Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 19

It was decided. Nico's plan would go ahead, while Annabeth's plan was to leave as a backup plan. She didn't like it, but what could she do?

"Ok," Nico asked everyone. "Does anyone know where all the safety gear is?"

Apollo pointed to the hallway, and a cupboard hidden to the right. "It's there. It's never been used before so it might not work-"

No sooner said than done, after Apollo almost finished his sentence, Nico opened the door and rushed towards the cupboard. He opened it, and huge smoke came forward. He coughed and nearly choked from it all. Thalia sighed and walked over to help him.

That only left Apollo, Annabeth, and Percy in the room.

"I'm going to go help Nico there," Apollo pointed to Nico, who was nearly suffocating. It looked almost comical.

Annabeth nodded for Percy, who was staring out the window eagerly, ready for his great escape. There was a silence in the room.

"How are you feeling?" Annabeth asked in concern.

Percy rolled his eyes, but grinned at her at the same time. "I'm fine Annabeth, no need to worry like a mother hen."

"Shut up," Annabeth replied with a glare. "I'm serious."

Once Percy knew that Annabeth wasn't in a joking mood, he sighed. "I don't know. I just hope he doesn't find me."

"He won't," Annabeth reassured.

"Isn't that being naive?" Percy asked, but then changed his mind.

So Percy stuck with only nodding in reply. And then all of the three missing people came back. Apollo and the two cousins barged in the already open door.

"What have we missed?" Thalia said with a grin.

"What have I missed?" Percy replied back.

"Nothing much. Only Nico should have been put in a hospital room. Apollo convinced them that he was faking."

"Was he?"

"No."

Annabeth stared at Nico in concern and Thalia only laughed.

"He's fine Annabeth. Don't be such a mother hen."

Percy burst out laughing, and coughed out a hint of blood in the process. He wiped it away with the hospital bed sheets, trying to hide it. But a red blood stain on a white bed sheet wouldn't hide a single thing.

"Where'd that come from?" Apollo asked curiously, looking up at Percy in the process.

"Did you get the safety equipment?" Percy asked Nico loudly, avoiding Apollo's question.

Nico's eyes widened. "I forgot."

Percy began laughing again, but regretted it afterwards. Hiding away the evidence, he spoke.

"I thought you were serious," Percy said while grinning.

Nico stared at him straight in the eye. "I was."

"Oh," were the only words Percy could say. "Are you going to get it now then?"

"I suppose."

Nico walked out the room and at the last minute, grabbed Thalia by the shoulders and dragged her with him.

"Hey!" Thalia yelled in protest. "Let me go di Angelo!"

Thalia kicked, while Nico was trying as hard as he could not to drop her.

"Let me go or else..." Thalia left her threat hanging.

"Can't fool me-" Nico started.

Nico regretted ever taking Thalia in the first place. She kicked him right in the gut. All the wind got knocked out of him, and he crumpled in a ball down on the floor. He tried catching his breath, but couldn't.

"S-so-sorry T-Thals," Nico managed to gasp out.

Thalia regretted kicking him so hard. She helped him up and sighed. She didn't apologize. She almost never did.

"So where did you want to drag me off too?" Thalia asked Nico in what she hoped to be a kind voice.

"The cupboard. Where all the safety gear is," Nico said while his breath was steady and calm.

Thalia nodded and walked over to the cupboard slowly, so that Nico could catch up with her quickly.

"You grab the equipment up to the waist down. I'll do the helmets, gloves, and other stuff." Thalia said, taking charge once they got there.

Nico managed to nod his head. He grabbed some equipment clumsily, but proudly didn't drop it. His hands were full of safety gear, so if anyone looked over, they wouldn't know how he looked like. He walked back to the room, using his sense of direction to check he was going the right direction.

Thalia had the easier job. She took out two gloves, heavy armor, and a simple helmet. She balanced them all in her hands, and walked over to the room. She opened up her folded arms, and all the equipment fell to the floor with a loud clang. Percy flinched at the loud noise. It reminded him of the gunshot.

Pretending not to notice the flinch, Apollo began sorting out the equipment and deciding which one would fit, and protect Percy the best. Annabeth helped him, and looked at him every once in a while with worry glances.

Percy noticed this and sighed. "Annabeth. I'm fine. Don't worry."

Annabeth nodded, but continued the routine. She couldn't help but worry. Looking at Percy so scarred and bruised with bandages everywhere, it was hard not to. She finally stopped doing it once she convinced herself that he was alive and well. And that he was right in front other.

"So have you decided what I'm going to wear or what?" Percy said after five minutes had passed.

"Have any of you noticed that Nico isn't here yet?" Thalia asked, ignoring Percy's question completely.

Apollo looked around. "No."

"Thanks you guys," Nico grumbled, as he stumbled in the room.

Nico was holding all the heavy equipment. He stumbled and tripped over his own feet and Thalia had to laugh.

"I'll help," Annabeth said as she sighed at Thalia, who was laughing on the floor.

"Thank you."

Annabeth didn't reply. She remained quiet until she saw that he dropped all the equipment on the pile she and Apollo had just sorted out.

"Ask Apollo to help you," Annabeth grumbled and went to sit back down next to Percy.

Apollo was trapped. Annabeth didn't want to help. Thalia was still laughing. And Percy was too injured. He sighed and went to help Nico sort out the equipment all over again.

"So how do you plan to make this work?" Apollo asked Nico.

"It's simple," Nico said while sorting out everything. "Percy puts on the gear and sneaks out using the window."

Apollo stared at Nico. "Can Percy do it?"

"Yup," Percy said while popping the p. "I've done this millions of times before. When I had to escape from G..."

Percy paused his sentence there and didn't continue. The others pretended not to notice, and continued what they were doing.

"Are you done yet?" Percy asked Nico and Apollo.

"Five minutes more I think," Apollo replied, looking at his watch.

Percy nodded, and continued waiting by fidgeting and scratching his bandages. He was feeling itchy, and kept on scratching them. Annabeth noticed this. Her eyes widened.

"Don't do that!" Annabeth nearly yelled. "They'll come off!"

"How can they come off?" Percy asked Annabeth in confusion. "See? It won't."

Percy rubbed the white bandage one more time to prove Annabeth wrong. But like any other time, she was right. One by one, bandages unraveled to reveal all the scars.

"What did I say?" Annabeth asked Percy, but she was nervous as she watched him look at his arm.

"That I shouldn't scratch the bandages. But at least it's not itching," Percy replied.

Percy took time to inspect his arms. It wasn't anything new, he knew every single scar Gabe had ever inflicted on him. It wasn't that. It was the motorcycle crash. Raw skin was visible, and you could even see the bone on one spot. He winced as he touched his skin. It burned worse than hell. How could he not have noticed this?

And then realization dawned on Percy. He was used to this. To him, this was just like any beating. Another very harsh beating he would suffer from for the rest of his life.

A/N: I don't think that if you scratch bandages, they'll come off, but they had to get off sometime. If any of you have any ideas or suggestion, tell them. And I know I did this a long time ago, but what do you think of my profile picture? Thanks for all the support!

corpseblood: Annabeth would definitely make a much better plan than that one, I know, but it was the only inspiration I had at that time.