Skyler

In an instant, Nico'd spun me around and caught the shrapnel on his back. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, but didn't say anything. He took my hand and ran, dragging me after him.

I shouted his name, and he tightened his grip on my hand but didn't reply. The back of his black hoodie was darkening considerably, and I saw bits of stone sticking out. How he kept running with all of that, I had no idea.

As soon as we cleared the corner, I saw Mari and the others on their feet with…swords? I risked glancing behind me, and almost fainted. Two huge Cyclops were lumbering towards us, giant clubs in their hands and meaty fists clenched.

"Nico!" I shouted again, borderline hysterical.

"I know! Just hide! I'll come for you, and take this." He stopped abruptly, drawing a dagger out of seemingly nowhere before pressing it into my palm, kissing me swiftly and fiercely, and pushing me away. He spun, yanking the silver skull ring he always wore off his finger, and I gasped when it transformed into a three-foot sword, black as pitch and seeming to give off tendrils of shadow. Barely, I registered that the rest of the students had mysteriously gone missing.

When the first Cyclops swung his club towards the group, Annabeth cramming a Yankees cap on her head and promptly disappearing, the water fountain behind me exploding violently, giving me several more bruises as it did and leaving me soaked and shivering as the water rushed past me; his words finally registered in my head and I ran for the pavilion.

I squished myself in the gap between the vending machines, leaving only one side open for…attack? I didn't know, all I could think about was how damn cold it was and how it really sucked that the stupid monsters had interrupted us. I think I was still in shock, otherwise, I'd be freaking out and hyperventilating. But there'll be time for that later, right?

Oh my god. Monsters. Cyclops.

Here we go.

My breath came in short gasps, and I sank to my knees, shivering violently and hearing rather than feeling my teeth rattle. I squeeze my eyes shut, tears flooding out. I hugged myself, the dagger falling to the floor at my feet. Through all this, I'd been silent besides breathing. With a mother like mine, you learned to be silent even when screaming.

I had a hand clamped over my mouth, and I pressed harder as fear took over. Oh my god, what if someone got hurt? What was that? Cyclops aren't even real! This is crazy! What's wrong with me? Am I dreaming? Am I going insane? I had to be! Things like this don't happen to normal people! My mother must have hit me harder then I thought she did…I had to be seeing things.

So why was I soaked and bleeding, huddled in a corner of the school's covered tables, while my friends (well, mostly) fought off two giant men who couldn't wear anything but gigantic monocles and apparently loin cloths?

I don't know how long I sat there, but the next thing I know Nico's in front of me tugging my hands away from where I'd had them clamped over my ears, shushing me and wiping the tears. He had a bruise growing purple on his left cheek, and I'm sure his back was still messed up, but otherwise he looked fine.

I pulled away from his grip, putting a hand on the undamaged side of his face, needing to feel him, know he was real, know this was real and not some twisted nightmare. He smiled weakly, stroking my hair back and checking me for injuries or something of the sort. My other hand captured on of his, and he squeezed comfortingly. Still shaking, I threw myself forward into his embrace.

Instantly, he wrapped his arms around my lower back, avoiding the cuts he'd clearly found on my shoulder from the fountain's metal chunks slicing at me. I noticed Percy and Annabeth over his shoulder, Mari dusting herself off slightly behind them, walking towards us, Kylie already seated and retying her hair back. Mari caught sight of us, me mainly, and scowled angrily, glaring venomously.

I buried my face in Nico's shoulder, and he rubbed the back of my head. He stood slowly, and I heard him kick the dagger away quickly. He turned us, and I pulled back to grip his arm and hide slightly behind him. Rubbing circles on the back of my hand, our fingers laced together, he gave silent reassurance.

"I haven't told her yet." He stated quietly. Mari snorted.

"Well, clearly. She's shaking like the pathetic baby she is. I mean, seriously, she's just such a-" Mari started, a superior look on her face, before Percy cut her off.

"I'm no longer defending you, Mari. Seriously. Don't be such a bitch. You threw up after your first monster." He reprimanded, and she had the decency to blush and turn away.

"…Anyways." Nico announced after a short awkward silence. "We need to get her to camp. I'm surprised it took this long for the monsters to show with her around, what with five demigods, at least three major, and a satyr…" He trailed off thoughtfully at the end.

I released him, jerking back. He stumbled with surprised, having not let go of my hand.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked him shrilly, and his surprised look changing to one of recognition.

"Sky-" He began.

"No! No! NO!" I screamed, trying to wrench my hand away from his. He held tight, letting me nearly pull him off his feet before tugging back firmly and sending me tumbling into his arms. His gripped my shoulders firmly, forcing me to look at him with a hand on my chin.

"Skyler, calm down." He commanded, face serious. I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped when his eyes hardened to ice, the blue darkening to nearly flat black.

"Sorry about this." He mumbles softly, and then his eyes go flat black, not even the whites visible, and I pass out in his arms.

A/N: Oh this looks so much longer in Word. Which, coincidentally, I don't own. Neither do I own this. Since, you know, this FANfiction, where FANS right fiction based off of things they're FANS of and therefore CLEARLY DON'T OWN. (Can you tell I don't see a point in disclaimers? Here: Don't own shit. This applies from chapter one, to here and on out.)

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