Oh good, it's Sunday. That means we are back with the next installment of this lovely tale. I know you'll all enjoy it. Perhaps it has something you've all been waiting for. Has the moment truly arrived? Read and find out, after you read the A/N. I really wonder where some ideas for Nico's location came from. I was intrigued by the idea that Nico went back to the place his parents died. I will say it is wrong. That was all the way in Texas, and Nico used a lot of power to wreck U.N.I.T. Also I question how Nico knows where Percy's parents lab is? Percy didn't learn about it until recently, after Nico had stopped investigating him. He'd have no knowledge of the place.
I'm not really sure at this point how many chapters this is going to be. I estimate around 20-25 chapters. Just a rough estimate. Yes, that does mean we are nearing the end. But the sequel lies ahead. Next order of business. 22 freaking reviews! New record. I told Bragi and he was in disbelief. I had to repeat it to him three times. I suppose this chapter can be a thank you lol. I do want to thank you guys, I really do. I might work harder to get more chapters so I can post an extra in the near future. Shout outs!
Rainingstars17: Thank you. Lots of cool stuff this chapter. I didn't really understand the Nico's Michael thing. I'm also not sure what you meant by if only he knew. Anyways. Sunday is here. So close on the guess.
LizziDaughterofHades: That's a long time. Haha. I'm sorry. You caught up to my posting day :P. Fear not, the next chapter is here. I would never...ok I can never promise Nico's safety, Reining and Make-It-Now can attest to that. You could always hibernate for a week until the next posting day :D. There's nothing really important to do, real life doesn't matter.
AzucenaXshadows: I liked the theory. It would make sense. But Nico is just in a fit of rage. That place is more of a sit and think, like going and sitting at a tombstone. That might sound creepy. Thank you. Haha. I'm sorry. I'll try to make it less addicting.
Bookwormz-4-life: Good guess :D
Reining: I don't think I ever said you would love 17 until chapter 20. Besides, Nico was never really dead. I would never actually kill Nico. It made for an awesome bit you must admit. Hey that rhymed. Well, he did. So I can die happy. I'm sure it will all be ok. Lots of destruction. Mwhaha. Sane like Nico? I love making Nico all crazy badass. Well, if he went to the crash site, Percy would have a long way to get there. It is in Texas after all, and they are in New York. Well, I did promise another Nico and Will scene, didn't I? Mwhahaha.
DarkLove: One of those is right. Lol. I don't remember if I asked why you hoped I was a guy. Really? That author sounds pretty awesome. I'll have to go check them out. Yes, that is my Hunger Games OTP. I loved that line ^.^. I'm sure it would make for sexy times, if he weren't trying to kill everyone. Well, I had sort of finished 14. I had to go back and do some work. And then I had 15 I had to worry about. Writing four stories is hard work.
RobinsArt: Fail indeed. And now I can harass you whenever I want. I feel like I know that song reference. Some guys that sing something about being ratchet? I know, shocker. Gasp. Nico is purely adorable and sexy. Even while he's impaling you with shadow tentacles.
myrddin767: One of those is right.
Veerayne: I'm sure he will be back to normal soon. After he conquers Australia and takes out the kangaroos. Mwhaha. I picture that being said in Christian Bale's attempt at a Batman voice. That's an awesome cave name. I trust you work on your fic while you wait in there?
110-percent-crazy: Perhaps. Nico be all like, bitch get off my man.
Lucy: Good guess. I must have it wait a week :(. I will die of exhaustion if I do not. As stated above, around 20-25 chapters. So, not very many more I guess.
EnigmaEric: One of those is the correct answer. He went to the circus. Yes, that's where I got the idea for it. Sadly for this fic, you'll only be meeting five of them. Thank you. I give you another chapter to indulge your addiction.
Happykid44: Mwhaha. Enemy is a strong word. Rival fits better. Also, love is another strong word. Slow pace. Likes Percy. I write for real love, not that high school fake love where they date for a week and they are madly in love. Then they break up and are so devastated. That makes me want to gag. So, Nico likes Percy right now. Will is a mix of like/lust. I'm just not big on throwing around the 'L' word. Yes, but it would still make him happy to see Kronos suffer before he dies. Revenge may not bring back what he lost, but people still do it all the time to try and take away the pain.
HeyItsAmber: Yes, the god among fanfic authors has spoken. And he hath decreed that there be a new chapter for Seasons Change. Anyways, one of those is correct. I guess I'm good with dark things.
Cookiemonster: I have hidden all my cookies o.o. Um. Well, he already has started doing stuff. He will do something with his powers on accident this chapter. I'll probably have another fight in the next two or three chapters to let Percy have a moment of glory before the big battle to end it all. I'm glad you like it. I know of it. I looked at the things you said. Not too far off from it, I suppose.
iPineapplePants: Don't be silly. Nico can never die. Hmm. That fits since that's the title. I already left Narnia. That's where all the gay people are until they come out of the closet. However, when you think about it, why would you want to leave when there are a bunch of gay guys running around in a magical land? Now I feel dumb.
blackandwhitephotos: I'm sorry :(. But I must keep it at a week to prevent me from breaking myself. One of those is the right one. Yes, I'm sure Nico would want to break Will's neck. Thank you.
Luckyducky: Perhaps. Mwhaha. Thank you.
: First off, awesome name. He's going to kick ass and sell some cookies, and he's all out of cookies. Because Cookiemonster ate them. Should't he? He watched Percy very closely before Percy got pulled into this world. Thank you! That means a lot.
Awesome older sibling: Lol. You like all the freaky things. Kink. I'm glad you like it. I'm not done with Lou yet. Oh yes. Percy knows exactly what Nico is planning. Not acceptable. Go read it now.
Make-It-Now: He be cray cray. It's ok.
Lots of shout outs. Oh yes, I am amazed that you all doubt your guesses. It's like you think I'm tricking you, or something. Now why would I do that? Mwhaha. I will say that in this case, the obvious answer was the correct one. Also, only three reviews away from 100. Pretty awesome. Hmm. Not much else to say, except enjoy the chapter.
Warning: Expect awesomeness this chapter
Disclaimer: I may not own the characters, but I do own the awesome.
Chapter 14
Percy slammed on the breaks as he neared Will's apartment. Percy tossed the car into a parking space and jumped out of the car. He ran up to Will's building, finding the apartment building's door ripped off its hinges. Percy bolted up the stairs, nearly knocking several people over.
Percy slid to a halt when he saw Will's door split in two. Percy peered inside, finding Will's living room normal. He heard a thud from upstairs and a scream. Percy bolted up the stairs to Will's room. Percy walked down the short hall to find Will's door already open. Wasting no time, Percy jogged into the room.
Will was being pressed against the wall, his feet dangling off the floor. Shadowy tentacles had wrapped themselves around Will. Nico stood in front of the blond, hand dangling out in front of him. The dark appearance of Nico had worsened since Percy had last seen him. Nico's body looked like it was about to shatter from all of the cracks on him. Dark mist seemed to be radiating from each of the breaks in his skin. Dark lines had fallen from Nico's eyes, looking like black blood. Nico's skin had turned a ghostly white.
Will's eyes darted to Percy, finally having noticed him. "Percy! What the hell is he? Make him stop!" Will yelled, grasping at a tentacle on his neck. Nico hadn't seemed to notice Percy yet. His only focus was Will. Percy stepped up to Nico and tried to shake the boy.
"Nico? You need to stop this right now! Please. I know you're in there. I can get you some help, you just need to stop and come with me," Percy pleaded.
Nico finally pulled his dark sockets away from Will, turning his head to Percy. "Help? You talk like there's something wrong with me? Am I sick?" Nico hissed.
"Look at yourself, Nico. This isn't you."
"Isn't it? I am finally my true self." Nico stared down at the floor. "I'm not weak anymore, am I Luke?"
"Nico, you were never weak. You've stopped yourself for so many years from becoming like this. You didn't want to be this. You didn't want to become like Kronos or Luke."
The floor around Nico cracked. "Kronos," Nico whispered. "He'll be next. After I'm done with Will."
Percy placed his hands on Nico's shoulders. "Why do you want to kill Will? He hasn't done anything to you. He's defenseless."
Deep cracks ran up the walls. "My parents were defenseless! Kronos murdered them to get to me!" Nico pointed to Will. "As for him, he's the obstacle keeping me from the only thing I've wanted since I made the vow to kill Kronos."
Percy leaned closer to Nico. "Will doesn't have me, Nico. I wanted to talk to you about that after the warehouse battle. Just let him go."
Nico was silent for a moment, staring into Percy's eyes. Then a sharp tentacle shot from Nico's back, it was so solid it tore the fabric of Nico's shirt. Right in the center of Nico's chest was a dark pool of shadow. From it, darkness spread across Nico's body. The sharp tentacle hung over Nico's head like a scorpion's tail. Nico extended a hand out towards Will. "No." The dark tentacle darted towards Will.
"No! Stop!" Percy yelled, his pupils dilating. Nico froze, as did the tentacle. Percy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he was getting the hang of this telepathy thing after all. Suddenly, the tentacle started shaking, inching forward towards Will. Percy's eyes widened as it neared Will's throat. Percy grabbed Nico's head, pressing his forehead to Nico's. "Sleep."
Nico wavered back and forth for a moment, eyes slowly closing. Percy caught Nico as he began to fall over. Percy sighed and laid him on Will's bed. The dark cracks on Nico's body started to disappear. The dark tentacles vanished, freeing Will, who fell to the floor. Will began to cough as he sat up against the wall.
"Wh-What the hell just happened?" Will asked with wide eyes. He was rubbing his neck, which had dark red marks around it. "What the fuck is he? Wh-What are you? You stopped him somehow. How did you do that?"
Percy bit his lip, taking a step back from Nico's sleeping form. "Will, I can explain."
Percy took a step toward Will, but he flinched away. "No, stay away. This isn't possible. This has to be a nightmare. People don't just do the things that just happened."
"Will, you have to listen to me. No one can know about what just happened. You can't tell anyone."
"Tell? I don't even know what I really just saw, Percy. This seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. People don't just do the things that you two did."
"I know you're freaked out right now, but I promise that everything will be alright."
"Alright? He almost tried to kill me!" Will yelled, pointing at Nico.
"Nico is-Nico is complicated. He wasn't thinking clearly."
"You can't seriously be trying to make excuses for him. He's a monster!"
"He is not!" Percy yelled back, causing Will to flinch. The lamp by Will's bed went flying into the wall. "Don't talk about him like that! He's just misunderstood. He can't help it."
"How-" Will started, pointing at the shattered lamp, but he stopped himself. Will pushed himself up, keeping a few feet between him and Percy. "Sounds like your mind is finally made up."
"I-It is. I don't think you'd want me now that you know all of this anyways. We're worlds apart. I need Nico, as he needs me. You and he are just different, and I realized how much he seems to care for me."
Will bit his lip. "Fine. Just-Just get him out of my house be-before I call the cops, or something." Percy nodded. He picked Nico up and walked out the door. On his way down the stairs, Will spoke again. "Percy?."
Percy turned his head to look at Will. "Yea?"
"I just-I need some time to process all of this," Will said, gesturing at Percy and Nico. "To think people can do things like this, it's kind of scary."
Percy nodded. "I understand. I was freaked out at first myself." Percy gave Will a final smile and descended the remaining stairs. Percy left the apartment and headed down the stairs. Once outside, Percy sat Nico in the backseat of the U.N.I.T. car he borrowed. Percy brushed a strand of hair out of Nico's face before closing the door. Climbing into the driver seat, Percy let out a sigh. He turned his head to look back at Nico's still unconscious form before starting the car.
Percy pulled Nico out of the car, carrying him up the stairs to his parents' lab. The security guard gave him an odd look, standing up. "Is this the one your parents said you were bringing?" the man asked. Percy nodded. The man waved him through. Percy entered the elevator, hitting the button to the lab.
Upon arrival, Percy jogged out of the elevator into the dark lab. The lights flashed on a few moments later. Athena's pedestal lit up and her image appeared. "You're here awfully late," she said, eyeing the boy in Percy's arms. She tapped a finger to her chin. "He's a dangerous one."
"He's unconscious. Dad said they could help. Where are they?" Percy replied.
"It's the dead of night, Percy. He went home a few hours ago. I don't think he expected you to come back this late."
"Where can I put him?"
Athena vanished. Percy spun around when her voice came from behind him. "This should do." She was standing by a large see through door. The lights turned on, revealing an empty white room. Percy walked over and the door opened. He sat Nico down on a bed in the room. He walked back out and the door shut behind him. Athena's eyes lit up. "Nico di Angelo. Age nineteen. From Dallas, Texas. Power over light and darkness. Extremely powerful."
"Do you have access to all of these people?"
"We couldn't work to keep them balanced if we didn't know about them."
Percy glanced back over at Nico. "Can he get out?"
"The room acts by nullifying his powers. Considering the glass is unbreakable by normal means, he'll be secure in there." Percy nodded.
"Is there any hope of helping him?" Percy asked.
"I cannot say. Nico is the only person on the planet with powers like his. There are people who can manipulate light or darkness, but not both. This makes his genetic sequence one of a kind. We have nothing to go off of. We can only guess." Athena gave Percy a sympathetic smile. "I cannot begin to understand the cause of this side-effect. From what you have said, it is impossible to know whether he was born like this, or whether the emotional trauma caused by the death of his family damaged him."
"I just don't want him to risk his mental state like this anymore. He would have killed himself."
"He could not help what he did, nor could he stop it. No matter the cause of this side-effect, the darkness that it brings about is a reflection of the darkness within him."
Percy frowned. "He had a dark pool over his chest when I found him."
"A manifestation of his own darkness. Everyone has darkness within them, but people have their minds to keep themselves in check. I feel that when Nico snaps and his sanity crumbles, the darkness within him seeps out, lashing out at everyone that he views as a threat."
"And since he becomes insane and paranoid, he wants to hurt everyone," Percy finished.
Athena nodded. "Anger is within him, the need for revenge. Kronos took the thing that was most precious to him."
Percy bit his lip. He sighed. He now understood why Nico risked his life for him. Luke wanted to kill him that night, and Nico almost got himself killed in the process of protecting him. "But why did Kronos want him so bad? He couldn't have known about this dark part of Nico."
"No, he couldn't have," Athena responded. "It doesn't change the fact that Nico is an Omega. Even without his berserker state, he is almost on your level. That is the difference between you and him. He was born with these great powers, while your genetics were altered to make you the strongest."
"Would he have been stronger than me?"
"That is hard to say. Your genetic code was originally for telekinesis, but your body seemed to reject its own DNA. When your parents had to alter your sequence, telepathy emerged along with telekinesis. It is very likely that Nico could have been stronger. I would still assume that you would have been classified as an Omega yourself, though."
"So, it was just a fluke?"
"A fluke? No," Athena replied. "You were meant for something great, Percy Jackson. I do not believe it was mere coincidence that you became what you are." Athena looked Percy over. "You look exhausted. Perhaps you should get some rest as well."
"I'm not tired," Percy lied.
A smile appeared on Athena's face. "I could help with that."
Percy narrowed his eyes. "No thanks, I think I'll pass on being drugged." Percy sat down in front of the glass door. "You can go back to screensaver mode, or whatever you call it." Athena rolled her eyes before vanishing. Percy's eyes stayed trained on Nico's sleeping form. His parents had to be able to help Nico. If they couldn't, then Percy would lose Nico forever.
Percy shuddered at the memory of how he had found Nico's body at Will's. His body looked so destroyed. Nico had probably had neared that point Chiron had talked about. The condition Nico left U.N.I.T. in had to have used a lot of Nico's energy.
Percy hadn't been lying when he told Will his mind had been made up. Percy had made his mind up. He realized he wanted Nico. Percy just wanted to see Nico back to his usual self. Nico's current state was tugging at Percy's heart. Percy didn't like seeing Nico this gone. He could have killed himself.
Percy was awoken a few hours later. He peered up at his mother, who smiled down at him. "How long was I out?" Percy asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Athena said you got here around three in the morning, so about five hours," Sally replied. Percy looked over at the glass door. Nico was awake and sitting on the bed, Poseidon was busy inspecting him. Percy breathed a sigh of relief, noting that Nico looked normal. "You're father's been inspecting him for the past ten minutes, but I think he's alright."
Percy nodded. "Can I go in there?"
Sally tapped her chin. "I don't see why not, just give them some room."
Percy nodded again and walked to the glass door, which opened for him. Poseidon and Nico both looked over at him. Nico gave him a weak smile. "How is he?" Percy asked, taking a seat next to Nico on the bed.
"He seems alright to me," Poseidon replied. "His body is still recovering from the stress that was put on it. I would like to get a cortical scan to get a mental reading. From what you told me last night, he might be in bad shape."
Percy watched as Poseidon inspected Nico's eyes, which were, thankfully, back to normal. Poseidon frowned at the traces of lines across Nico's skin. "That's from when he was insane," Percy said. Poseidon nodded.
"They'll heal in a couple of hours." Poseidon moved Nico's torn shirt to inspect Nico's chest. Percy couldn't help biting his lip at the exposed flesh. Nico glanced over at him. Percy coughed and looked away to hide his blush. "His skin is red where that dark pool was that you told Athena about was." Poseidon looked between Percy and Nico for a moment, noting them shift uncomfortably. "I think I'll give you two a moment to talk. Come and find me when you are done." Percy nodded and Poseidon left.
Nico was the first to break the silence. "You lied to us," Nico said, looking at the wall. "How come you never told us about your parents?"
"What was I supposed to say? I couldn't betray them like that," Percy replied.
"So, you betrayed us?"
Percy shook his head. "No. It's not like that. I didn't even know about them until I ran away."
"But you never told us."
"I couldn't. I-I was scared. It's not like you told me everything. You didn't tell me about the crazy thing until I saw it. You said you had control." Percy looked over at Nico. Nico shot him a frustrated look.
"I do...I did. Luke would have won. I didn't have any choice. Medea took the strength I had, and I couldn't let them get away like that."
"So you let yourself lose control?"
"I snapped ok!"
"Do you remember anything after that?" Nico shook his head. Percy sighed. "You went berserk on U.N.I.T."
Nico chewed his lip. "How bad?"
"A few dead, a lot wounded, and the lower floors were damaged pretty bad."
Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck." He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "Chiron?"
Percy reached over and grabbed Nico's hand. "He's fine. He's just worried about you."
"Of course he is. The man doesn't even care I screwed up." Nico looked down at their joined hands, chewing softly on his lip.
"He cares about you. I care about you." Nico looked up at Percy. "Nico, you almost killed Will."
Nico let his head fall. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
Percy scooted closer to Nico and wrapped an arm around the smaller boy. "It's fine. You didn't, that's what matters."
"What happened?"
"I stopped you with telepathy."
Nico looked up at Percy. "You're getting the hang of it then?" Percy nodded. Nico let his head fall onto Percy's shoulder. "I'm sorry," Nico whispered.
"Don't beat yourself up. You weren't in control."
"I should have been, though."
Percy kissed the top of Nico's head. Nico looked up at him. "My parents can help, if you'll let them."
"What do you mean?" Nico asked.
"Just hear them out, alright?" Nico sighed and nodded. Percy hopped off the bed. He helped Nico down, letting their bodies stand close together. Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's waist and pulled him closer. "I was scared I had lost you forever."
"I'm sorry."
Percy shook his head. "Like I said, don't be. Can I ask you something?"
Nico nodded. "Sure."
"You remember a while back, when you were at my parents' place?" Nico nodded again. "You said you would kill me if I didn't help you guys." Nico bit his lip, looking at the floor. "Would you still do that?"
"No," Nico whispered. "I couldn't."
"What changed?"
"My opinion of you."
Percy cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
"You're not like Luke, and I was stupid to ever think that you were. I know you don't want to hurt me. I mean, I'm still scared, I won't lie, but I trust you. I also started really caring about you."
Percy gave Nico a smile before leading them out of the room. Poseidon and Sally were standing near a table. Athena projected herself nearby, activating the machine above the table. The machine descended from the ceiling, hovering a few feet above the table. "We're ready, Percy said."
Everyone turned to look at Percy and Nico. "Good. Nico, if you wouldn't mind lying down," Poseidon said, gesturing to the table.
"What are you going to do?" Nico asked hesitantly.
"We need to have a look at your brain to establish the damage done."
"It's perfectly safe, all you have to do is lie there," Sally said soothingly.
Nico nodded nervously and made his way over to the table. He hopped up on it and lay down. The machine lowered over Nico's head. A monitor beside the table lit up. Percy stepped up to the table, grabbing Nico's hand. A digital keyboard appeared in front of Poseidon, who typed in a few commands.
The monitor began displaying Nico's brain. Several colors filled the image of the brain. Every few seconds, black would explode across the screen, covering the entire brain in darkness. "Not good," Sally mumbled. Percy felt Nico squeeze his hand. Percy rubbed his thumb reassuringly across the back of Nico's hand.
"What's happening?" Percy asked.
"Nico's mental state is in a critical condition," Poseidon answered. "I'm not sure how bad he was before last night, but now he's near his breaking point. The darkness you see is that state of insanity that he was in. He no longer seems to have control over turning it on. Basically, he's a ticking time bomb." Athena shut the monitor off and pulled the machine away from Nico's head. Nico sat up and wrapped his arms around himself, he looked near to tears. Poseidon sighed and stepped up to Nico. "Nico, you need to hear out what I'm about to offer you. If you don't take what I give you, the next time you go into this state of insanity, you won't be coming back."
Nico nodded slowly. "What-What is it?" Nico asked.
"I have some antigen that Sally and I have been working on. If I could get a sample of your blood, I could find the right one."
"Antigen? Am I going to lose my powers?" Nico's fists clenched his pants tightly.
"I cannot say, to be honest. There is a chance that you may lose them, but there is also a chance that it will only remove this state of insanity that your powers push you into. I can tell you that it will restore your mind to a healthy state." Nico didn't answer. He just stared down at the floor. "I won't force you to take it, Nico. I'll let it be your choice. I just want you to think about it." Nico nodded.
"Why don't you head back to U.N.I.T., Percy? Check and see how they are doing," Sally said, giving Percy a small smile. "We need to identify the antigen needed and Nico could use some more rest."
Percy nodded. He looked over at Nico. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?" Percy asked gently. Nico nodded. "Alright, I'll be back shortly." Nico stood up and wrapped his arms around Percy's neck.
"Hurry back," Nico whispered into his ear.
Percy smiled and ran a hand through Nico's dark hair. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here. My parents aren't going to hurt you. I'd never forgive them if they did," Percy whispered back.
Percy exited the elevator to find several people in the hallway leading to Chiron's office. The people he did recognize were Leo, Jason, Rachel, and Apollo. There were several other men in the hallway, dressed in business suits. Percy approached the small group he did know. "What's going on?" Percy whispered.
"It seems the big people upstairs got wind of what happened last night," Apollo said, sounding irritated.
"They showed up half an hour ago looking for Chiron," Jason added.
"What do they want?" Percy asked.
"We can assume that it isn't anything good."
"They want to remove Chiron from his position at U.N.I.T.," Rachel said.
"What? Why didn't you tell us this already, Rachel?" Apollo asked, pushing off the wall he had been leaning against. He glared down at Rachel, who bit her lip.
"I told Chiron about it before we all went to bed, but he said to keep quiet about it."
"We have to stop it," Percy said, heading for the door.
"Percy, wait!" Leo yelled, but Percy didn't listen. He pushed the door open, causing the office to become silent. Chiron sat in his usual place. Two men Percy didn't recognize sat on the other side of the desk.
"Who is this?" one of the men asked.
Chiron sighed. "This is Percy Jackson," Chiron answered.
The man nodded. "The special one that you told us about." Chiron nodded.
"You can't fire Chiron!" Percy said loudly.
The man stiffened in his chair. "Perhaps I should reconsider-"
"Percy," Chiron warned, tossing Percy a look. "Control yourself. Do not interfere with this."
"But they want to fire you!" Percy reasoned.
"It is not for you to decide. Do not abuse your powers like this, people deserve free will."
"But-"
"No buts."
Percy sighed, dropping his hold over the two men in the room. "Wh-What happened?" the man asked.
"You were letting me go, sir," Chiron supplied.
"Oh yes, I cannot keep Chiron around if he can't keep his own agents under control."
"It wasn't his fault," Percy pleaded.
"You're right, it's Nico's fault. I expect him to be returned so that we may deal with him ourselves." Chiron shook his head while the two men weren't looking.
"No!" Percy yelled. "You can't have him." Chiron's desk slid across the ground, the door behind Percy rattled. The two men eyed Percy cautiously.
The man sighed, standing up. "Then you leave me no choice." He turned back to Chiron. "Chiron, you're fired. I expect you to be cleaned out of here in two days. Zeus here will be taking over for you." Percy finally looked at the other man in the room. He recognized the man from one of the photos in the Omega file. He had shoulder length grey hair and a matching grey beard. Something in the man's piercing blue eyes seemed familiar to Percy. When Zeus stood up, Percy noted that he was very tall, somewhere around six foot six.
"I won't disappoint, sir," Zeus said with a smile. Chiron and Zeus met eyes, a spark seeming to ignite between the two men. Finally, Chiron looked away with a sigh. He pushed away from his desk and walked over to the door where Percy stood. "I think we are done here. Percy, I'd like to talk to you before I go."
"No," Percy said firmly. "If Chiron isn't in charge here anymore, then I don't want to be here either."
Zeus narrowed his eyes. "I'm disappointed to hear that."
Chiron placed a hand on Percy's shoulder and ushered him out of the room. Everyone looked up as they came out of the office. "What happened?" Apollo asked.
"I have been let go," Chiron said with a sad smile.
"No, they can't do that," Jason said defiantly.
"Chiron they need you here. They can't just fire you like this," added Leo.
"I will be fine. Don't worry about me," Chiron reassured them. "Keep an eye on things for me." With a pat on each of their shoulders, Chiron made his way towards the elevator. Percy looked back when the door opened behind him. He noticed Jason tense up beside him. Zeus glanced at Jason for a moment before turning his attention back to the other man he had been with. Apollo tugged on Jason's arm, pulling the blond away. Jason was glaring daggers at Zeus by the time they got into the elevator.
"What was that about?" Percy asked once the doors shut.
"What the hell is he doing here Chiron?" Jason yelled, kicking the door, causing the lights in the elevator to flicker.
"Perhaps you should calm down, Jase," Leo said nervously.
"Would someone mind explaining?" Percy asked again.
"Zeus is Jason's father, Percy," Apollo said, rubbing circles in Jason's back.
"What? I thought your dad didn't want you in U.N.I.T.?"
"That bastard isn't my dad! He and my mother didn't want me or my sister. They gave us up for adoption when I was a baby," Jason spat out, clenching his fists tightly. "He can't take your place, Chiron. I refuse to work here if he's my boss."
"I'm with Jason, the man's a prick," Apollo added. Leo and Rachel nodded in agreement.
"There is nothing I can do," Chiron said, not taking his eyes off of the elevator doors. "Percy, where is Nico?"
"I can't tell you," Percy responded. Chiron finally looked at him with a frown. "I'm sorry, but just know that he's safe." When they reached the bottom, the group followed Chiron outside. "What happens now?"
Chiron looked up at the sky, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I cannot say. This battle is not over, Percy. You must still face Kronos. If you do not, the world will pay the price." Percy nodded. "See to it that you are ready when the time comes."
"We'll fight with him," Apollo said with a smile.
"I might be able to get us some more help," Percy said. "I need a way to get in touch with everyone."
Leo tossed him a phone. "There you go," Leo said. "Untraceable. It has each of our numbers in it."
Percy nodded. "Thanks."
"Keep in touch," Apollo said. "We don't need to wait too long."
Percy nodded again. "I just need to check with some things and I'll contact all of you." Percy looked up at Chiron. "Will you help us?"
Chiron looked down at all of them. He let out a long sigh. "Of course. Leo will need to be extracting all the information that he can before Percy contacts us." Leo nodded. "Get everything you can from the U.N.I.T. databanks. Pull all of our files and then delete their copies."
"You should extract the hard copies first," Rachel pointed out. "They don't know the rest of us have quit. We can sneak around and remove them, and then Leo can do his thing once we are all out."
"Sounds like a plan," Apollo said with a smile.
"Yea," Jason grumbled.
"Don't worry, he'll cheer up." Apollo pulled Jason into a hug.
"We'll have all of this done by the time you call, Percy," Leo said confidently.
Percy stepped back into the lab to find his parents standing over a table. A small beaker sat in the table's center. "How did it go?" Poseidon asked, not taking his eyes off of the beaker as he dropped some fluid into it.
"They fired Chiron," Percy mumbled as he reached the table. His parents looked up at him in confusion. "Chiron took the blame for everything. They replaced him with a man named Zeus. Several of the others quit, they want to help me fight the Consortium. I could use some more help, though."
Poseidon sighed. "We might be able to lend some support. Athena has some sentinels that she can control from here. We could give you a small army to help you get into Kronos's base of operations." Poseidon picked up the beaker. "Right now, you need to take this to Nico." He handed the beaker to Percy.
"And you don't know what it will do to him?"
Poseidon shook his head. "It is a fifty-fifty chance. There is no guarantee one way or the other."
Percy frowned, but nodded his head. "He won't be happy losing his powers."
"I know, but he's dangerous in his current state."
Percy nodded. "I'll talk to him." Percy walked over to the glass door, walking inside when it opened. "Hey."
"Hey," Nico mumbled back. He was sat on the bed, legs pulled up to his chest. "What happened?"
Percy bit his lip. "Chiron got fired."
Nico gasped. "Wh-What?"
"I'm sorry. They wanted to take you into custody, but Chiron didn't want me to tell them, not that I would have anyways. When I wouldn't tell, Chiron got blamed for everything."
"This is all my fault."
Percy walked over and sat the beaker down on a small table by Nico's bed. "If you want to get better, you need to drink that."
"But what if I lose my powers? I haven't finished what I started yet. Kronos isn't dead," Nico said venomously.
"I'll take care of him for you." Nico stared up him. "Trust me."
"I'm nothing without my powers, Percy." Tears threatened to fall from Nico's eyes. Percy grabbed Nico's hand.
"You'll have me. Am I not enough?"
Nico bit his lip, staring at Percy's hand. "You are. I'd just feel so helpless without them."
Percy leaned forward so he and Nico were face to face. "I don't want to lose you, Nico. I'm scared you won't come back next time."
"Why do you care so much?" Nico whispered.
Percy raised his hands to cup Nico's face. "You don't remember what I said back at Will's do you?" Nico shook his head. "I told you I had wanted to talk to you the night of the warehouse battle."
"About what?" Nico cocked his head to the side.
Percy leaned in closer. "I wanted to tell you that I made my mind up. I really like you, Nico. You're different, and I like that. I want us to be together, Nico." Percy slowly leaned closer to Nico, watching as Nico's eyes darted down to Percy's lips. Percy smiled as he pulled Nico into a kiss.
Percy pressed a hand to the back of Nico's neck, pulling the boy in closer to him. Nico grabbed the front of Percy's shirt. Percy pulled Nico's bottom lip into his mouth, earning a moan from Nico. Percy wrapped Nico's legs around him, running a hand over Nico's left leg. He ran his tongue across Nico's lips, asking for entrance, which Nico gladly permitted. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, pulling him closer. Percy's tongue explored Nico's mouth, while Nico slid his own along Percy's tongue, coaxing him further in.
Finally pulling back for breath, Percy sucked on Nico's bottom lip one final time. Opening his eyes, Percy smiled at the look in Nico's eyes. Nico's eyes were hazed over and he was breathing heavily. Percy gave Nico a small peck before stepping back. He nudged the table closer to Nico. "But we can't be together if you aren't sane, Nico," Percy whispered before leaving the room. Nico stared sadly after Percy. He darted his eyes over to the beaker in front of him. Nico closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He leaned forward and took the beaker in his hand.
There. They finally kissed. I know you all are squealing with excitement. And what will happen with Nico's choice to take the antigen? Percy has made his choice and wants Nico. Have we seen the last of Will? Also an interesting question Percy asked. Would Nico have been the stronger of the two if his DNA hadn't been altered? Percy probably would have been an Omega regardless, but with the tampering to his DNA, he became the strongest. Nico is a close second, but it the way he is naturally. You got to see more of Nico's insecure side. You met the last Omega that will be featured in Choke, Zeus, Jason's biological father. I'll talk more about his past around chapter 16. And now Chiron has been fired from U.N.I.T. What could this mean for the future of things? Anyways. I'll see you guys next week with the next chapter of Choke.