"Kayla!" Will calls out, and waits for a few seconds before the younger girl pops her head out of the curtain, her green tipped hair swishing. "Did you and Austin already organize the shipment of nectar and ambrosia we got earlier?" Kayla nods enthusiastically, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"We got Penny and Pheebs to help too! All done within like twenty minutes or so I think? No need to worry." Will nods, giving her a grateful look.
"Thanks for doing that. On top of…" He motions around the infirmary. "Everything else happening, I'm glad you guys are keeping on top of that. It really helps a lot." She smiles brightly at him before disappearing back behind the curtain.
Will sighs gratefully. Kayla and Austin arriving at camp during the spring, then the rest of his siblings coming back for the summer had really brightened the damper that the winter had put over the cabin. Hearing Phoebe singing gently to the flowers in the windowsill like she was Rapunzel, or hearing Aaron and Sam bicker over some inventive arrow that Aaron had made… it almost made up for everything.
Almost.
The always dark bunk under Sam, the photos taped up on the wall beside his pillow, the spare arrows littering the floor underneath. Everything reminds Will that James is gone. He hates it. Hates everything about it.
He walks back to Cabin 7 in silence, hands stuck in the pockets of his cargo shorts. The summer session had just started, everyone not staying year round having trickled in over the past week or so.
Less campers. James wasn't the only one that had disappeared over the winter. Ethan. Chris from Hermes had been found last summer by Clarisse. There were more than Will could even think of off the top of his head. He sighs, pushing open the door to the cabin.
"Hiya Will." Nychelle says from her bunk, her headphones pulled around her neck. Will smiles, waving at her.
"Hey Chelle." He says warmly in return. "Where's everyone else?" She's alone in the cabin, unusual for them. She ticks off on her fingers as she names all of their siblings.
"Aaron, Sam, Penny and Aria are at archery with Ares Cabin. Lee's with Silena doing inspection. Pheebs and Daniel are at arts and crafts doing… something with Demeter and Aphrodite cabins, I dunno. Michael is–"
"At the infirmary with Austin and Kayla, I know." Nychelle nods, thinking as she counts her siblings on her fingers. She freezes, one finger left.
"That's… everyone." Will bites down on the inside of his cheek, glancing over at James's bunk. They try not to talk about it much.
"Alrighty. I got kicked out basically, been at the infirmary for too long. Michael was gonna force feed me Gatorade." Nychelle snorts. "Just gonna lay here on my bunk and disassociate." Will says, and Nychelle nods sympathetically.
"Do you want me to play TSwiz?" She says with a grin. Will laughs, shrugging his shoulders. "What! Reputation is good disassociating music!"
"You can do what you want, Chelle." She nods and shoves a CD into the CD player, pressing a series of buttons until the music starts playing. Not Reputation, surprisingly, but the opening notes of Fearless.
"For the good ol' Southern boy." She quips with a fake twang, and Will just laughs before flopping down on his bed. He lays an arm over his eyes, taking in a deep breath. The music is the only thing he hears besides Nychelle humming along. He speaks again after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"Silena and Lee…?"
"We were up first for inspection. Already done. Flying colors thanks to Penny's neat freak tendencies." Will chuckles.
"You should be glad Dad claimed them then, otherwise we'd be doing dishes for the next year or so." Nychelle snorts.
"Not when a whole Cabin 9 exists. Or Percy. I bet Percy's is a mess." Will laughs with her. It feels good to feel light again.
—-
At 3 am one morning, Will wakes to shouts and commands being yelled.
"Aaron! Sam! Get your bows and meet me outside in 5. Aria, if you can wake up enough, you too." He hears Lee hiss, his siblings stirring. It's too early, even for children of the sun god.
"Wha–?" Will says blearily, and he can just make out the blurry profile of his oldest brother.
"Drakon. Don't worry about it. If we stay within camp bounds, it can't hurt us. Go back to sleep, Will." He hums, laying his head back down on the pillow.
Well, as long as no one gets hurt.
Lee wasn't lying about that at least, Will muses. He chews on a piece of toast as he listens to Aaron and Sam recall the tale of fighting off the Drakon, all of the camp hanging on their every word.
"Only children of Apollo would be up that fuckin' early." He hears Clarisse mumble sleepily, and he can't help the slight laugh that bubbles out of his chest.
Before long, Lee is standing in front of the rest of the camp, telling the story yet again, this time in a more serious tone, as is his job as Senior Counselor.
"Be warned, it's still out there." He says seriously, his blue eyes flashing. "Twenty arrows in the hide and all it did was get mad. It was thirty feet long and bright green and… gods its EYES–" He shudders, and Chiron pats him on the shoulder.
"You and your siblings did well, Lee." Lee nods, and comes back to the table to sit down next to Michael. Chiron sighs and looks out over the sea of campers. "Everyone stay alert, but calm. This has happened before, but our borders do seem to be holding for now." Will remembers last summer and the incidents with Thalia's pine. It seems so far removed from now…
He worries his bottom lip between his teeth. There's an air of constant danger over the camp, with the knowledge that Luke wants to lead a siege on it. More monsters and creatures hanging out around the borders. Will's almost at the point of carrying around a weapon all the time with how unsafe it feels. He sighs, burying his head in his hands.
He feels a hand on his shoulder and turns his head slightly to see Phoebe, her dark eyes glittering.
"Do you wanna come to pick strawberries with me and Penny and Daniel? I think Faolán is coming too!" She chirps, and Will laughs softly before nodding.
"I'd really like that." He says softly, and his younger sister perks up, fiddling with the end of the pink ribbon in her hair.
"The sun's supposed to be really bright all day, so we can hang out in the clearing too, if you wanna. Penny will bring her iPod!" Will smiles, reaching out to tug on a piece of her hair.
"You two really do know how to brighten up a day, don't you?" Phoebe nods, her bangs bouncing a bit.
"It's my specialty!"
It's the first time he's ever actually met Faolán, rather than just hearing his name. The older Aphrodite camper lives up to the nature of his mother, with thick hair the color of a baby fawn, and bright green eyes. Will can see why Daniel likes him.
They're very cute, the way Faolán pulls Daniel every which way, chattering excitedly about some gossip from his siblings. Will can't help but stifle a laugh. Daniel is more reserved, quieter, it makes sense that his boyfriend would be, for lack of a better word, a ray of sunshine.
Phoebe tugs on Will's hand, making him look down at his younger sister. Her big eyes shine up at him, a glimmer in them.
"It's nice to see him happy." She says, and Will laughs, ruffling her hair.
"We all deserve to be happy, Pheebs." She nods, slipping her fingers between Will's. She's only two years younger than him, but Will can't help but want to protect her. Both of the twins feel so… fragile to him. Even Penelope and her bright boisterous energy, chasing Aaron and Sam around the camp, feels so breakable.
"Are things always this scary?" She asks, and Will hesitates. He can't say yes exactly, but no also feels disingenuous. He ends up just shrugging his shoulders, watching Daniel and Faolán trail after Penelope with their baskets.
"I think we operate on this level of fear pretty constantly. At least from my experience." Phoebe frowns, kicking a fallen strawberry out of the way with her sneaker.
"Do you think the invasion is really gonna happen?" She says softly, and Will sighs. He hates lying to any of his siblings, so he simply says the truth.
"Yeah, Pheebs. I think it's inevitable. So all we can do is train and prepare ourselves and hope for the best. We are strong, all of us." She nods, a frown making its way onto her lips.
"Do you think… James will come home?" Will stops in his tracks, and Phoebe pulls on his hand when she walks a bit forward, her head turning to look at him. He feels like his heart has dropped into his stomach. That hadn't even occurred to him.
"I… I don't know, Phoebe." He says, his voice just above a whisper. "I really don't know."
He can't let that thought linger. It hurts too much to think about.
—
"When the hell did you sneak off to get this?" Michael tuts, pressing his fingers against Aaron's bare chest. The younger boy lets out a yelp, batting Michael's hand away. Will sighs, rubbing his temples.
"You're lucky it's not infected, Aaron." He mutters, and his brother looks at him with big puppy dog eyes.
"Anywhere that would give a teenager a fuckin' tattoo is not a good place for infection protocol." Michael huffs, turning away from the pair of them, his hands busy organizing. "You're even more lucky that I don't call Lee over to kick your ass, Black."
"Oh PLEASE, it's just a tattoo! I wanted one for ages, so I went out and did it with a little bit of Mist Manipulation! No harm no foul!" Aaron complains, and Michael just shakes his head. Will leans in a little bit closer to inspect the artwork. It's a sun, as expected from any of his siblings, with spiky edges and jagged lines. Will can't really tell if that's on purpose or a side effect of the very illegal nature of the tattoo, but it sure looks cool.
"It shouldn't take much for the swelling to go down." He comments, looking up at his brother's face. Aaron's cheeks are red in embarrassment, but he just shrugs.
"Jus'- I dunno, after everything that's happened, I wanted something to remember everyone by. I don't really look like a sun god's kid either…" Will frowns a bit.
Aaron's got dark hair and eyes, sure, but that doesn't mean he doesn't look like a child of Apollo. All of his siblings had darker skin, sunkissed, one could say. And Aaron's mom being Pacific Islander meant that he was even tanner. Plus, the blonde streaks that Aaron kept up with bleach smuggled in by the Stolls…
"You know that doesn't mean anything to any of us." Michael says, turning back to face Aaron. "You're my brother just the same. We don't HAVE to look like Dad." Aaron's cheeks flush a little bit more.
"I know that… I just wanted to, I guess. Looks pretty cool too, don'tcha think?" Michael rolls his eyes, but Will can't help but stifle a laugh. He does actually really like the look of it.
"I think it does." He admits softly, and Aaron lets out a whoop, Michael groaning.
"Will! He's gonna get a big head about this and you know it!" Michael complains, and Will just laughs, shaking his head.
"Is that physically possible? He already has an ego the size of Mount Olympus." Will comments, and Aaron gasps, holding a hand over the other side of his chest from the tattoo.
"William Solace! You wound me!" Will just giggles, reaching out to ruffle Aaron's two toned locks. Even though he's younger than Aaron, his brother likes the affection. He supposes an absent mother will do that to someone.
"You'll live." Will says cheekily, and Aaron just sighs a big sigh, falling back dramatically against the pillows.
"I came here to have a good time, and I'm feeling very attacked right now!" Will just shakes his head.
Dramatics. Pure sign of Apollo.
—-
Luckily for Will, Charles Beckendorf is the only camper in the armory when he creeps his way in.
"What brings you over here, Will? Your bow acting up?" Beckendorf asks, wiping his hands off on a towel, and Will shifts from side to side nervously. He shakes his head, biting down on his lower lip.
"No, no, my bow is fine. I don't use it that much…" Beckendorf nods, but he keeps looking at Will expectantly.
"Then… What can I do for you?" He asks carefully. Will sighs.
"I wanna use a dagger. Something for when I'm up close with a monster." Beckendorf gives him an easygoing smile.
"Sure thing. Anything in particular you want?" He asks, and Will shakes his head. "Well, it's funny that you asked for one, since Nyssa just made this today."
Beckendorf crosses over to the wall and takes down a celestial bronze dagger and scabbard, walking back over to Will and holding it out.
A sun and star motif is pressed into the scabbard. gleaming at him, and Will blinks at it, surprised.
"How–" Beckendorf shrugs his shoulders, pushing his welder's goggles further up his face.
"We're demigods, Will. Sometimes you just get a feeling. I'm sure your cabin out of all of us understands that." Will snorts, nodding as he takes the dagger in his hand.
It's not too heavy but weighty enough that he can feel it. He tilts it back and forth experimentally. It doesn't feel unbalanced, which is good. He trusts the Cabin Nine kids with things like this anyway.
"You like it?" Beckendorf asks, and Will nods. "Have you ever learned dagger combat before?" Will hums, thinking about his prior training.
"Not as much as I have sword fighting, but Aaron and Sam teach us a lot of things, and I've trained with Chiron as well. I can probably ask Quintus to teach me how to use this one as well." Beckendorf barks out a laugh, his shoulders shaking.
"That's true. The new sword master dude is pretty cool." Will smiles, nodding. He can't help but feel this great looming danger over everything though. "If you don't mind me asking… Why do you want to learn another weapon? Aren't Apollo kids good with a bow?" Will sighs.
"I'm… not the best at it." Beckendorf gives him a sympathetic look. "And I want something to try and protect myself up close. I focus on healing, so I'm not usually with my siblings. Sometimes one of them risks themselves to cover me. I want to… I dunno, I just feel like I take too many resources away. I want to protect myself…" Beckendorf nods.
"Well, this baby will definitely get the job done. It's a good dagger, if I do say so myself!" Will laughs softly, slipping it back into the bronzed scabbard.
"You gonna give it a name?"
Will looks down at the dagger.
"Maybe once I've used it. One will come to me for sure."
—
Sometimes, Will is very scared of his siblings. There's this gleam that his older brothers get when they're in combat, this wild craze that Will doesn't understand.
But they're great at teaching combat.
Sam stands opposite of him in the training arena, flipping a dagger in his tanned hands. He grins at Will, his dark eyes flashing.
"Again." Will drops, then lunges at his brother again, slashing at him with the dagger. Sam easily dodges him, but Will catches the back of his hand with the sharp blade, scarlet dripping down Sam's arm. His brother whistles in acknowledgement, his dark eyes bright with mirth.
"Wouldja look at that! Baby brother got me finally!" He crows, making Will stifle a laugh. Sam holds out his hand like he's inspecting a prized piece of art, nodding. "Wonder if I should make you keep this one as a scar, hmm?" Will shakes his head and grabs onto Sam's hand. He murmurs a soft prayer to their dad, and watches as the skin knits itself back together.
"You really will just say anything, won't you?" Will laughs, and Sam shrugs, pushing his shoulder length wavy hair out of his face.
"What! I like when my siblings finally get the best of me. Means that I taught you well!" Will rolls his eyes, wiping the blade of his dagger off with a cloth. "Have you given any thought to what you're gonna name it?" Will shrugs.
"Probably something to do with the sun, since it's mine and it's got this." He points to the design on the scabbard. "Maybe like… Sunspot? I'm pretty bad at naming things…" Sam hums.
"It'd probably sound more badass in Greek." Will nods. He's a lot better at Greek now, but some things still evade him.
"Do you think that's enough? Training, I mean." Sam sniffs, then shrugs his shoulders.
"I dunno what else I can teach you, kiddo. You've got the basics down, and everything else comes naturally or through battle. I feel confident that you're not gonna accidentally kill yourself or someone else with your blade now, though." Will nods, fiddling with the beads on his necklace.
"I just don't like feeling helpless." Will says softly, and Sam sighs. He strolls over to Will's side, putting his hand on Will's shoulder.
"You're never helpless, Will. Like everyone says, you're legit one of the best healers that's ever come through camp. I don't mind taking a few extra hits in a fight if it means that you can help someone and stay safe. And that goes for everyone in the cabin, I promise. Probably camp even. You've helped so many people, Will. You're awesome." Will laughs as Sam ruffles his hair.
"Stooooop!" He bats away Sam's hands, a bright smile on his face. Sam grins, stepping back a few paces.
"There's that bright Solace Patented Smile! Now, c'mon, let's go a few more rounds before Lee drags us outta here by the collars for dinner!" Will nods and gets back into battle stance.
He spars with Sam until Lee really does come and yells at them to join the rest of the cabin for dinner.
—-
Later that night, Quintus calls them back to the dining tables after dinner, battle armor required. Will adjusts the straps on his golden armor, a frown on his face. It wasn't time for capture the flag, so he had no idea what this is all about. Some kind of new training?
"Gather around." Quintus says, and the campers circle around him. "You will be in teams of two." Will looks around, and everyone bursts into chatter, reaching out for their friends. He turns his head, making eye contact with Daniel. "Which have already been chosen!" Quintus calls out, and Will frowns. The rest of the campers make loud noises of dissatisfaction, but it clearly doesn't affect Quintus, his gaze clear.
"Your goal is simple: collect the laurels without dying." Will sighs deeply. Must everything be so dangerous for them? They're already down so many campers… "It is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters, but only one holds the laurels." Will rubs his temples with his fingers. He feels like Michael right now. You have to find it before the other teams, slay the monster, and of course… stay alive."
"Why does everything have to try and kill us?" He mutters, and Daniel laughs beside him.
"Welcome to Camp?" He says, and Will shoves his shoulder playfully.
Of course, Percy and Annabeth are paired off, and Daniel looks over at Faolán, who just sticks his tongue out. That bet must still be going on, Will muses. Lee is with Clarisse, which just makes sense. The Stoll brothers together, Silena and Beckendorf… Will grins when he and Daniel get paired together.
"Yes!" He crows, and Daniel laughs.
"Finally get to put that new dagger to work, huh?" He says, and Will nods. He'd been training with it relentlessly.
"I've been working really hard at it with Sam, and he says I've gotten pretty good. I hate games like this usually, but with everything happening, I'm just glad to be able to put my training with it to some use before the invasion actually happens." Daniel nods, slinging his bow over his shoulder.
"Let's do this then!" Daniel says, and Will nods enthusiastically. With all the other teams, they may not win, but he's willing to try for once.
Will hates the woods. He's not scared of the dark by any means, but there's just something about the darkness of the trees that makes even the sunset cause a chill to run up his spine.
Daniel walks ahead of him, an arrow notched in his bow. Will has his dagger out, the celestial bronze blade gleaming under the rays of the sunset. Occasionally, shouts fill the air as other campers encounter not only monsters but also each other.
"What monsters do you think that Quintus set out?" Will asks, and Daniel shrugs his shoulders.
"I saw those crates that he had, but they didn't really give any indication of what they were… There's also so many monsters just already out here in the woods, like that Drakon our brothers fought off…" Daniel frowns, throwing a rock into the darkness in front of them.
Will nods, delicately stepping over some fallen branches. "I feel like we are just.. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Don'tcha think?" Daniel hums noncommittally, his dark hair moving slightly in the breeze.
"Aren't we always? As Greek demigods, it's not a matter of if, but when." Will huffs. He supposes Daniel's right. Curse his gift of prophecy.
Suddenly, they hear a loud shout of victory, and Daniel sighs, slinging his bow over his shoulder, putting the arrow back in his golden quiver.
"Well… guess we lost." Will chuckles softly, sheathing his dagger. He nods at Daniel, and the pair of them run into the clearing near Zeus's fist. Clarisse and Lee hold the laurels, and Will can't help but smile at the triumphant look in his brother's eyes. It's not often they actually win anything, so he knows how big of a moment this is for him.
Little by little, pairs of campers start to trickle in, and Will frowns, looking around. Almost everyone is back but…
"Where are Percy and Annabeth?" He says to Michael, who blinks, standing up on his tiptoes to look around.
"Huh… you're right. Lee!" Michael calls, and their brother appears in front of them, the golden laurels resting in his equally golden hair. "Jackson and Chase haven't made it back." Lee frowns, and Clarisse appears by his side, concern in her dark eyes.
"What do you mean?" She says, her voice low. Michael gestures around, and she frowns, calling Chiron over.
"We need to look for Annabeth and Jackson. They've disappeared." Chiron's normally calm expression flickers, and Will's grip tightens on the hilt of his dagger.
"When was the last time that any of you saw them?" He asks, and all the campers look at each other. Will can't recall seeing even a glimpse of them since the game started. Chiron frowns deeply, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Charles, you and your cabin go back to camp and gather torches. The rest of you, stay with your cabin and search the woods. Do not leave a stone unturned." The counselors nod, and Lee turns to the gathering of Apollo kids.
"Search while we can in the light, and we can get torches from Beckendorf and Cabin Nine in a bit. Let's go." Will and the rest of his siblings nod, and take off into the forest. He sees Malcolm do the same with the other Athena kids.
"Percy! Annabeth!" Shouts ring through the forest as they try to find the missing pair. Will pants, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. Daniel stops next to him, carrying a torch. It'd been nearly an hour at this point.
"Where the heck could they be?" Will says, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Daniel frowns, shaking his head.
"I have no idea… It's not like them to go missing like this. Usually there's some inkling of something going on, but… this is unusual. We should head back towards the clearing though, I don't think they went this way." Will nods, and the pair of them meet up with the rest of their siblings making their way towards the clearing.
Will falls into step next to Penelope, her eyes wide in worry. He wraps his arm around her, and she looks up, smiling gratefully at him.
"Are they gonna be okay?" Will sighs, rubbing at his cheek with one hand.
"I'm sure they'll be found. There's not many places that they could go, Penny. They haven't been gone that long either." Lee bursts through the trees a second later, startling Will and Penelope, but the look in his eyes calms Will down easily.
"Clarisse found them! They're all good. Chiron said to head back to the cabins, curfew is passed." Will feels Penelope let out a shaky but relieved breath. He rubs her shoulder gently.
"See, I told you. They're fine. Let's get back to the cabin. You can have first shower!" She nods, a small smile on her face.
It feels good to make his siblings smile in times like this.
—-
"I think it's broken, but it shouldn't take too long to heal." Will says, fingers pressing on the swollen ankle belonging to Katie Gardner, and the daughter of Demeter grimaces, running a hand through her long light brown hair.
"I twisted it during the games last night, but didn't think anything of it until I woke up this morning and it looked… well like this." She frowns, looking down at her ankle, the mottled skin turning a tinge purple.
Will hums, nodding. Aaron had definitely done that before, multiple times. "My brothers tend to get injuries like this a lot, so I have lots of experience with healing stuff like this. I can get you fixed up right quick, but you should still be careful about putting weight on it until it's totally healed, mmkay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it, Will, no worries." She winces in pain again, and Will reaches over to grab a cup of nectar, holding it out to her.
"Here, drink this up while I do my magic." Katie laughs softly, taking the cup from him. He grins at her, and she just shakes her head before downing the cup in one go.
"I forget sometimes how Southern you are until your twang comes out." She teases, and Will sticks his tongue out at her.
"My mama taught me well, what can I say? Alrighty, enough talk, more healing." He closes his eyes, laying his hand over Katie's ankle. The hymn to his father comes like second nature to him at this point, and he feels the healing tendrils creep out from under his fingers, the warming, calming nature of it spreading over Katie's skin. He feels her tense muscles relax under his touch.
"It never fails to surprise me how this feels. I dunno why I always thought it would be cold." Will opens one eye, a smile curling into the sound of his voice. After he finishes, he looks down, sharp eyes raking over Katie's ankle. The swelling was down, and her skin had returned to its normal color, but Will can still feel the break.
"OKay, I'm gonna get you a boot so that you can still walk on it semi-normally. That okay?" She nods, and Will stands up.
"I'll be back in a jiffy!" He runs back to the supply room, grabbing what he needs, before coming back to her bedside. He carefully helps her settle her foot into the boot, adjusting it as he goes so that it doesn't cause her too much pain.
"Thanks, Will. I know that the healing bit takes some energy. It's like my relationship with plants." Will smiles, patting her on the boot once he's done.
"Nah, it's not too bad. Daniel's got a sandwich waiting for me when I get back to the cabin. Plus, this is good for me. It feels good to be useful, especially with Percy and Annabeth gone on that quest." Katie nods. The pair had gone off with Tyson and Grover in the early morning, Lee had told them. Michael had made their packs with ambrosia and nectar as usual, but didn't want to wake Will.
"We have so much to do, I feel bad taking up your resources." She says softly, and Will frowns, shaking his head.
"You're hurt, this is exactly what I SHOULD be doing. This is what I'm the best at, and we all need to be in the best health possible in case something happens with the entrance to the Labyrinth." Katie nods solemnly, brushing her hair back out of her face.
"You're right as usual, Will." Will scoffs, shaking his head. "Well, you are! Anyway, I should get back to my cabin to rest this for a little bit, yes?" Will nods and Katie swings her legs over the side of the bed, gingerly setting her hurt foot on the ground. "Wow, you really are good at this. It barely hurts!" Will laughs softly.
"Just, please take it easy for a few days okay?" She waves her hand dismissively, standing up slowly.
"Thanks again, Will!" She calls over her shoulder as she makes her way out of the infirmary. He waves at her, before sighing, leaning back on the bed with his hands propping him up.
The war preparations were already under way. Ever since the discovery of the entrance of the Labyrinth into camp, Lee had been in meeting after meeting, leaving Michael and Will, alongside the rest of the Apollo cabin, to make sure they had everything they needed.
Aaron, Sam and Aria had been in the forges all day, notching arrows and making new special weapons for them to use. Supersonic arrows were Aaron's favorite toy, and he had been giddy with glee about finally getting to use them in a battle.
Everyone else was helping stock up the infirmary, making sure they had enough supplies to heal everyone if needed.
There was one thing that Will refused to help with, which was the reason he was hiding out here.
The shrouds.
Will feels a shiver run up his spine at the mere thought of them.
He doesn't like feeling like it is inevitable that some of his siblings will die. He remembers his vision from a few years ago, and the thought of his own sibling's blood on his hands… he shakes, clearing the thoughts out of his head.
He can't dwell on that. He's not even sure that vision was really a sign from his Dad. Demigod dreams didn't even always come true. This one surely wouldn't.
"Hey, Will. Travis and Connor told me to bring these by." He hears a soft voice, and turns to see Lou Ellen Blackstone in the doorway, holding a basket of something.
"Hey Lou Ellen. Are those the extra supplies they went out for?" She nods, and walks into the infirmary. She places the basket down on the bed next to Will, and he immediately starts sorting through the supplies.
More bandages, more mortal medications, and things to help wrap injuries. Good, good. They can only wash so many bandages, and there are always more injuries.
"Will you tell them thank you for me? This is really going to help with everything that's gonna happen soon." She nods, twisting a piece of dark hair around her finger.
"Yeah, of course!" She says, and Will smiles warmly at her. The children of Hermes, as well as the unclaimed kids that reside in their cabin, had been a huge help with getting more supplies before, especially since he and his siblings couldn't really spare any missions to go out and stock things themselves.
"I'm gonna go sort these now. Thank you again, Lou Ellen." A slight flush appears on her cheeks at his words and she quickly ducks out of the infirmary, excusing herself.
Will sighs, looking down at the supplies. Time to get back to work.
—-
A few days pass in the blink of an eye, and Will finds himself more often than not with his siblings, doing something to help prepare for the inevitable invasion. It's tedious work, and stuff he really doesn't want to do, but he'd rather everyone make it through battle in the long run.
"Am I doing this right?" He asks, holding up the end of an arrow for Aria to inspect. His sister squints at the arrow in his hand and nods, her lips turning up into a smile.
"Yeah! That's pretty good, Will. You're doing a great job. Aaron just wants us to make as many as possible so that we have an excess of arrows rather than a shortage." Will nods, busying his fingers with another arrow.
"Daniel, you told me that you had that date with Fao the other day you needed to tell me about." Aria says casually, and Daniel squeaks, his face turning a bright shade of red.
"Aria!" He complains, and the blonde girl just laughs, pointing the business end of an arrow at him playfully.
"What! Are you not gonna tell me just because Will is here?" Daniel shakes his head, hiding his head in his hands.
"You can't just spring stuff like that on me!" A muffled whine comes out from behind Daniel's hands, and Will can't help but laugh at his brother's misery.
"Was it BAD? Is THAT why you wanted to tell me about it?" Aria gasps, and Daniel drops his hands to glare playfully at their sister.
"As if I could have a bad date with him." He grumbles, throwing a fletchling at her. "He's stupidly perfect at planning dates. Something something, child of Aphrodite, he said."
"You two sound like children of Aphrodite with all the gossiping you do." Will comments, focusing on trying to attach the fletching in his hand to the arrow. Aria gasps dramatically, her hand over her heart.
"William Andrew Solace! How dare you insinuate that I am anything but a child of Apollo! You wound me deeply, brother."
"Oh bless your heart." He mutters, making Daniel burst into laughter. He shoots a glare at his brother, which only makes him laugh louder.
"HEY HEY HEY! Stop distracting Daniel! He has TEA to spill!" Aria shakes her finger, and Daniel just rolls his eyes, sighing deeply.
"It wasn't anything special! Just a normal date!" He shoots back, and Aria tilts her head, giving him a look.
"I have not gone on a single date ever, especially one at Camp Half-Blood, Daniel Lee. I don't KNOW what a normal date is like!" Daniel blinks at her for a beat, and Aria stares back.
"I… suppose that's true. I mean, we just went on a canoe and I jokingly splashed him and he threatened to throw me in if I messed up his hair." Will rolls his eyes playfully.
"If that was all that happened, you wouldn't have told Aria you were gonna tell her about the date later." He points out, and Daniel looks at him like he had just kicked a puppy.
"Will! I thought that you were on my side!" Will shrugs his shoulders.
"I'm on the side that is the most entertaining, and as of right now, that's Aria's side. So get on with it, lover boy." Daniel huffs, his gaze falling to the grass. He starts pulling out pieces, tying them together absentmindedly. He hesitates for a second before sighing, relenting to the teasing.
"He… kissed me when he was dropping me off."
Aria shrieks so loudly Will is sure the entire camp heard her, at near supersonic levels. He winces. Child of Apollo, for sure.
"He WHAT? DETAILS?"
"I am NOT giving you details!"
"Daniel! Will, tell him he needs to give me details!" Aria all but screams, and Will leans away from her, his eyes wide.
"Oh, uh, no I'm not gonna do that, actually." He says, and Aria throws herself back onto the grass in a huff, whining about injustice and evil siblings and something or rather.
Will shares a look with Daniel, and the pair of them burst into laughter, the sound ringing through the clearing louder than Aria's protests.
—-
"Guys! Guys, Annabeth is back!" Nychelle yells, grabbing onto the doorway into Apollo cabin. Will looks up in alarm, and notices the look on her face. He stands, his brow furrowed. Lee sets down his battle plans, a frown on his face. Sam leans over to pause the music, unfletched arrows littering the ground in front of him.
"Just Annabeth?" Michael asks, and Nychelle hesitates, shifting from side to side.
"Ummmm… Annabeth says Percy went missing. Two weeks ago." Will shares a look with Daniel, his older brother's brows knit together in concern. "Chiron said… Chiron said we should hold the rites." Lee stands up suddenly, his chair making a loud scraping noise. All the heads in the cabin turn to face him, wearing identical looks of shock.
"The FUNERAL rites?" Phoebe squeaks, and Lee runs his hands through his short cropped hair.
"It's custom… when someone doesn't return from a quest." Lee says after a little bit, but there's something in his eyes that scares Will. He knows from whispers between Michael and Lee at night that there's some big scary Prophecy that involves Percy, or at least a kid of the Big Three… Will's eyes widen for just a second before he schools his expression back into nonchalance.
Nico…
He can't think about that now.
"C'mon sunbabies." Lee says softly. "Let's go join the others in the amphitheater for Percy's rites."
Will's only seen Annabeth cry once. Two years ago, when Percy had been poisoned by Luke by some scorpion or something. He'd never gotten the details from Chloe, only secondhand through Michael. He blinks at the older girl, at her puffy face and tearstreaked cheeks. She's just as pretty as ever, but it just seems wrong to see her like this.
Chiron stands in front of all of them, his eyes downcast. The air in the amphitheater is unlike anything that Will has ever felt before. Percy was such a big presence around the camp even though he was only a summertime camper…
"It has been two weeks since anyone has heard from Percy Jackson, and with Annabeth's statement about the explosion at the mountain, we can only assume that he is dead." Chiron says solemnly, and a hush falls over the campers. For once, no one has anything to say. "After so long a silence, it is only natural to assume that our prayers for his safe return will go unanswered. I have asked his closest surviving friend to do the honors."
Will watches with Aria's hand in his own as Annabeth takes out a beautiful sea green shroud and places it on the fire. She tugs on the end of her ponytail, and Will feels a knot twist in his stomach. This feels wrong.
"He was probably the bravest friend I ever had." Annabeth says finally, her voice wavering. "He…" Her eyes focus on something, and suddenly her face turns bright red. "He's right there!"
Will and the rest of the campers turn to see Percy standing there, looking utterly confused.
"Percy!" Beckendorf cries out, and everyone rushes up to the son of Poseidon. Will hangs back, blinking in confusion. Aria stays with him, her eyes wide. Will hears a swear from his left and turns his head to see Clarisse standing with Carter, arms crossed over her chest.
"This kid just doesn't die, does he?" Carter mutters, and Clarisse gives him a death glare, but doesn't say anything else. Will frowns, but decides to leave that particular mess alone. He will never understand the animosity between the Ares cabin and Percy, personally. Not his monkeys, not his circus.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" He hears Annabeth scream at Percy, and he turns just in time to see her practically tackle him in a hug. Percy winces, and Will can't help but stifle a laugh. Annabeth sure is stronger than she looks.
Will makes eye contact with Daniel, who just winks at him, and Will laughs. Annabeth suddenly pushes Percy away, and Will sees that her cheeks are still a bright red. Hmm…
"I– We thought you were DEAD, Seaweed Brain!" She cries out, and Percy looks at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I got lost, and–"
"LOST? It's been two WEEKS, Percy Jackson!" Chiron puts a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her.
"Annabeth, perhaps we should discuss this somewhere a bit more private. The rest of you, back to normal activities!" He picks up Percy and Annabeth like they weigh nothing, putting them on his back before galloping away towards the Big House.
Lee turns to face all of the Apollo Cabin, his blue eyes set.
"Alright, kiddos. Back to working on your assignments, yeah? We have archery practice later, so don't skip off! I want you all at the range in 3 hours!"
—-
Will can't help but feel helpless at this point.
"Clarisse, you know I can't let you in here." He sighs, leaning across the doorway, looking at the older girl with sympathy. She could easily knock him aside, but Will's glad that she at least has the common sense to not do that.
"I just want to see him, Solace." She says, nearly pleading. Will shakes his head, not moving from his position.
"I'm on Chiron's orders, Clarisse. I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. Michael would have my backside if I did, too. You may not be scared of him, but I sure as hell am." Clarisse huffs, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Can you at least tell me how he is?" She says, her voice small. Will runs a hand through his unruly blond curls, a deep boned sigh leaving his lips.
"He's the same, and I mean that. He won't eat, won't respond to nectar or any of our healing. Chiron says he's just… given up. Our diagnostics can't tell us what is wrong. I can't DO anything, Clarisse. I wish that I could. I wish I could ease whatever is making him suffer, but I CAN'T. And neither can you. So please, just… go back to your cabin. There's nothing we can do." Clarisse hesitates like she is about to say something else, but she turns on her heel and stomps away. Will watches her with a heavy heart before turning and going back into the infirmary.
"She gone?" Michael says, standing at the foot of one of the beds, the curtain pulled to hide the occupant from the wandering eyes of others.
"Yeah, she went back." Will moves to stand next to Michael, blue eyes looking down at the camper in the bed.
Chris's hair is matted with sweat, his eyes closed.
"He's maxed out on ambrosia. I don't think it's safe to give him anymore." Michael whispers, and Will looks at the clipboard in Michael's hands. Nothing they had tried was working. Not even Chiron's magic. He just… wasn't getting better.
"Have his fits gone down?" Michael shakes his head. Will scratches his forehead, wracking his brain. "Is this… it? Do we just… watch him die?" Michael runs his free hand through his short spiky hair, shrugging his shoulders.
"Will, I– I don't honestly know what else we can do. We've used so much energy on healing him, and nothing is working. I say we keep trying to give him food and water, and make him comfortable. But… I think that's all we can do now. Make him comfortable." Will looks at the door where Clarisse had been standing only minutes before.
"Yeah… I guess that's it."
—-
With Percy and Annabeth back on their way to figuring out the Labyrinth, the preparation at camp had to kick up tenfold.
Sword lessons were now with Aaron and Sam again, since Quintus had disappeared into the maze a few days before. The thought of even going down there, with no sun and no way to know what way was up, made Will shudder in fear. He can't imagine a world without sunlight.
Most of his days were spent in the infirmary, counting, recounting, organizing supplies. Keeping an eye on Chris. The older camper was not getting any better, his life force fading more and more as every day passed by. It was getting harder to keep hope that he would survive any of this.
Will stares at the underside of Daniel's bed above him, the soft sound of Austin playing guitar filtering through the cabin.
"Will?" He hears a shy voice ask, and he turns his head to see Kayla looking at him, her fingers brushing through her green tipped hair.
"What's up?" He says, and she shares a look with Austin.
"Do you think that everything will turn out okay?" She asks, a wobble in her voice. Will sits up, his curls falling into his eyes a bit. He hums, pushing them out of his face before he speaks again.
"I think that… we've been preparing so much for this. You've had combat practice multiple times a day right?" She nods. "We don't usually do that much. And you two have been with me and Michael every day in the infirmary too." This time Austin nods.
"Yeah, it just feels like… a lot. It feels like everyone's preparing for something really bad." Austin comments, and Will leans back against the wall.
"I can't tell you that it's not gonna be bad." He says truthfully. Austin and Kayla share a terrified look. "But… all of us here would do anything to defend our home, to defend you guys." Kayla's eyes shimmer with unshed tears.
"I've never fought before. I don't know what I'm doing." She says, and Will smiles sadly at her.
"Truthfully, none of us know what we are doing, but all of us, we are hardwired for battle. You'll find that it really just comes natural to you. Lee expects you guys to stay out of sight as much as possible anyway, remember?" They nod. Lee spends hours going over battle plans with them, telling all of the kids exactly what the plan is. He'd learned from Taylor keeping them in the dark that it didn't help any.
"I'm just scared, Will…" Kayla trails off, and Will moves over to pinch her ear lightly, making a soft laugh leave her lips.
"We're all scared, Kayla. But we have each other's backs. I can promise you that. There's nothing that we wouldn't do for each other. And that extends beyond our cabin. Camp is a family, and we will protect each other." Kayla nods, her expression looking a little bit more relaxed than it had before.
"Thank you, Will. You're a really good big brother, you know that right?" Will feels his cheeks flush, and he shakes his head. "I mean it! You always help me feel better when it's scary, and I know that Penny and Pheebs feel the same way." Austin nods in agreement, but he doesn't add anything.
Will feels his cheeks heat up more. "I just… I had really good older sisters when I came here, and I want to be… like that… for you guys." Kayla smiles brightly and throws her arms around Will's neck, dragging him down into a hug.
"Well, you're definitely like that for me! The best big brother ever!" Will wraps his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.
That's all he could ever ask for.
—-
The bow on his back feels foreign, as does the gleaming golden armor covering his vital organs. Nothing about this is normal to Will. He shouldn't have to do something like this, but there's nothing he can do.
Aria's hand holds onto him in a vice grip, her knuckles turning white. Will turns to look at her, and she looks back at him, her blue eyes wide and terrified.
"Are you okay?" He whispers, and she starts to nod, but then hesitates and shakes her head.
"I'm so scared, Will." She says, and Will nods, squeezing her hand.
"Pegasi!" Chiron calls, and Silenus harrumphs, his arms crossed over his chest. Will frowns, shielding his eyes from the sun. Pegasi can only mean one thing…
Percy.
The group of campers land, and Will gasps, his legs nearly collapsing under him. Aria squeezes his hand.
"Is that–"
Nico. It has to be. Will stares at him, not quite comprehending what he's seeing. The younger boy looks worse for wear, all dark clothes and shaggy hair. His once tanned olive skin is now pale, sickly looking almost. His dark eyes, haunted. What HAPPENED to him?
Nico doesn't make eye contact with him, only shuffles his feet as Percy and Chiron talk. Will doesn't hear what they are saying, only focused on Nico. His blue eyes scan the younger boy, looking for any sign of injury.
"Will, we should go." Aria says softly, and Will breaks his gaze to look over at his older sister. Her eyes are filled with worry, a reflection of his own. "Lee and the others are waiting for us." Will nods, and lets her lead him away. He turns back slightly to look at Nico once more, a frown appearing on his lips. He's worried, but there's nothing he can do.
Lee breathes out a sigh of relief when they appear, a guarded look in his blue eyes. "Alright, listen up. Do not hesitate. You don't need commands to fire on anything. Just shoot straight. Do what you can. Daniel." Lee turns to their brother standing next to Will. "You stay with Will. He's not as strong with a bow, and will need cover if he's trying to heal someone." Daniel nods, gripping his bow in his hand. Will shivers even in the warm August sun. He breathes in deeply, closing his eyes. He takes in the warmth from Dad.
"Will." He hears Lee say, and footsteps draw closer to him. His older brother puts both hands on Will's shoulders, and Will looks up at him with wide eyes. "I need you to promise me something." Will nods, biting down on the inside of his cheek. "I need you to promise me that you will not do anything stupid for any of us." Will blinks, confused.
"What do you mean?" He asks, and Lee sighs, breathing out deeply.
"If one of us gets gravely injured… past the point of no return… If you can't heal someone in the field, let them go, Will." Will clutches onto the dagger hanging off his belt.
"Lee…"
"No, Will. I need you to promise me that. You cannot sacrifice yourself for someone that can't be healed. I don't want you to take on that burden." Will swallows, but nods.
"I promise." He says quietly. Lee takes a step back, a downcast look in his dark blue eyes.
"I won't make you swear on the Styx, because I trust you." Lee says, and Will feels a knot twist its way into his stomach.
He feels a tugging on his arm, and looks down to see Nychelle, a dark marker in her hand. His eyebrows furrow, but before he can ask, she draws something on the inside of his wrist, her dark hair tied back in a ponytail, the ends falling over her shoulder. She releases his wrist, and Will brings it up to his eye level to look at the symbol.
A sun with two music notes next to it.
"For good luck." She whispers, and Will smiles at her, wrapping her into a hug.
"Thank you, Chelle." He says softly in her ear. He can feel her shaking. He closes his eyes, letting the calming radiance of his gifts from Dad spread out like mist. She relaxes in his arms, and he hears her sniffle.
"Be careful, please, Will." Nychelle says, and Will nods, burying his nose in her shoulder. It's uncomfortable due to the armor, but he doesn't care. He'd rather hug her and bear the feeling of hard metal than not hug her. You never know.
"Of course, I will be. You be careful too, Chelle. Keep your head down." She nods, and he pulls back. She steps out of his arms to grab onto Daniel's wrist, drawing the same symbol. Daniel smiles, pulling her into a side hug. He leans down to whisper something into her ear, too low for Will to hear. She nods, and her expression turns guarded.
Will sighs, fitting his helmet over his head.
He can do this. They can do this.
—
Will's never seen a battle like this before in his life. He's seen battles, for sure, but against an entire army? Monsters after monsters?
He draws another arrow out of his quiver, aiming for one of the giants wreaking havoc. A deep breath. In. Out. Fire. He watches as it sails over the heads of the other campers fighting back, embedding itself in the neck of a giant. The creature howls, crumbling into a shower of gold dust.
"Will! Over there!" Aaron calls as he runs past, and Will turns his head to see where he's pointing. There's a camper down, son of Dionysus. Will swings his bow over his back and runs out to the body. He leans down, pressing his hands to the boy's neck. He makes eye contact with Aaron and shakes his head. His older brother curses.
"Leave him! We will have to come back for him later." Will sighs, saying a short blessing before standing back up. He draws his dagger out of the sheath, his eyes darting back and forth. Suddenly, there's a whirl of brown, and he lashes out, striking at the enemy without thinking. He hears a hiss of pain, and his world stops.
He RECOGNIZES that sound.
"J-James?" He spits out, and he hears his older brother curse.
"What the fuck are you doing, Solace? Fighting this war for a father who doesn't give a damn about you?" He turns and sees the dark eyes of James under the battle armor. He doesn't recognize him like this. He's never seen this animosity before.
"James, we thought you were DEAD!" He yells, and his brother laughs coldly.
"Please, like you guys gave a fuck about me." Will gapes at him, his fingers curling around his dagger. "Well, well, well, looks like you picked a new weapon. Realized Dad isn't gonna give you any combat gifts?"
"What happened to you?" Will yells, and James shakes his head, a cruel sneer curling his lip.
"Dad happened. Father, if you will. It's not like he's ever been much of a dad anyway." Will doesn't understand.
"What did Dad ever do to you?"
"What did he ever do FOR me? Aaron was always better at archery, always stronger, always faster. He got to meet Apollo, while the rest of us got fucking scraps." He lashes out, and Will ducks, avoiding the sword. "Couldn't bother talking to any of his fucking kids, not when he has too many to count."
"James!" He hears another voice and turns to see Daniel running over to him. James laughs coldly again.
"Can't even protect yourself without being in the shadow of Danny Boy, can you?" Will feels an angry yell rip through him and he slashes out, catching James on the thigh. Scarlet drips from the wound, and James just cackles, before he lashes out with his other foot, kicking Will square in the chest.
"You're weak, Solace. Fighting for a god who won't even acknowledge you beyond sending a fucking symbol and calling it a day. I'd love to see Dad fall. All of them. All of those fuckers who don't give us anything. You're fighting a losing battle. Now scram, or I'll have to do something drastic." Daniel helps Will up, and James smirks before turning tail and running off towards the center of the battlefield, slashing at some skeletons that Nico had summoned.
"Will! Will, are you okay?" Daniel says, and Will coughs, nodding his head. "I can't believe James, he–" Daniel shakes his head, wiping his face with a piece of cloth. "We will have to talk about this later, we have to get clear. Are those…" Daniel stares at the skeletons slashing at enemy monsters, and Will nods, spitting on the ground. No blood. Good.
"Nico. He's… he's the son of Hades. I figured it out in the winter, but I promised not to tell anyone." Daniel nods slowly, like puzzle pieces are fitting themselves together.
"O…kay. We need to go. I saw Lee fighting off a bunch of dracaenae earlier, and it… it didn't look good." Will nods, straightening his armor and sheathing his dagger back into place.
"Let's go, we need to hurry." He takes off after Daniel, his heart pumping with adrenaline."
—
"Lee! Fuck, Daniel!" Will cries, running over to where his older brother had fallen. There's tears blurring his vision, and blood seeping everywhere, dripping from his brother's head. He rips off Lee's helmet, and a sob bursts from his lips.
"Will…" Lee says weakly, his eyes barely open. Daniel runs up to them, his chest heaving, dried blood streaking across his cheek. He whirls, unloading an arrow into the chest of a dracaenae. It crumbles to dust, and Daniel lowers his bow, frowning.
"Lee, tell me what I can do!" Will says, his voice wobbly with tears, and Lee sighs, closing his eyes.
"I told you not to try and save anyone." He mutters, and Will chokes out another sob, grabbing onto his brother's wrist to check his vitals.
He feels the life drain from Lee before he can even do anything.
"No! Lee!" Will wails, but Daniel pulls him up by the back of his armor, shaking his head.
"Will! He's gone, you have to let him go! We need to move!" Daniel yells, his brown eyes blown wide. Will trembles, tears still streaking down his face.
"I can't! I–"
"Ssssson of Apollo." They hear a hiss, and Will turns just in time to see another dracaenae. Daniel aims, fires, and hits her again, but before he can reload another arrow, there's a sickening crunch, and a hellhound rakes its claws down Daniel's front.
"No!" Will cries again, fumbling for the dagger at his side. He hurls it at the hellhound, the bronze blade ripping through its mouth. The monster disintegrates with a howl, golden dust fizzling through the air. Will runs to Daniel, and recoils when he sees the damage.
Daniel laughs weakly, holding a hand to his chest, blood pouring down his camp shirt. The hellhound's claws had shredded through his armor. Will presses his hands to Daniel's arm quickly, desperately pouring calming into Daniel.
"I can fix this. I can do this." He mutters, closing his eyes and starting to hum a hymn to their father. Daniel gently pries Will's hands off of him, wrapping his bloody fingers around Will's wrist.
"Will." Daniel says gently, and Will feels another sob rip out of his chest. "Will, you can't." Will shakes his head, tears starting to pour down his cheeks.
"No, I let Lee die, I can't let you die too!" He shrieks, and Daniel coughs, blood spattering onto Will's armor. He shakes his head, sweat and blood dripping from his fingers as he keeps a vice grip on Will's wrist.
"Will, look at my vitals. Really look at them." He rasps, and Will hiccups, wiping his face with the back of his hand, Daniel's blood staining his cheek as he does. Daniel lets his wrist go, and Will lays another hand on Daniel's arm. He can feel the weakening of Daniel's pulse, the way his breath is coming out in gasps, the strength leaving his body as he holds onto Will.
Will can feel his hands shaking as he reaches up to brush Daniel's hair out of his face from under his helmet. Daniel just smiles softly at him, a dimple appearing in his cheek.
"I'm sorry… this is all my fault! If you didn't have to cover me, if I was better at combat, if I had listened to Lee–"
"Will." Daniel says, coughing again. "I told you once that I would do anything for you. I meant that." Will can feel Daniel's life slipping between his fingers.
"I didn't think you meant this." Will whispers, and Daniel gives him a wry smile before his head tilts back a little bit.
"I saw this…" Daniel says, his voice hoarse. "I knew that my time would come saving you." Will sobs again, more tears pouring down his cheeks. "Jus' glad you'll be okay…"
Will feels the last of Daniel's strength leave his body, and his hand goes limp.
"Daniel? Daniel, c'mon. DANIEL!" Will cries out, and it's like the world loses all sense of sound. All Will can hear is the sound of his own heart beating, and all he can do is clutch onto Daniel's lifeless body.
"Will! Will, where the fuck are you?" He hears a voice, but he can't process who it is. Wrecked sobs leave his body as he leans over Daniel, his hands and front covered in blood. "Will, I-, oh gods." Will looks up.
It's Nychelle. She takes a step back when Will lifts his head, realizing the situation. He can see her pupils shaking, her breath coming out in quick puffs.
"Will, stay right here. I'm going to go get Aaron. We need to… we need to move them. Can you grab your knife? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" She kneels down next to him for a second, pressing a hand to his neck, just below his helmet. Checking his vitals. He shakes his head, hiccuping, tears still running down his cheeks.
"It's… none of it is mine." Nychelle sniffs, and Will sees her mask slip back up. Ever a child of Apollo.
"I will be right back. I promise. I'm gonna get Aaron, maybe someone else." She runs back the direction that she had come, and Will sits with the bodies of his brothers, staring at the scarlet coating his hands.
He can't even bring himself to find where his knife had gone. Before long, a small group of people run up to him, panting. Will stares down at his hands more, the voices of those around him muffled like he was underwater.
"Will, you need to stand up." A sweet voice, warm like honey.
"Will, c'mon kiddo. The battle's over. You're safe now." A little gruff, but calm.
The first voice speaks again. "Will, sunbaby, come on." It's that nickname that breaks through his thoughts, and the dam overflows.
"Aria." He gasps, and his vision clears. His sister is standing in front of him, her blue eyes dark, her hair messy, dirt and blood smeared across her chestplate.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Oh. He's crying again. "Shh, shh. Stand up, Will." She says, reaching down for his hands. She hesitates when she sees the blood. "Oh, Will… we need to get you cleaned up, don't we?"
"I couldn't save them… it's my fault." He says, his voice breaking, and Aria shakes her head, pulling him up.
"It's not your fault, Will, I promise." Will blinks, and he can suddenly see who is standing beside Aria. A tear-filled Aaron, Michael with a long cut down his cheek, drops of blood spattered across his face like freckles.
Penelope.
But only Penelope.
Will frowns, and looks at Aria.
"Who else?" He asks, and Aria looks at Aaron nervously. Michael walks over and puts his hand on Will's shoulder.
"Will, I think we should have this conversation once you get cleaned up and–"
"Who. Else." He shakes off Michael's hand. His older brother blinks at him, before sighing, running a hand through his sweat filled dark hair, the strands sticking up a bit.
"Sam. And Phoebe." A sniffle. That's Penelope. Will breathes out deeply, closing his eyes. Conceal.
"Okay. Let's move…" He looks down at Daniel's peaceful face, and the tears start to fall again. "I can't–"
"It's okay, Will." Aria says, her fingers gently grabbing onto his arm. "Let Aaron and Austin take care of them, okay?" Will nods, his head swimming again. "Let's get you in the shower before… before we do the rites." Will lets his sister lead him away, the smell of smoke and blood pungent in the air around them.
—
He'd never seen the shrouds before.
He'd hoped he would never have to see them at all.
But luck doesn't come naturally to him, clearly.
Four golden shrouds cover the bodies of four of his siblings. Will feels like his heart has been ripped out of his chest. Penelope trembles by his side, her arms wrapped around his waist. She's been quaking like a leaf for hours.
Michael gives the speeches, his dark hair unkempt from the way he keeps running his fingers through it. He'd asked Will if he wanted to talk about Daniel, but Will couldn't.
Daniel…
Will's fingers tighten on Penelope's arm, and she looks up at him with tears in her eyes. He just smiles sadly and leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head. She has two camp necklaces on, each with one bead. Will sighs. One will forever hold one bead.
Will has Daniel's 4 beaded necklace wrapped around his wrist as a bracelet. Part of him feels selfish for deciding to keep the necklace, but he only has so many things to remind him of Daniel.
—
"Naomi Solace, Austin, Texas."
The shimmering image of his mom appears in the rainbow, and Will breathes out a shaky sigh. Her back is turned and she sings along to some song on the radio, her raspy voice pouring into the cabin.
"Mama." He says softly, and his mom startles, turning around when she hears his voice.
"Will!" She exclaims, coming closer to the Iris message on her end, her blue eyes wide and her curly hair pulled back into a claw clip. "It's been ages, baby!" She stops, her eyes searching his. "Baby, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost?"
That's all it takes for Will to burst into tears. He hadn't known how much he needed to hear her voice.
"Will, it's okay. Mama's here. What's wrong, darlin'?" Will sniffs, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
"Mama… we had a big battle here. I… lost some of my siblings. I lost Daniel." He says, his voice barely above a whisper. It's the first time he's really said that out loud.
"Oh, my baby." His mom says, her bright eyes shining. "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through. Do you have people there you can talk to?" Will shrugs.
"I have my other siblings, and Chiron, but… mama is it supposed to hurt this much?" His mom sighs, tugging on a loose curl.
"Baby, losing people you care about always hurts. Especially in such a bad way. I know you cared for Daniel so much, and I know how much you love all your siblings. You don't have to be strong about this, Will." She says softly, and Will nods, wiping his eyes again.
"I know, Mama, but it's so hard sometimes. Even now, I have to help everyone that got hurt. Michael and everyone are countin' on me to heal. I can't be weak or my healing won't help them the way that it's supposed to." His mom sighs.
"Will, baby… Do you want to come home for a little while?" She asks seriously, and Will looks down at his hands. It's not that he hadn't considered it before, going home and spending time with his mom… going to school… being a normal kid…
"I can't mama. I have too much work to do here." He says, his voice coming out a little hoarse. His mom's expression is unreadable, but she nods, a small frown on her face.
"You've grown up so much, baby… your dad would be so proud of you, I know he would." Another tear slips down Will's cheek.
"I know that but… I wish he had been here. He should have been here. Should have seen them." His mom sighs.
"I know, baby… you know how the gods are." She reaches out, like she forgets she can't actually touch him. She drops her hand back to her side. "You can always call and talk to me though, Will. I'm always here for you." He nods, wiping his face with his hands.
"Thank you, Mama. I'm glad I got to talk to you for a little bit at least." She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes.
"I'm glad for that too, sunshine. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Mama."
The rainbow disappears, and Will sits back, tears still running down his cheeks. He reaches over and takes out the sun that Daniel had made him 3 years ago, setting it down in his lap.
"They're in Elysium, you know." Will jumps at the sudden voice behind him. He turns and sees Nico leaning against the doorframe entering Apollo Cabin. Will squeezes the crocheted sun in his hands, looking up at Nico.
"They are?" Nico nods, stepping into the cabin.
"I could feel it once they passed. Lee, Phoebe, Samuel, Daniel, right?" Will clenches his hands into fists, breathing out deeply.
"Yes, that's right." He says, and he hates how broken his voice sounds. Nico's expression is impossible to read, his dark eyes boring into Will.
"They died the deaths of heroes. My father and the judges don't take that lightly." Will's eyebrows furrow. Nico's being incredibly blase about his parentage now. He guesses summoning hundreds of skeletons on the field will do that, though.
"Thank you, Nico." Will says, looking back up at him. "It really is… comforting to know that they made it through the judgment easily." Nico nods, his mouth set in a line. He turns to leave, but hesitates before turning back to Will. He looks conflicted for a moment, but after a second, he speaks, his accented voice low, almost a whisper.
"I'm sorry, too. Losing a sibling isn't easy." Before Will can process or respond, the door swishes closed, Nico leaving just as quickly as he appeared.
—
"Michael, are you sure?" Will asks, twisting his fingers into his camp shirt. His older brother looks at him, a frown marring his features. He has a thick bandage on his cheek from where he'd been slashed by a sword to the face.
"I'm the oldest now, so I have to take on the position of Head Counselor. I can't do that and be Head Healer. I… I trust you Will. You're a fantastic healer. The best I've ever seen if I'm being completely honest." Will feels a heat creep up his neck. Even after all these years, he's still not used to the praise about his abilities.
"I… okay." He says quietly, and Michael rests his hand on Will's shoulder. Michael gives him a warm but sad smile, and Will's shoulders sag a little bit.
"We have so much to do." Michael says after a little bit, his voice barely above a whisper. Will nods, fiddling with the makeshift bracelet around his wrist.
"We need to… deal with their bunks today, don't we?" Will says, his voice cracking. Michael rubs at his eyes with a deep bodied sigh and nods.
"Let's go. It's not gonna get any easier." Will follows Michael out of the infirmary, trailing after him just a little bit. He's gained another inch or two over Michael during the summer, and it feels weird being able to see clearly over his brother's head.
The rest of their siblings are waiting as they enter the cabin, and Will can hear quiet sniffles as Penelope moves about, taking down photos and different objects from her twin's bunk.
Will takes a deep breath before climbing the ladder to the bunk above him.
Daniel was always one of the neater siblings, so his bunk is spotless, the blankets folded and made like they were ready to be slept in. A few pictures and knick-knacks and there. Will opens the black backpack on the bed, a little name tag hanging off of it: Daniel L. Carefully, he starts to pack everything away, taking photos of Daniel and his siblings down, placing them into a little binder Daniel kept everything in.
One photo gives him pause, and makes tears spring to his eyes.
It's him and Daniel. From earlier in the summer. Faolán had taken the picture of them in the strawberry fields, the both of them making silly faces, their cheeks pressed together. Daniel making a V with two of his fingers almost in the way of the picture. A dimple flashing in his cheek. Will presses the picture to his chest, taking a shaky breath.
How is he supposed to do this?
"Will?" He hears a voice, and for a second he swears it's Daniel's. A jolt lurches through his body and he drops the photo like it burned him.
But it's not Daniel.
Austin looks up at him with sympathetic eyes, and Will feels like the world is tilting on its axis. He closes his eyes for just a second, breathing out. He does that a lot lately. Breathing out. It reminds him of Chloe.
"Everything okay?" Austin asks softly, and Will takes a minute before he nods. He keeps the photo in his hand but finishes cleaning up Daniel's personal items into his backpack. He comes down the ladder and hands the backpack to Austin.
"I'm gonna… keep this photo." Will says, and lowers it so that his siblings can see. He hears a sniff from Aria over his left shoulder.
"That's a beautiful memory, Will. I think Daniel would want you to keep it." Will nods, sitting down on his bed to put the photo up next to the one of him and his mom.
"I… I'm gonna keep his necklace too. I asked his mom about it over Iris message, and she said that it was okay, since that necklace means more to us as campers than it does to her. She… she wanted me to have it." He worries the beads between his fingers. "But everything else is in his backpack. Aaron, you're gonna take it to his mom?"
His older brother sighs, nodding.
"Yeah, I'll only be gone for a few days. Penny is taking her sister's stuff home." Another sniff from Penelope's bunk. "Nychelle will stop in Chicago with Sam's and I think Aria said she'll do Lee." Aaron runs his fingers through his hair. The stress of the battle still weighs heavily on the consciousness of the cabin, their grief palpable.
"Thank you." Will says softly. "I wanted to do it myself but…" Aaron comes over and puts his hand on Will's shoulder.
"Things are too busy here for you to worry about this, Will. I loved Daniel too, I'll take care of his things and give them to his family." Aaron presses a kiss to the top of Will's head. Will breathes in deeply, the familiar smell of Aaron's cologne around him. He's always grateful for his siblings and their tendency to freely show affection. It comes in handy during times like this.
"Like I said, I'll only be gone a few days. I'll be back as soon as I can." Will nods.
(True to his word, Aaron makes it back. With a handwritten letter from Daniel that his older brother never got to give to him. Will locks the letter in a box under his bed and never takes it out again after reading it.)
Will–
If you're reading this, then my vision came true. And I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I didn't want to hurt you more than I knew this already would.
Nothing has brought me greater joy than being your brother. Watching you grow up and turn into someone that is so worthy of love and greatness.
One thing I need you to always remember is that second chances are everything. People may betray you, may make you believe something about them that hurts you. But you are good and you are kind. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment of people. Everyone deserves a second chance.
James deserves a second chance.
Nico deserves a second chance.
You are a healer, but you can't always fix people. Sometimes you have to let them just be. People are a work in progress.
Like your name, you are a place of shelter for so many, and a solace for those that are broken. I can only hope that you continue being that person after losing so many of the people you care for.
I only wish I could see who you will become. What you will do. Who you will love.
Carry the legacy of Apollo with pride.
I love you little brother.
Daniel Daehyun Lee