Chapter 5

Nico's eyes widened at the news. "Oh gods…"

"What… What do I do?" Percy turned to Nico. "What do we do?"

Nico shook his head. "I don't know." Then he gulped. "What if MY dad finds out? Oh gods, we're dead."

"Maybe… Maybe he doesn't know and we're going there for a completely unrelated reason."

Nico raised his eyebrows. "And why would he want me?"

Percy groaned and fell back onto the bed. "We're screwed."

Nico chewed his lip, trying to think of a way out of this situation. "How'd he know?"

"The tattlefish most likely. Damn! I forgot how many there were."

Nico swallowed. "What…what do you think your dad will do to me?"

"I don't know…" Percy ran a hand through his hair, making it stick out in every direction. "Gods, I don't know."

Nico sat abruptly and put his face in his hands. Percy wanted to comfort him, but his body wouldn't move. What in Hades could his father possibly want? Finally Nico looked up, his eyes hard and his jaw set. "We better go." He said and picked up his clothes. Percy sighed and did the same. Nico held up his shirt and found it soaked in blood from Percy's nose. He made a face. "I can't wear this or it'll look like I tried to murder you."

Percy chuckled despite the situation. Nico retrieved his bag from the corner of the room where it had been thrown and rummaged through it, swearing like a trucker. "I packed everything, BUT a shirt."

"You could borrow mine." Percy suggested even though he had nothing that would fit the smaller boy's frame. "And wear your aviator jacket over it."

Nico shrugged. "I doubt anything could get worse at this point."

Percy walked over to the dresser and pulled out one of many Camp Half-Blood t-shirts. Nico took it, blushing, and pulled it over his head. It fell almost to his knees. Percy held back a laugh. "Try tucking it into your jeans…"

Nico scowled. "It won't help." He grabbed his jacket and pulled it on.

Percy's lips turned down at the corners. "Should we tell Chiron?"

Nico shook his head. "I don't think he can help. This is our fight."

"Then…let's go, I guess." Percy walked over to the hole in the ground and jumped in. The water barely made a splash. H moved out of the way to make room for Nico. Nico sighed and jumped in next to him. The water was freezing and made him yelp.

"What?" Percy's eyes filled with concern. He couldn't feel the water temperature.

"It's f-freezing." Nico gasped.

"Oh…yeah, this place doesn't get light." Percy put his arms around Nico. "Hold your breath."

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck and held his breath. Percy felt Nico shiver as the cold water rushed over them. He tried to be quick about getting to warmer waters. Nico's lungs started to burn and he squeezed Percy tighter, trying to let him know. Percy shot to the surface, out of sight of anyone who might be watching from the shore. Nico gasped for air and shook water out of his eyes. "How much farther?"

"We need to get to the Atlantic Ocean," Percy whistled for Drosia.

Nico sighed and shivered, the cold night air chilling him to the bone as Drosia burst out of the water. Percy, with his arms around Nico's waist, swam towards the hippocampus. She snorted in greeting as Percy boosted Nico onto her back. "Scoot back."

Nico did so trying not to fall off. Percy climbed on in front of him and held onto Drosia's bristles. "Ready?"

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's waist, still shivering. "R-ready."

Percy twisted his head and looked at him. "I'm sorry, but it's only going to get colder." Nico could only nod and press his face into Percy's back. "Drosia, Atlantic please."

The hippocampus took off into the night with the two boys on her back. Percy didn't speak as the land disappeared behind them. He wished he could help Nico who sat shivering on Drosia's back, holding onto Percy for dear life, but there was no way to. Suddenly, Drosia stopped, sending the Sea Prince and the Ghost King flying over her head. Nico cried out as he lost his grip on Percy and landed in the freezing water. His whole body felt numb as he struggled to stay above the surface.

"Nico!" Percy searched the water frantically. He heard a shout a few feet to his left. Something had grabbed Nico and pulled him under. "NICO!"

Percy searched the water, diving down into its dark depths. He heard a strangled sound coming from farther down and hurried towards it. Nico struggled wildly as strong slimy…things wrapped around him, dragging him down. Then Percy saw it. GODS, NO PLEASE! The one sea creature he had no control over; the giant squid. And it had Nico. Percy slashed at the tentacles. The water rumbled from the screech of the squid. Percy smiled; he'd hit it. He slashed again, but two more tentacles appeared and wrapped around his arms and legs. He wiggled like a fish, trying to break free, but he couldn't. Nico's vision started to darken, his lungs burned for air, and his limbs grew heavy. He knew he was dying and no one, not even Percy, could help him soon. Suddenly, the boys were ripped through the water and thrown onto a hard flat surface. Percy groaned as his back hit sandstone. Nico cough violently, spitting up water. Percy painfully sat up and saw Poseidon standing at his feet, arms crossed and scowling.

"New security system I see." Percy rubbed the back of his head and glanced at Nico. He wanted to go help him…but not in front of his father. Nico finished hacking up water and looked up, panting for breath. Percy was sitting close by, a black-haired man standing over him. Poseidon. Nico gulped.

"Should I let you two explain yourself or should I go straight to calling Hades and grounding you?" Poseidon asked.

Nico's heart thumbed wildly at the thought of his dad finding out. He glanced at Percy, he remained staring at his dad. "Explain what?" he asked. Nico admired Percy for being so daring. He only talked back to his dad when he was really pissed.

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT!" Poseidon snapped, turning his stormy gaze on Nico, then turned back to Percy. "I PUT UP WITH THE ATHENA GIRL, BUT YOU'RE REALLY PUSHING IT, PERSEUS!" Nico jumped, his heart in his mouth. He'd never been so scared in his life. Percy remained silent.

"WHY?" Poseidon shouted. "HAS MY STUPID BROTHER'S CHILD SCREWED WITH YOUR HEAD THAT MUCH?!" When Percy didn't reply, Poseidon turned towards a nymph. "Call Hades. Tell him I need to talk to him about his boy."

"Dad… I-" Percy began.

"Perseus. Go to your room." Poseidon's voice was scary calm.

"I have a room?"

Poseidon scowled. "Nymph, show my ignorant son to his room." A nymph stepped out of the water and pulled Percy to his feet.

"Wait. What about Nico?"

"He can wait until his father shows up."

Nico was shaking slightly now and not just from cold. He watched Percy being led away and was left alone with his angry godly uncle. Poseidon fixed Nico in a deadly unwavering stare. The Ghost King pressed his back against the wall, wishing he could shadow travel out of here, but he couldn't leave Percy. The temperature in the room dropped dramatically as Hades appeared, wrapped in his normal dark robe.

"What is it, Poseidon? I was in the middle of something." He glanced around and noticed Nico huddled against the wall. "And why is my son here?"

"Because he's- and my son-" Poseidon couldn't say it.

Hades raised an eyebrow. "You're not making any sense, brother."

"They're gay and were about to have sex!"

Nico winced and bit his lip, waiting for his dad's reaction. Hades glanced at him before turning back toward Poseidon. "I have known for a long time that my son is gay and that he was in love with your son."

Poseidon turned a shocked gaze on Hades. "And you didn't think a little warning would suffice?"

"Well, as Percy Jackson had a girlfriend, it didn't seem needed."

"WELL NOT ANYMORE!" Poseidon turned to Nico. "STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!"

Nico's fear was lost in a sudden rush of anger. "Isn't it his choice who he loves?!" He shouted. "You gods don't care about us, you just care about yourself!"

"Shut it, Ghost boy, or I'll feed you to the squid!"

Nico laughed. "Not man enough to kill me yourself then?!"

Poseidon stepped towards Nico and the room started to fill with water. Nico stood up, his heart in his mouth. He had nearly drowned enough to know that was what he was really afraid of. Hades stepped between his son and Poseidon. "Brother, enough! I swear on the River Styx if you touch my son, you'll be in for the fight of your life."

"You'd better teach your boy some respect or he'll be dead before the end of the fishing season." Poseidon reluctantly lowered the water.

Hades frowned and took Nico's arm. "He has a point." He said before shadow traveling himself and Nico back to the Underworld.

Poseidon took a few deep breathes. "Nymph," he said. "Go get Perseus."