Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 18

"I'm going to kill him," Thalia growled. "And I'm going to kill him now."

With those words, Thalia had to be pulled back by Nico when she stormed out the room to track Gabe down.

"You can't," Nico said with anger. "I want to kill him too, but I'm not."

"Why?" Thalia asked as if it was perfectly normal to kill someone.

"Thalia..." Nico whispered, and then pointed to Percy.

Percy was staring at them with an emotional expression. His black hair covered up his face. The cousins looked down. An expressionless face was worse than anger or sadness. And they knew a blank facade had come up.

"I should go back," Percy's voice crackled at the thought of punishments.

"You can't, you shouldn't, and you won't," Thalia said firmly. "You're coming back with us."

Percy focused his gaze at Thalia. His eyes showed that he wanted to, but couldn't.

"I can't, I shouldn't, and I won't," Percy said rebelliously. "I can't come back with you. You know the reason!"

Thalia returned the gaze evenly.

"No I don't know the reason. Please enlighten me with your reason." Thalia retorted.

Percy didn't reply, and stayed silent instead.

"He'll find me Thals," Percy finally said with a weak voice. "He'll find me, and beat the crap out of me."

Thalia looked down on the floor, but Percy wasn't done yet.

"See this?" Percy pointed to the scar rippling through his forehead. "I got that on the second day my mom died. I got that because I tried running away. But he found me. He always finds me."

"He comes near you," Nico fingered his skull ring he usually wore. "Thals and I will beat the crap out of him."

Annabeth didn't even bother telling Nico that he got the grammar wrong. Instead, she kept quiet and thought about a solution that would help everyone. So far, she got nothing. But she didn't give up; she kept on thinking until her mind went completely blank.

"You can beat the crap out of him Nico," Thalia said. "But I'll beat the shit out of him."

Nico shrugged. "Same thing."

"Is it?" Apollo joined in the conversation while looking confused.

"No crap, no shit," Thalia tried out two methods for swearing.

Annabeth sighed at the cousins's immature behavior. "Can you guys stop swearing?"

"Never," Nico said loudly.

Thalia stayed silent, and looked over to Nico. He was next to Percy, who was still looking depressed.

"Ok," Annabeth spoke up. "Let's say you went to Gabe. What would you do?"

Percy kept quiet and refused to speak. Nico took that as a sign to state his opinion.

"And now look at the bright side and think of what you're going to do when you go with us," Nico said.

"Nico," Thalia said while rolling her eyes. "You hardly ever look at the bright side."

"Shut up," Nico said, but he wasn't angry.

"You're right Annabeth," Percy suddenly spoke, and the cousins immediately went silent instead of arguing their pointless conversation. "But what if he does find me? I'll be screwed."

Annabeth ran over the possibilities through her mind which had gone through her 'thinking mode' once again.

"Percy," Nico said with disbelief. "Haven't you seen our armory?"

And there it was. A vague memory of all three of them fighting with actual guns and knives. Swords and crossbows. Bows and arrows. Percy grinned as he remembered the shotgun he fired at the window of his neighbor.

"You won't only have us," Thalia continued for Nico. "You'll have weapons."

Percy made a quick, still hesitant decision in his mind. The decision should have been easy, but to him, it was the hardest choice in his life. He could have a new start. A new beginning. New clothes.

"Fine," Percy finally said. "I'll go with you and Nico."

The cousins both grinned and relief was evidently seen in Annabeth's eyes. Apollo just smiled as Percy made the right choice.

"Since you're coming with us, I've changed my mind about you staying here for one more day," Thalia said.

"What?" Percy looked worried.

"You're coming with us right now!"

All the worry etched away from his face. His day brightened up again, but before he could untangle himself from the old bed sheets, Annabeth pulled him back down.

"You know you can't go Percy," Annabeth said gently.

Thalia placed her head on her lap, and had to sigh at her friend's over protectiveness.

"What could go wron-" Nico began, but Thalia clamped his mouth with her hand.

"Don't say that! You'll spoil the entire thing!" Thalia yelled.

Nico put his hands up in surrender. "Alright!"

Thalia sighed in relief and removed her hand.

"-g." Nico continued and Thalia got a murderous gleam in her eye.

But way before Thalia could even injure Nico, Percy replied to Annabeth's comment.

"Annabeth," Percy started, and then continued. "I know you care, but I really want to get out. And since I'm staying at my cousins, can you please let me?"

"I was kind of expecting him to say something more epic," Nico whispered to Thalia.

Thalia laughed, and hastily covered it into a very unconvincing cough, when everyone started to crane their necks to see what was going on. Annabeth didn't bother to waste her energy, and kept quiet for an agonizing long minute. They all waited to see her reply to his 'un-epic' speech.

"You'll be alright with your cousins then?" Annabeth suddenly said.

Percy's face broke out in a smile, and almost hugged her, when he remembered that the last time he walked, he had failed.

"Ok," Apollo spoke up. "How are you going to escape?"

"I'm an expert at climbing out the window and getting to the bottom," Percy said.

"And you thought that his ego would decrease," Thalia whispered to Nico.

Nico spluttered with laughter, and failed to cover it with a cough. He tried, but it ended up as if he was a cat with a hairball stuck in his throat.

"How are you going to escape?" Apollo asked again.

Annabeth had a plan already forming in her mind. "I have a plan, but it's kind of..."

"Silly?" Thalia asked.

"Stupid?" Nico asked.

Annabeth shook her head and sighed. "No. But it's kind of crazy..."

Percy grinned; he was always ready for crazy things.

"Do you want to hear it?" Annabeth asked them all.

They nodded, eager to hear Annabeth's crazy plan.

"I was thinking we could put Percy on a wheelchair, tie it to a really strong rope, and wheel him down."

Percy stared at her. "I think I'll be safer doing it without any equipment."

Annabeth threw her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated. "It was just an idea!"

"I have an even better idea," Nico said with a humorous gleam in his soulless eyes. "How about we give Percy all the safety equipment. Helmets, knee pads, gloves..."

And so began Nico's plan, with everyone wondering if it would work.

A/N: Really sorry for the late update! Will try to update sooner, but I don't have summer holidays unlike some/most of you. Thanks for all the reviews, I got up to 100! Thanks for all the other support as well!