A/N: This chapter is awful, I'm so sorry. It's completely filler, but at the same time kind of necessary if you know what I mean? And yes, Percy will be very angry at Nico, if he can find him. But, Nico doesn't really want to be found.

Nico was tired way earlier than he expected. He had only sprinted about three blocks before he ran out of breath, surprising him.

He leaned back against the wall of a store, and slid to the ground. He tried to catch his breath, and a couple minutes later he succeeded. He wasn't sure why he was so weak, but he knew it had something to do with that spell that ruined everything.

Eventually Nico realized that he had only eaten two pomegranates within the last two days. Not even any ambrosia like he normally ate. He still didn't want to risk burning to ashes with that, though. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the three granola bars Rowan had given him.

Nico was pretty sure that Rowan had known what he was doing, with the call from Percy hinting that he might try to run away. Luckily, Rowan hadn't turned him in, or tried to stop him. He was a good kid. Too bad he would never talk to him again.

Nico stood up and began to walk, eating a granola bar as he went. Downtown New York, or at least that's what he assumed it was, turned out to be busier than Nico expected. He could hardly walk without bumping into someone, he had no idea how he had sprinted through this crowd.

While he was waiting at a stoplight, he noticed more than one person giving him odd looks. Strange, even with his aura of death and sadness people still feared him. He shrugged, the light changed. He walked across the street with the large crowd of people, trying not to think too much.

And so he walked. By the time it was getting dark, Nico had neither slowed nor quickened his pace, and was probably miles away from Rowan's apartment by now.

As the light dimmed, Nico figured he should probably find a place to sleep. He was actually tired, for once. He started to peer into the alleyways as he passed them by. Most were damp, it rained in New York a lot.

He wished he had a bit of money, there were some pretty cheap motels here.

Luckily enough, Nico eventually found an old rocking chair sitting in a dark little alley. Perfect. It wasn't too worn, nor too damp. Nico sat down, and leaned on one of the arms.

Then, the air in front of him shimmered. Suddenly, Percy could be seen, his image floating in the air.

"NICO! Where have you been?! I've been looking-" Before Percy could continue, Nico slashed his hand through the mist, closing the connection. He doubted that Percy could figure out where he was from that, but he didn't want to take any chances. He really didn't intend for anyone to find him.

Kinda nice that someone was trying, though.

Nico sighed, and relaxed into the chair. But he couldn't sleep. Images flashed through his mind, reminding him of everything that had happened in the last two days.

His father, for one. He had been avoiding thinking about it, but what was Nico going to do? He didn't want his father to lose in a war against the other gods, which he most likely would, but he knew that if his father did win, then most of Nico's friends wouldn't survive.

Percy would want him to fight for Camp. But how could anyone possibly understand what position that would put Nico in? He and his father were finally on good terms! Or…

Could Hades have been manipulating Nico for the past couple years, so that he could be used to take over Olympus?

Now that was not something Nico wanted to think about. He refused to believe it, not even for one second. That's what Zeus, Chiron, Jason, Percy, and all the rest would want him to think. They were the real enemies here.

As soon as he thought that, he wished he could take it back. They weren't his enemies! They were his friends! Nico was suddenly angry at himself. It's not like him picking a side would determine the winner, anyway. It probably wouldn't even affect anything. Why was everyone so set on using him?

That's it, Nico decided. No more trusting people. From now on, Nico could only trust himself.

But not even himself! He was powerless, indecisive, and weak. Above all, he was just a kid.

His thoughts drifted back to Rowan. He really envied him, just being a simple mortal with simple mortal problems had to be so easy.

Nico stood from the chair in favour of pacing the alleyway, not caring about the night getting darker and darker.

He was hungry, and tired, and cold, and angry. And no one cared. Bianca would have cared. Oh gods, he missed her. His anger drifted into melancholy, and he sank back into the old rocking chair.

He hid his face in his jacket sleeves, praying that no mortal would happen to look into the alleyway.

He felt tears sliding down his cheek, but not a sound was heard.

He was just so alone, and he was tired of it being this way.

With these lovely thoughts filling his mind, Nico drifted off into sleep.