Demigods never have normal dreams.

Sometimes it's visions.

Other times, it's nightmares.

For Nico, it was normally the latter.

Awful, horrendous images of Michael Jackson from the Thriller music video flashed through his mind. Those yellow demon eyes, the elongated fangs... The camera just kept zooming in and in and in, lasting an eternity.

He remembered watching that in the Lotus Hotel and Casino with Bianca. It had scared both of them, after all they were only kids.

The image changed. Now he was in Hades' palace. Something told Nico to look at his watch. It was ten. He was supposed to have an answer about whether he would join his father or not.

"Well?" Hades said.

"I..." Nico found himself unable to speak. He still didn't know what he wanted to do.

"I thought so." Hades sighed. "Bianca would have done better." Oh, low blow.

"I don't know what to do, Father." Nico reached out on a limb, wishing for some fatherly advice.

"You have failed me. Begone!" Hades waved his hand, and Nico found himself in the fields of Asphodel. Souls started clinging to him, dragging him to the ground, smothering him.

"Hey! Get off!" Nico could feel himself being crushed. He was absorbed through the ground, and found himself in front of Percy, in the woods of camp.

"So, you joined your father after all." Percy said, sending glares of hatred and mistrust at Nico.

"No, Percy, it's not like that..." Nico tried.

"Save it, traitor. Now get out of my camp, I never want to see your face again." Percy said, turning and walking away.

Nico could feel tears falling down his cheeks, and he angrily wiped them away. He was stronger than this, he wasn't supposed to be weak enough to cry. But he knew he was.

"NICO, WAKE UP!" A loud voice yelled. Nico blinked his eyes open, feeling his shoulders being shaken violently. His left cheek stung.

"Are you okay?" The same voice said, calmer now that Nico was awake. He looked up to see Jason. Blond superman studied his hand, which had apparently slapped his cheek in an attempt to wake him up. "Were you crying?" Jason asked.

Nico blushed and wiped his sleeve across his face. It was damp. The dream had leaked into real life.

"No." He muttered. Jason frowned.

"Was it a nightmare or a vision?" Jason asked.

"Probably both." Nico said.

"Well... The camp counselors talked it over, and we think you staying with Sally is a good idea." Jason explained.

"Does Miss Jackson know?" Nico said, looking for an escape. A song popped into his head. Stupid ADHD.

"Yeah, Percy Iris messaged her. You leave with Percy tomorrow." Jason said.

"With Percy?" Nico asked.

"Today's the last day of camp, so yeah. By the way, school starts this week." Jason said. Nico couldn't figure out why he was smiling.

"Why is that relevant?" He asked.

"Sally wants you to go. So does Percy." Now Nico knew why Jason was smiling.

"Oh does he? Good luck to him, then." Nico said, agitated.

"It's a good high school. Paul teaches there, it's the only reason I haven't been kicked out yet." A wild Percy has appeared in the doorway!

"Hey Perc." Jason greeted. Nico said nothing.

"It's dinner time." Percy announced.

"Can I stay in here?" Neeker neeks asked.

"Nope, you need food."

So, Nico was dragged outside of his lovely safe little prison, and into the setting sunlight. Nico wasn't happy. Everyone kept looking at him. He shied behind Jason and Percy, blocking out the stares.

"And we can all sit together tonight. I cleared it with Chiron." Percy smiled, glancing down at the smaller demigod.

"Which table, do you think?" Jason wondered.

"Nico's." Percy decided. Nico huffed.

"You know what? I don't even care anymore." Nico said. "You guys just do whatever you want."

"That's the spirit!" Percy said.

The three sat down at the Hades table, whispers flying all around them. They just ignored them and carried on as normal.

Dinner was pretty awkward, Nico didn't really want to talk, and Jason and Percy weren't sure what to do. Eventually they all finished and escorted Nico back to his cabin.

"Alright, now that I have energy..." Nico muttered to himself. "I can try to shadow travel out of here."

He pulled the shadows around him, and felt the coldness they brought. He entered the shadowy portal.

...

And then he was back in his cabin. He hadn't moved an inch. Yet, somehow, he felt like he had traveled to China and back, again, in the daylight.

And so, for the second time that day, he collapsed on the bed and was asleep before he landed.