Nico

Nico was slowly cutting up a piece of steak beneath the vaulted ceilings of the cafeteria at Camp Half Blood. Will sat across the hall, stealing glances at him while he ate. Nico hated meals. Everyone had to sit with the siblings at their assigned tables, and being left with no siblings other than Hazel, who wasn't there, Nico sat alone.

Of course, Nico had another sister, but she had never once sat at this table. Bianca in her short lived time at Camp had sat at the Artemis table. Neither of them knew who their father truly was. Nico only found out after her untimely death.

Nico looked to another table where Jason was also eating alone. As if sensing his gaze, Jason looked up and gave Nico a small smile. Jason returned to his plate and Nico's gaze shifted. Directly next to Zeus's table was Poseidon's. It remained empty.

Nico looked down at his plate, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He remembered the exact look in Percy's eyes as he dangled over that cliff. Percy's voice telling him to lead everyone while he was gone. Then, he fell, never to be with them again. Nico had consistently kept track of his and Annabeth's health all while they were in Tartarus. There was never a point in time when that wasn't a thought in his mind. However, when the doors closed, Nico lost his Hades like ability and was unable to check on Percy's wellbeing. The doors closing cut off the mortal world's connection with Tartarus, along with Nico's.

He told Jason this afterwards. Jason, who knew more about him than anyone else. Jason had only nodded. Whether or not he actually told Annabeth, Nico had no clue. Nico had only seen Annabeth briefly after Percy's "death". When she had come back to Camp and after Leo "died". Then, after his funeral, and after her and Jason's fight, she was gone. Nico felt protective of Annabeth. Her fleeing Camp felt similar to something he had done after Bianca's death. He only hoped she wasn't going down the same path he was in her isolation. He could only hope.

Nico sighed as he finished his plate. He stood up and moved to the pile of dishes. He was about to place his on top when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his brain. He yelled out in pain and fell to his knees. His plate slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor next to him. Nico pushed his palms over his ears, hoping to drive out the impossible ringing.

"Nico!" Will reached him first. Will gently moved Nico's hand from his head and held them. Nico felt a flush of embarrassment as he felt comforted despite himself. Will placed a hand on his forehead.

"You're cold. And pale. Paler than usual. What happened?" Will's hand enclosed Nico's shaking ones. What did happen? The pain in his head, it was almost like a thought had been shoved directly into his skull, yet he was unsure what the thought actually read. He tried to go back to the feeling and as he did, he felt something almost familiar with it.

Suddenly, it hit him almost as quickly and painfully as it did before. He knew exactly what that feeling was. Someone was dying. Not just someone.

Nico's breath started quickening. If this meant what he thought it meant. He stood quickly, alarming Will. He looked around at the crowd of people watching him. Their faces looked unreal, as if he was dreaming.

"Um, sorry. My Dad just spoke to me in my mind. It just scared me." He looked at Will, begging him to believe him.

"What did he say?" Will looked concerned. Nico thought up a lie.

"Bianca has chosen rebirth. He thought I should know." Nico looked down, hoping he was faking well enough that someone thought he was sad.

"Oh Nico." Will squeezed his hand.

"I'm fine." He said loudly. "I just need some time alone." And with that he walked quickly away. He knew Will wanted to follow him, but also respected his wished. Nico ran into the forest and leaned against a tree, thinking quickly.

Percy Jackson was alive.

He didn't know how he knew, just that it was true. He was alive and he was dying. Not only that, but a barrier had been broken between the mortal world and Tartatus. Not one like the Doors of Death, less dangerous, but still dangerous. Things escaped that shouldn't have escaped. Monsters.

He saw Jason walking towards his cabin. He had to tell someone. Jason needed to know. He ran up to him.

"Hey man. I'm sorry about your sister. I didn't know her but I know-" Jason began when he saw him.

"Uh huh, yeah, thanks, whatever. I need your help." Nico grabbed his arm and pulled him into the trees.

"What's up?" Jason looked concerned.

Nico thought for a second. He had to be delicate with this. Jason needed to know, but he needed the news broken to him slowly. Information like this could be a shock to anyone. Jason wasn't like Nico. Nico thought about how to be considerate of Jason's feelings. Then... he thought screw it.

"Percy's alive." Nico said blatantly.

Jason's face went pale. He opened his mouth once to speak, but then said nothing and closed it. He then let out a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked at Nico with a "you're lying" kind of look, then his eyes filled with tears. He opened his mouth again, then after several seconds coughed out a "What?"

"Yeah." Nico looked at him worriedly. "And he's out of Tartarus."

Jason pulled on his hair and spun in a circle. "What?" he said again.

"We need to go help him. He's dying." Nico insisted. Jason held up a hand for him to stop.

"Wait." He put his face in his hands and didn't emerge for a long time. "You're telling me Percy Jackson is alive."

"Yeah." Nico said.

"And he's in the mortal world."

"Yeah."

"After a year?"

"Guess so."

"And he's dying?"

"Which is why we have to go." Nico crossed his arms.

"I-" Jason's eyes were very red and his hands were shaking. "No, we need to tell Annabeth." His voice was choked with emotion.

"We can't." Nico looked down.

"What do you mean we can't? She's like the one person in the world who should know. Not you. Not me. Her." Jason looked at Nico seriously.

"That's exactly why we can't tell her. What if we tell her and then he dies anyway. It would be a million times worse. We need to save him, then hand deliver him to her. That is the only way to make this situation better." Nico insisted.

"Wha- He just escaped Tartarus. He can survive a little bit longer." Jason almost yelled.

"Jason! Think of how many times you have almost died and you never even stepped foot in Tartarus!" Nico grabbed Jason's shoulders.

"I-" Jason stopped talking. "Where even is he?"

"I'm not sure." Nico ignored Jason's look. "I just have a feeling. Will you help me find him?" Nico practically begged Jason.

"Of course I will, but Nico-" Jason began.

"Wait one more thing." Nico added.

"More?" Jason asked breathlessly.

"When Percy escaped Tartarus, I think he kind accidentally let out a bunch of monsters who were not all supposed to come out at the same time. We might have to go kill a lot of them." Nico winced at how wide Jason's eyes got. Jason was silent for several minutes.

"I still think we need to tell Annabeth." Jason rubbed his face.

"Jason, if we tell her now and anything happens, it will be a million times worse. We can handle it. She can't." Nico was trying to make him understand.

"Plus, you want to make up for your fight?" Nico asked. Jason looked at him with hope in his eyes.

"Bring her Percy Jackson." Nico said.

"Ok."

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