At long last, the awaited chapter 7! this is the chapter where probably the most action revolving nico is and the most important chapter too. that's probably why it took so long to write! pls read and review and i'm sorry if it's too OOC or anything like that. i tried to make it...make sense. without further ado, the latest chapter^^

Disclaimer: i still don't own PJO or HoO

The Earth's Possession

Chapter 7: General of Gaea

PERCY

After his talk with Annabeth and a short 4 hour long nap, he went to find Leo. He wanted to know when dinner was. Sure the end of the world was coming and the only ones that could stop it were 7 teenagers, but that doesn't mean that teenagers can't get hungry on the job! He found Leo in the engine room.

"Hey, Leo. When's dinner?" he asked, while scratching the back of his head a little sheepishly. Leo looked up from whatever he was working on. There was a giant grease patch on his cheek and Percy had to stifle a laugh. Leo looked around for a clock.

"What time is it now?" he asked over the loud clangs of the machinery. Percy showed 8 fingers and Leo nodded. "Well, dinner should've been half an hour ago, but that's fine. I'll just finish adjusting the altimeter and I'll join you in the dining room." Percy gave a nod to show that he understood and left Leo to his tools. He sat down next to Annabeth, who happened to be eating a hamburger with fries. Percy licked his lips and took some of the same thing. Leo came in a few minutes later, grinning madly.

"Ok kiddies! Everything in the engine room is all hunky-dory so rest assured that we will not be crashing while everyone's asleep!" Leo said enthusiastically. Piper rolled her eyes as she hit Leo with a pot top.

"Sit down and eat, Repair Boy," Piper said as she ate a fry. Hazel, Frank, Jason and Annabeth all stifled laughs while Percy just snickered. Leo pouted but wiped the grease patch off his face and sat down to eat. After dinner, the crew gathered on the deck to decide positions to look for monsters. Hazel, Hedge and Frank took the hall and barracks, Piper, Jason and Leo took the entire deck while Percy and Annabeth took the stables.

While on watch duty, Percy ended up nodding off while Annabeth ended up resting on his shoulder. While dreaming, Percy saw an army of the undead marching towards the Argo II. A ladder made of ice was flung over the side of the ship allowing the undead warriors a chance to climb aboard the ship. The corpses had with them M16s, knives, swords, spears, bows and arrows, even flamethrowers. Dream Percy watched the zombies engage in combat with the seven demigods and one satyr aboard the ship. He also frowned when he saw all of this happening. Only Nico could manipulate the dead and Percy was sure that Nico would never betray them. The scene changed to the Underworld with Hades pacing back and forth in his throne room. Percy didn't know his Ancient Greek as well as Annabeth but he picked out a few words that would've put Arion's vocabulary to shame. The one thing that Hades said in English was,

"Nico, be strong. You can't let Gaea overtake your will."

Percy's dream changed again after that. He was still pretty confused as to why Hades had told Nico to keep his will strong. Nico had great willpower already, so what was Gaea going to do to him that would make Nico falter? Percy looked around again. It looked like he was in a teenage girl's room. The walls were painted black with silver designs flowing across them. A closet and a large full-length mirror were both found in the corner along with a make-up kit. The bed was littered with stuffed animals and one that caught Percy's eye was a bear in a silver dress holding a bow and a quiver of arrows. Artemis much, Percy thought. Then he realised that it wasn't just a coincidence as Bianca just walked into the room. She stood in front of her mirror with Percy looking into the mirror over her shoulder. The mirror's reflection changed suddenly and flashed several scenes so quickly that Percy couldn't follow them all. But Bianca, apparently, did. She fell to her knees, clawing at the carpet.

"Nico..." she whispered before Percy's dream changed again.

This time, he was at the site of Nico's prison. He looked down again and saw the cage that held Nico. A flurry of black feathers was close to the cage but Percy paid them no attention. He willed himself lower to watch whatever happened next. A shuffle of movement caught Percy's eye as a drakon stepped out from behind a boulder. Slowly but surely, all of Gaea's forces assimilated in front of the cage. Nico had been awake the entire time so when he watched the multitudes of monsters and people assemble in front of him he did what any other demigod would've done in his position. He cowered in fear. Then, just when Nico looked like he was going to break down in tears, Gaea molded herself out of the dirt again. She seemed more awake now than ever. Her form was resembling more and more of a goddess. Percy shuddered a bit when Gaea turned her seemingly warm glance at Nico.

"Nico di Angelo. I hope you aren't expecting anybody because my plan is about to be put into action. Although, I must praise your father's attempt at communication. It's a pity he was stopped though," she said with a sinister smile. Nico's and Percy's eyes widened. What is she talking about? Percy thought. Hades tried to talk to Nico? Gaea smiled at their surprise. She gestured to the pile of black feathers nearby. "Your father sent a raven to see how you were doing. Unfortunately, I crushed it," the earth goddess said, all while smiling 'pleasantly'. Percy shivered. Suddenly, the dream's atmosphere just got a lot colder. The atmosphere in the real world must've been cold too because Nico shivered as well.

Gaea 'pleasant' smile turned back into a normal one. Her gaze turned superior. She gave a short glance to where Percy was before turning her attention back to Nico.

"Son of Hades, you once asked me what I intended to do with you. Well, now I'm about to explain my plan. You see Nico," Nico scowled at the mention of his name like they were friends but Gaea continued on," after Percy Jackson and his friends freed Thanatos back in Alaska, it became harder to open the Doors of Death. However, it's known for a fact that Hades reigns supreme in the Underworld, regardless of Thanatos, is it not? Therefore, Hades has more control over the Doors of Death than Thanatos does. Now then, YOU are the Son of Hades. YOU control the aspect of death. Care to piece the puzzle together?" Nico's eyes widened again as did Percy's. Gaea didn't seriously think that Nico was going to join her, did she? Percy looked over at Nico, who seemed to have recovered from his initial shock.

"I'll never join you!" he cried. Percy gave a brotherly smile to Nico, regardless of whether he could see it or not. The kid had turned out to be a real hero in Percy's eyes. Gaea smiled again and Percy got goose bumps on his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something was coming. Something BIG.

Gaea breathed out and a sliver of what seemed to be dirt came out of her mouth. Nico and Percy watched in confusion. What was she planning on doing?

"Regardless of what you want, Son of Hades, you WILL be joining me. Why do you think I had you in this cage for so long? It was to weaken your body as well as your mind, for when I do THIS!" Gaea exclaimed as the dirt shot forward and embedded itself into Nico. What Percy heard next, he would never forget. A scream, so pain-filled, that it would haunt his dreams for a while to come. Nico's body convulsed on the ground as he tried to calm himself. His eyes switched between their normal black colour and a deep forest green. Gaea simply smiled. "Only a sliver of my presence is enough to take over you, Nico. Don't fight it. You'll never win anyways." Percy grit his teeth and shouted out to Nico.

"Don't give up, Nico! You can fight it! Please!" Percy wasn't sure if Nico heard him or not but in his mind, he was pleading to all the gods of Olympus that Nico would be able to fight Gaea off. When Nico stood up, Percy's heart plummeted. Nico's eyes were forest green. Gaea smiled and motioned an empousa to open the cage. When Nico stepped out, his Stygian iron sword rose out of the ground and he bent to pick it up. Then he went over to Gaea and kneeled at her feet. The Earth Mother smiled a cruel smile and said,

"Rise, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades and General of Gaea," and all Percy could think was, Oh no...

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 8

thats all! please check out my other story "Please See Through Me" as well! until the next chapter! which will, once again, take awhile but hopefully not more than 3 weeks(?) depending on my brain and if it decides to give me some good ideas