled to figure out what he was seeing. One of his best friends, Grover, was sitting in a chair off to the side, snoring. Percy wondered when he got back- Grover had gone on a trip to visit his uncle's farm. His mother was nowhere to be seen, which gave Percy a twinge of worry.

He struggled to get up and out of the sheets- they were soaked with sweat and seemed to be tieing him down. At the soft noise Grover, whose ears were always the best, woke up. His eyes were bleary for a second before he blinked and cleared his eyes.

"Peeercy! Man oh man, you gave me a heart attack last night!" Grover said, running over. Percy gave him a smile.

"When'd you get back? I thought you were going to stay with your uncle for a month." He asked, trying not to ask the obvious. What did Grover know? Where was Sally? And, although they weren't dating anymore, where was Annabeth? Grover returned the smile.

"I got back last night, a flood warning near my uncle's farm. I heard about you and Annabeth." Ah. Percy didn't know if he should be relieved he didn't have to explain anything or worried because Annabeth probably knew about what happened and still hadn't shown up. "She's still a little upset..." Grover admitted, rubbing his head. Percy sighed. Well, its not like he expected her to rush to his side or something.

"A little?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. Grover looked a little sheepish and his eyes darted around the room. "Come on Grover, what aren't you telling me?" Grover gave Percy a small grin, but it was obviously fake. Too many teeth, not enough emotion.

"Well now, look at the time, I better get going!" Grover said, starting to make his way out. Percy struggled to get out of the bed and ended up colasped on the cold ground. Shit... Percy thought. Since when have my legs felt like jell-o? Grover was by his side in an instant. "Peercy! You fainted- you can't go walking around!" Percy felt a rush of embaressment as Grover helped him get back into the bed.

"... Why won't you tell me how Annabeth is?" Percy asked after he was settled. Grover's eyes glanced at the door but the teen sighed. Grover sat on the edge of Percy's bed, fingering a few loose threads, not meeting Percy's eyes. "That bad? She's the one who dumped me!" Percy reminded Grover. He sighed.

"Yeah, but she's upset because... Well, you pretty much like Nico more then her." Grover still didn't meet Percy's eyes. "Is that... True?" He asked hesitantly. Percy was about to reply when his mother burst into the room, a full breakfast on a tray.

"Percy! You are never going to do that again, do you hear me? And you have to pay of the speeding tickets- and don't you dare ever drive like that again!" Sally was panting slightly, her hair a little bit of a mess. She stopped, giving Percy a warm smile. "I'm glad everything turned out ok." Grover got to his feet, nodding to Sally.

"Uh, I guess I should get going." He waved back at Percy who gave his friend a smile, but it seemed weak even to Percy. If she noticed anything different she didn't say anything, and Sally put the tray on Percy's bed, the entire thing balanced carefully on Percy's legs.

"Thanks mom. How long was I out? Only a night, right?" Percy asked. Sally nodded, her grey-brown hair and tired eyes making her seem older then she really was, but she had a look of relief on her face too, and Percy knew everything was going to be ok.

"Yes... Percy, about Nico..." Percy felt like a cold dagger had just gone through his heart, like the temperature was dropping, dropping. He licked his lips, trying to find breath so he could speak.

"Is.. Is he going to be alright?" Percy asked. His voice didn't sound like him. It sounded like another person, like he was simply seeing everything and not living it. Sally wrung her hands in the air and didn't meet Percy's eyes. "Mom, what's going to happen?" His voice sounded a little more strong then usual now, but it was also full of worry. Sally looked up at him and softly replied,

"They don't know. He's in a coma. Percy, I'm sorry." Percy felt like the world was a rug being yanked out from under him, like he was falling down a mountain while the world looked on. He blinked a few times, completely out of it. No... Percy thought. This isn't supposed to happen. He's going to be alright, he'll wake up an tell me how much he's sorry, how he... How he wants to be with me, me. Sally looked at her son, distressed, as a nurse came in. The woman tried to grab Percy's arm, but he yanked it away.

He pushed the woman away and she let out a small squeak, but Percy ignored her and started to stand. For whatever reason he found his legs to be a lot stronger then early, and ignoring his mother ("Percy! What are you doing?") headed towards the door, only pausing as he realized he didn't know what room Nico was in. He looked behind him, at his mother and the nurse (who seemed still from shock) and asked,

"What room is Nico in?" Sally hesitated- it wasn't good for Percy to be running around so soon- but finally she gave in, realizing this was something he needed to do. So, with a small sigh, Percy's mother responded.

"He's just a floor under you, B200." Percy nodded and ran out of the room. His senses seemed both dulled and heightened- he dully noticed he was in hospital issue clothing and was running around on bare feet, but he didn't run into anybody and could make out the door numbers clear as day. He passed room after room and glanced at a few maps before he found his way to an elevator. Hurdily pushing the call button to go down, he hopped from foot to foot- the floors were fucking cold.

The elevator seemed to enjoy opening its doors slowly, each second starting to become agonizing for the black-haired teen. He still was hopping from foot to foot, earning a few strange looks from a few other people, both paitents and doctors. Then he heard the sound of some people running, just as he ran into the elevator and quickly looked for the ground floor.

"Son you can't leave! You need to have a check-" The doctor's voice was cut off as the doors slid closed, and Percy found himself gasping for breath from the short run. He leaned on his knees, eyes peeled on the floor number above the door. The elevator stopped with a cheerful sounding 'ding' but Percy was off before the doors fully opened, startling a few paitents as they slowly walked around the place.

Making a sharp turn left to head into the B part of the building, Percy kept his eyes mostly on the door numbers and less on where he was going. He learned his mistake when he nearly ran over an old woman in a wheelchair, nearly took out a cart full of bedpans, and nearly ran into a suddenly appearing wall.

Then, B200. Percy stopped at the door, suddenly feeling the effort behind his quick and fairly long run. He gasped for breath, feeling sweat running down his body, dripping onto his clothes. The floor was freezing, but it felt slightly cold once he got used to it. Percy found he was quiet hesitant to enter the room. Was it from fear of what his... His beloved looked like now? Was Nico's pale face chalky or bruised? Was he even recognizable? Percy took a few deeps breaths. No matter what he looked like, Percy was certain he would get better. He had to. For both of their sake's.

So it was with that thought that Percy grabbed hold ot the doorknob and opened the door, the smell of cleaning supplies lying heavy over the room, and then his eyes slowly trailed up to Nico's bed.

The first thing Percy's senses managed to notice was the beeping. It was louder then last night, and it seemed to be more constant. The little monitor it was conected to was black with a green line that had a constant wave to it. Beep, beep. It constantly rang out, alerting Percy to every beat of Nico's heart. He realized quickly his own heart seemed to follow that beat. Beep, beep. The second thing Percy noticed was the mass of tubes, of wires, all running from Nico, or a monitor conected to Nico. Tubes to help him breath, tubes to help him have enough of various vitamins- Percy felt himself take an involentary step forward. Beep, beep. The monitors rang out, the constant sound of Nico's heart in a mechanical form.

This wasn't Nico... It was a shell. For the third thing Percy noticed was how pale, how dead Nico looked. He had always been a pale color, but this was beyond white. This was a ghostly pale, a half-drowned half-dead pale. It was, without a doubt, an in-a-coma pale. Beep, beep. Would the monitors still go if Nico died? What had Nico done to deserve this? Percy felt tears well up in his eyes and did nothing to prevent them, letting them come as soon as they came. Beep, beep. Was it just him or was the beeping coming faster?

Percy didn't know, but he knew his tears were comming faster. They fell down his face, onto the floor. Each drop showing how much he cared for the shell in front of him that used to be a boy. Percy found himself on his knees, hands curled tightly into fists. Why? Why Nico? Damn the world, damn everything! Percy felt a rush of anger that was put out by his tears.

"Damn you! Why did you have to do this to me?" Percy shouted, his anger and saddness mixing together, forming and escaping out with his scream. "Its not fair! Why? WHY!" Percy shouted, looking at Nico's shell. He didn't hear the door open behind him, only felt two strong, familiar, arms wrap around him and pull him to his feet. He saw a long needle being held by a nurse, felt it being pushed into a vein. He felt the world going dark, everything becoming black.

The last thing he saw was Nico as it should be, on a bed with his arm folded carefully, waiting for a prince to come and wake him up.

Beep, beep. The monitors seemed to tease him as he fainted.