Chapter Text
They say a soldier's eyes hold the truth behind their smile. That by looking in their eyes, you can see the lives they've taken, the lives they've seen lost. It is in their eyes that you can see how broken they are. As the Gods and campers looked into Percy's eyes with fear, their hearts shattered. His sea green eyes had lost their light. It would have been better if they were drowning in tears of sadness. It would have been better if they flashed and stormed with unquenchable rage. Any emotion would have been better than the haunted, broken look is eyes held. There was nothing. No sign of life, emotion, or sight. They were lifeless. Dead.
Everyone remembered the pure rage Percy showed during the war. When everyone saw Gaea plunge her sword through Annabeth's heart. Annabeth collapsing and the field going silent. Percy's eyes, rigid and cold, as heart- freezing as a gorgon's glare. Hatred, pain and rage stormed in his orbs, not a shred of doubt to be seen. A cold promise of death in his eyes, directed only at Gaea. Percy had slowly and deliberately stood. His shirt in rags, exposing the countless scars and wounds he had suffered. A formidable reminder that Percy was no stranger to pain and suffering. His shoulders erect, chin high, jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as he held back. As he had risen to his full height, he had looked truly terrifying.
An aura of sea green and black cloaked him, his energy pulsing in Time with his heart. It had seemed to absorb all light, casting the world into a colorless void. The waters had raged against the coast, in thirst for revenge, mirroring the torment and pain their master suffered form.
Everyone had remembered the sadistic smile Percy's face held as he casually strolled up to the Earth Mother. The rains hadn't relented it's attack, the winds had shrieked at Gaea, grabbing and pulling her. Percy hadn't smiled, hadn't cried. His eyes had been those of a predator, and she had been his prey. As he had walked closer. The Earth Mother felt ice seep into her veins, preventing movement, as silent and quick as poison. Her heart pummeled against her rib cage. Percy's eyes had gleamed, a petrifying smirk hinting that she had pushed him too far. He had mocked her, saying,
"What is this Gaea? The mighty Primordial scared of little ol' me?"
He had come closer, his lips had brushed her ear, his breath cold and biting. He had scoffed as he smelt her fear. He had said,
"Good. Fear me. I have nothing against becoming a monster. You have taken everything, every of human decency from my soul. Now? You get to suffer like I have. My fatal flaw is personal loyalty, you should have known that, and you underestimated it. By killing those I am loyal to, you have only made me stronger and more loyal to those who are left. If becoming a monster and giving up what's left of my soul will save those remaining, so be it. With what I have planned for you, Tartarus would quake with what I have planned for you."
His voice had held so much malice, her power had started to become his has he had drained it.
Then Percy had killed Gaea mercilessly, molecule by molecule, following a path of revenge. The pure horror on the Gods' faces. But as his anger had begun to fade, his hatred was swallowed by grief and he had collapsed to his knees, as his sorrowful scream had pierced the air.
His broken eyes had swept the field, taking in the brutal sight. Piper, with a spear through her heart. Jason, stabbed with the same spear, the spear sticking through the two of them. Hazel, her heart gutted out, with Frank nearby who suffered a similar fate. And Annabeth, stabbed through the heart with her own dagger.
It's the day after the war. The day where the dead are sent in their way to Elysium. Percy sits silently in the front, Thalia, Nico, and Leo by his side. All mourning the loss of their friends. After the shrouds are burned, Percy turns around and runs, his friends start after him, but they know it's no use. Percy runs to his apartment quickly knocking on the door, excited to see his mother for the first time in nine months.
As his knock rang out through the small apartment, Percy became wary.
Percy POV
I became wary as nobody answered. I opened the door with my spare key. "Mom?" My voice echoed. I took out Riptide and slowly walked through the small apartment. Going towards my mother and Paul's room, I see a red liquid I am very familiar with, blood. Cautiously creeping my way towards the door. I push it open with my foot and see a horrible sight. My mother, Sally, and my step- dad, Paul's bodies, bloodied on the floor with a crude message on the wall.
Written in blood on the wall, I see the message that reads, 'Revenge is sweet, isn't it sea spawn? -T' I knew immediately who wrote it, Tartarus. The horrible being who imprisoned me for almost 9 months, who left brands and scars etched into my skin, who made me unable to wear short sleeves without getting looks of pity. The being I hate with my full body.
Chapter Text
Sophie POV
Great, I thought as I walked back to Havenfield with my friends. You just had to give us another mission, didn't you. I was visibly upset. I mean, who wouldn't be, I just wanted to rest and be as normal as I can get, but nooooooo. I just had to have been given another mission, an illegal one for that matter, not like I cared.
When I got to Havenfield, Edaline and Grady were already there, waiting for us, their usually worried faces on as usual. I told them of the mission,
"You guys want to hear what we're are being sent to do, right?"
"Of course! We are very worried!" Edaline and Grady said together.
"Weeeeell" I said, drawing the word out purposefully, "I may have been sent on a mission to the Forbidden Cities to find a pyrokinetic in denial, or he doesn't know what he is?" I said it more like a question.
"What?" My adoptive parents said in unison.
"Yeah.... hehehe. I'm going to take a quick trip to the Forbidden Cities, and I can only take Keefe, Dex, Fitz, Tam, Biana, and Linh. Keefe to tell how the pyro feels about his powers, Dex because we are going to a place heavily filled with technology, Fitz because he's my cognate, Tam to hide us in shadows, Biana to help vanish us, and Linh to put out any fires the pyro might start, on purpose or on accident."
—————— I am Time Skip, nice to meet you
With help from the Black Swan, we got the pyro's location, although he was very hard to find, they told us. They said that he was very well hidden and had been off the government radar for a while, but we got some, uh.... interesting information. A) that his name is Leo Valdez, b) that he has been in and out of foster homes for years because c) his mother died in the house fire and d) his father is unknown. It also seems that in the recent past he had shown up throughout Greece and Rome with eight other kids his age, and he's sixteen. Piper McLean, daughter of the famous Tristan McLean, the same age; Jason and Thalia Grace, siblings, Jason, a suspected Guster, fifteen, and Thalia, a suspected charger, fifteen; Frank Zhang, the last of his family, fifteen; Hazel Levesque, which was an interesting one as it said that she had been confirmed dead in the 1930's, thirteen; Annabeth Chase, who ran away at seven, a suspected vanisher, sixteen; and Nico DiAngelo, another interesting case as it says he went missing in the 1930's, a suspected shade, fourteen. However, all of them, except Thalia and Nico, were reported dead.
One kid he's been spotted with caught my eye though. His file that we found on him was... interesting .... to say the least. His name is weird, however, Perseus or Percy, Jackson. Huh, his file said that he is a suspected terrorist, for blowing up a school bus, ducking his class in a shark tank, and being suspiciously close to Mount Helens during it's explosion. He's sixteen and still alive. The Black Swan mentioned that he also might be a hydrokinetic. His mom and step- father are reported dead.
My friends were very confused about all of these terms and places mentioned in the files as they are all elves. I tried to explain it but failed miserably. After my failed attempts to explain, and after we got dressed more appropriately, we were on our way to the Forbidden Cities.
———— Nice to see you again, I am Time Skip
When we light leaped to the Forbidden Cities, I was happy to note that we were in the states. Meaning that I would have some idea of where we are. I took in our surroundings, and recognized where we were by the noticeable landmarks.
"We're in New York City." I stated.
"Where?" Biana questioned.
"Yeah, you don't get it, but at least I kind of know how to get around."
"Yeah," Keefe said, "That is a definite good thing because DANG! Is this city huge! With very tall towers, mind you."
"Yes, Yes, yes, come on!" I exclaimed "We have to figure out how to get all of us to the hydro's apartment, where the pyro is most likely to be."
—— Hello! ——
As we arrived at the apartment, after a long cab ride where my friends were ultimately confused, nothing looked unnatural, except for us of course. We walked in, looking for apartment number 5A, the Blofis- Jackson Residence, where the hydro is expected to live and the most probable place the pyro would be. As we ascended the stairs, it felt wrong to be at an apartment where a kid might live, hoping to capture them, however, I steeled myself, reminding my friends, for my sake and theirs that the two boys are terrorists, and are not to be trusted.
As we arrived, and knocked on the door, no one answered. I was expecting for Percy to answer, just remembering that his parents had died and he might not be home. I then heard something I would not have heard if I wasn't an elf. I heard a male inside, saying,
"Mr. Mcshizzle, I'm going to interrupt your rant for a quick sec to let you know that you should open the door, as someone is knocking," Then, quieter, he said, "Dang, I thought Uncle Z took off our scent. It better not be monsters."
As the door opened, I saw a young boy, about sixteen, with unruly, curly, dark hair, and neither light nor dark skin, I assumed this was Leo. When I peered through the space between his body and the doorway, I saw a grief- stricken teen, with wild, black hair, broken sea- green eyes, and tan skin, hunched over on the couch, who I assumed was Percy. I also saw a pale, olive- skinned boy, his clothes hanging off his dangerously skinny frame, sunken cheeks, long black hair, and dark eyes, hollow eyes I would have mistaken for black.
"Are you Percy Jackson, Nico Di Angelo, and Leo Valdez?"
Chapter Text
Percy POV
I dragged myself off the floor, making myself get up to IM Nico and Leo, or Mr. McShizzle, as he likes to be called. I started searching my pockets for a drachma, as I could make the mist on my own. I immediately went to the bathroom, looking for something that could make a rainbow. Once I found something. I created a rainbow in the mist and said,
"Fleecy, do me a solid and show me Leo Valdez at Camp Half- Blood."
"You dare insult me Half- Blood!" Oh gods.
"Hey Lady Iris, he, uhhhh, sorry," I cleared my throat, "Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept this offering and show me Leo Valdez at Camp Half- Blood."
"Much better, Poseidon Spawn"
An image of Leo in the Hephaestus Cabin, working on something, most likely something very dangerous, shows in the mist.
"Sup Perce." Leo says
"Uh, Leo, can you just come over man." I don't know how much longer I can hold the tears in.
"Perce! You okay?" Leo's worried voice enters my ears.
"No, no I'm not. I'm calling Nico too, so just come over, I tell both of you here."
"You sure Perce?"
"Yeah, I just need the last two of three of my family here."
"Anything for you Perce."
I cut the IM off, and get ready to make a new one. I make the rainbow, say the phrase, make sure to say it to Iris and not Fleecy, and an image of Nico shows.
"Wassup Perce? Hey Perce, can you turn around so I can see your face?"
I slowly turned, afraid of what he'd say about my tear streaked face.
"Oh Perce. What happened?" Nico, Nico, of all people, is WORRIED! What has the world come to?! Yay! Sarcasm still exists in me!
"Just come over, Leo's coming too. I'll tell the both of you when you're here."
"Kay, Perce. I'm gonna trust you on this one. Just stay in one piece till I get there, Kay?"
"I'll try my hardest Neeks." I whispered, and swiped through his image.
---Hello!---
I heard a knock on the door about 10 minutes later, followed by two very familiar voices.
"I'm coming!" I said. I opened the door to see two boys who are the last two boys of my family left.
"Perce, where's Sally?" Leo said.
Once I heard her name again, I broke down, unable to put up a mask.
"Perce?!" That's Nico.
"Perce! I'm gonna need you to calm down so you don't pass out. Kay? Start breathing again. In, out, in, out."
Once Leo said that, I realized I wasn't breathing. I started to try, but it was too late, I realized as the world faded to black.
---Hi!---
I woke up on my couch, with the faces of two very concerned boys in my face.
"Guys? What happened?" I asked.
"Well once you heard your mother's name, you just started having a panic attack." Leo said.
"Percy, what happened?" Nico asked me.
"Mom and Paul are gone. And Tartarus left a note."
"Oh Perce. We'll help you through. Right, 'cause that's what friends are for." Leo said
"We will help you Perce, we'll just have to stay with you." Neeks followed up with.
I was sitting there, thinking about what they had just said, when the doorbell rang.
"Mr. Mcshizzle, I'm going to interrupt your rant for a quick sec to let you know that you should open the door, as someone is knocking," Then, quieter, I said, "Dang, I thought Uncle Z took off our scent. It better not be monsters." Leo stood up to get it.
The door opened, and I saw five extremely good looking teens, all with blue eyes except for one, who had brown. Two of them looked like brother and sister, and there was one standing off to the side of them and looked like Neeks. The one in the middle, a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, who I assumed was the leader, spoke up and said,
"Are you Percy Jackson, Nico Di Angelo, and Leo Valdez?"
Chapter Text
Percy POV
"Are you Percy Jackson, Nico Di Angelo, and Leo Valdez?"
Once I heard the girl's words, my hand went immediately to Riptide. I took it out and started playing with it, staring at it as I did so. Nico and Leo gave me a look, silently asking how to respond. I gave them the look that says, let me do the talking. My head snapped up after a couple of seconds.
"Who's asking?" I said slightly sassily.
"No one of your concern, Perseus." A rich, snobby, brown haired, teal eyed boy said snootily.
"And who might you be, Mr. I'm- so- much- better-than- everyone-else? I retorted back, hoping to get under his skin.
"Hey!" A slightly younger girl who looked like him exclaimed. "That's my brother! I will not let you call him names!"
"Well, you clearly haven't been in normal society in a while, but that's how everyone acts; slightly mean and with a bit of sass." I replied.
"Yeah, boy! Well, we aren't normal, by your standards!"
"Well, nothing surprises me now, but, if you must know, I'm not normal either, and neither are my two friends."
"Perce!" Nico said in a whisper- yell.
"What!" I replied back in a whisper. "They aren't either!"
"Still, be cautious. We don't know them yet, and we certainly don't trust them." He whisper- replied back.
"I believe an explanation is in order!" I exclaimed to the newcomers.
"We are here for you three, to show you the world you belong in, but we are here especially for Mr. Valdez." The supposed leader explained.
"What do you guys want with the awesomeness that is Super- Sized Mcshizzle!?" Leo asked loudly.
"We believe you are aware of this because you have been seen using them." The girl leader took a deep breath and continued, "Leo Valdez, I am to take you back to the Lost Cities to be interrogated."
Nico got very wary. "Why?" Such a simple question.
"Well, for starters, you are a shade, Mr. Di Angelo, and you have been missing since the 1930's." She said while looking a Nico. Turning her gaze to me, she said, "You, Mr. Jackson, are a hydrokinetic, and you are a suspected terrorist." Next, glaring at Leo, she said, "And lastly, you Mr. Valdez, are an unregistered Pyrokinetic,you are banned from existing as a result, and you have been in and out of foster homes since you were little."
We became increasingly suspicious as each second creeped by. She wasn't done though.
"However, all of you have one thing in common, you disappear every summer, and your fathers are unknown."
"Okay, slow your roll!" I exclaimed, "First of all, as I am a Kelp Head, what are those terms you keep on saying."
"You mean you don't know?" A girl in the back, with black hair and silver tips questioned. I nickname her Silvertips One, and her twin brother with black hair and silver tips also, Silvertips Two.
"That cannot be right!" The snobby boy exclaimed.
"No, they are telling the truth." The leader replied, "they really don't know about our world." She turned towards her friends, "Let's talk outside."
----------
When they came back in, everything seemed fine. The leader- like girl asked us,
"I feel a different thought wave coming off of you. So, if you aren't one of us, who are you? And more importantly, what are you?"
(A/N Soooo tempted to end it there, but I'm nice.)
"Well you know our names, and we'll tell you our story if you tell us your names and your story." I said.
"Alright," The quite handsome blond haired, blue eyed boy said degectedly. "Keefe Secen"
"Sophie Foster" The leader.
"Linh Song" Silvertips One.
"Tam Song" Silvertips Two.
"Fitz Vacker" Snob.
"Biana Vacker" Snob's sister.
"And Dex Dizznee" New Kid, strawberry blond hair and blue eyes.
"Now, storytime, Sophie."
Chapter Text
Sophie POV
"Now, storytime, Sophie."
As soon as he said that, I took a moment to study him. He was well poised, pitch- black hair and sea- green eyes. His eyes are what struck me the deepest though. They held remains of a happy teenager, laughing and mischievous. However, they had lost that. They now looked like shattered glass. Dark, shadowed, haunted. He was a soldier, is a soldier.
Those shattered orbs had immediately swept over us when we had entered. Searching us for weapons, trying to figure out our weakness. He was wary, cautious, ready to spring.
I snapped back into reality, glancing at my friends to see whether or not we should trust them, after all, they seem nice enough, right?
"Well," I started, "It all started on a field trip to the museum, where a met a boy looking for me..." I continued on with the story, going up until the moment I found out about them, I said, "So, you, Leo are a pyro, Percy's a hydro, and Nico's a shade." At this Leo started laughing.
"You *gasp* really think *gasp* that we're *gasp* ELVES!" Leo said, while gasping for breath. Nico let out a little chuckle, and Percy started laughing. The other two immediately stopped, as if trying to enjoy the moment.
"What!? Perce! Don't stop, keep laughing!" Leo said, or yelled.
Percy immediately stopped, his eyes glassed over and his body went limp. We started forward, but Leo got there first and caught him. He picked Percy up, and I was astonished at his strength, after all, Percy is way taller than him! And Leo's tiny!
"What happened!" I said, at the same time Biana said,
"Is he okay?"
Both Nico and Leo shared a look of pity with each other.
"Perce has been through some things, we all have, but him more than all of us, and it sometimes causes him to have flashbacks." Nico explained.
"Aren't flashbacks a symptom of PTSD?" I quiered.
"Yes." Leo's happy demeanor was gone, with a somber one there to replace it. "Perce was diagnosed with PTSD a while back, after he was kidnapped for 9 months."
"Kidnapped?! Do you know what happened to him there?" Linh asked.
"A little." Nico whispered with a grimace on his face. "I was there for about a week before I escaped. I don't believe you want to know what happens down there."
"Trust us," Dex started, "We've most likely been through something like him, and he's just not taking it very well."
"I can assure you, from the screams I heard coming from his cell everyday on end, he is not a wimp. I experienced a little, but Perce spoke up and took ours on himself, times 2"
"Ours? I thought it was just you and him." Tam asked.
"Oh no, his girlfriend, A- Ann- Annabeth was there with him for as long as him."
"Well, tell us what happened!" Fitz demanded.
Nico's eyes became glossed, and Leo slowly moved forward with his arms outstretched, as if ready to catch him. Nico shook his head.
"Torture, every type, sometimes the kidnapper would make us watch. Whips, knives, spikes, drowning, fire, shackled to walls, shackled by his feet from the roof. And many more horrendous devices."
"I don't believe you." Fitz said.
"Oh you don't?" Leo spoke for the first time in a while as he moved closer to Percy. "Does this prove his story true enough." Leo slowly took of Percy's shirt over his sleeping form.
We just caught a glimpse of horrendous scars covering Percy as Nico snapped his fingers and revealed more scars on his exposed skin. Then Percy started to shake as if having a seizure.
"Styx!" Nico and Leo said at the same time as they started backing us up into the walls.
"Don't touch him!" Nico warned.
"And what if I do?" Fitz countered.
"Then you will regret it." Leo said back.
Before Fitz could do anything, in a flash, Percy was up, with multiple cuts all over him, his flesh peeling and burned, gushing blood, and I wondered how he was still standing. He brought out a golden bronze sword and got into a fighting stance. His eyes slowly scanned over us as he relaxed ever so slightly.
Nico sighed, "I'll go get Will," as he promptly walked into a shadow and disappeared.
Seconds later, a blond kid, who I can only assume is Will, shows up with Nico. Will is yelling at Nico until he sees Percy slowly swaying, he sighs,
"Help me move him to the kitchen table." Only moments later, Percy falls and the three boys catch him and bring him to the table. Will gets out a med kit and starts bandaging him.
"Okay! Explanations are in order." Leo stats as Nico starts,
"Well, for Perce, it all started on a field trip to the museum, just like yours..."
Chapter Text
Nico POV
After we had told the elves our story, minus my new abilities as Ghost King, they had told us we had to go back with them to a the town they live in, called the "Lost Cities". Weird.
I had mentioned I got abilities as Ghost King. Yes. I now have midnight black wings that can shrink into tattoos on my back, as well as a gold crown with onyx and silver entwined throughout it. Percy has a crown as well as Crown Prince of the oceans. His is gold with jade, emeralds, and sapphires entwined into his. I could control ghosts, obviously, and can command them to do whatever I wish. Percy, on the other had, has discovered a power he is terrified of. I can control death, yes, and if I wanted I could kill them with a single thought. Percy, can do something called blood- bending. He can control blood, and poison, and it scares him. My abilities scare me too. But we get through it together.
As I have been thinking about this, I realized that everyone has been discussing things. Curse you, ADHD.
"Fine." Percy said, stumbling into the living room, "We'll go with you, so long as we aren't treated like prisoners, we have rights, elf or not. By the way, Will got his Dad to take him back to camp."
"Alright." Fitz, who seemed like a stuck- up noble, replied with. "We won't treat you as prisoners, but we need to bring you before our council."
"We need to make a call," I said, "to the gods."
oOo
I wasn't lying when I said we needed to make a call. But not to the gods. That was just for dramatic effect. Hey! You can't blame me, I'm related to the ultimate Drama King who goes the name of Zeus!
We needed to call Thalia to let our punk cousin know where we were going so she wouldn't hunt us down and kill us.
"Oh Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Thalia Grace, wherever Artemis' camp is."
"What did you boys get yourselves into now!?" Yup, good ol', immortal, Thalia.
"Great to know you have so much faith in us!" Persassy replied.
Chapter Text
Percy POV
After we finished letting Thalia know what was happening, we walked balk into the room.
"Okay," I started, "How're we going to get to these, 'Lost Cities.'"
"We're going to do something called light leaping," Sophie explained.
"Yeah, no," Nico and I say in unison.
"Well that's the only way you're going to get there." Fitz said, his nose turned up.
"No, Nico can shadow travel, and I can vapor travel, and I'll take Leo with me. Just show us a photo of where we're going and we'll be able to get there."
"Not for you." Fitz said snobbily.
I look at Nico, silently telling him to turn on death boy.
"Percy and I are royalty." Nico states in a deadly whisper, "You will not tell us what to do as we are superior. We are the Crown Princes of the Underworld and Seas respectively. We will tell you what to do." Nico says as his crown, and armor appear.
I feel a weight on my head, realizing my crown has appeared as well. Looking down, I notice that my armor has also appeared.
"Would you like to know our titles?" I ask, not allowing them time to answer. " I am Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, the Lord of the Sea, Earthshaker, Stormbringer, and the Father of Horses. Former Praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome. General of the Greek Demigods. Veteran of the Second Titan War, The Second Olympian War, The Second Demigod Civil War, and the Second Gigantomachy. The Lightning Bringer. Prophecy Child. Bearer of the Twelfth Legion's Standard. Destroyer of Giants. Slayer of Titans. Bane of Kronos. Bane of Gaea. Defeater of Ares. Savior and Champion of Olympus.
Nico continued, "I am Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades, god of the Underworld and Wealth. Veteran of the Second Titan War, The Second Olympian War, The Second Demigod Civil War, and the Second Gigantomachy. The Ghost King. Prince of the Underworld and Savior of Olympus."
"Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus, Hero and Savior of Olympus, and Bane of Ma Gasket and many other monsters."
They looked shocked, and Sophie was the first one knocked out of their stupor to speak.
"What? Explanations, now."
"Well, we told you our story." I say, looking away as I start to see flashbacks of my time in Tartarus. Nico wandered in Tartarus, alone, yes, but only wandering. Tartarus had captured Annabeth and I, and tortured me, I took all of her 'punishments.' He likes to pull me into my head to torture me, and the wounds I receive from him will appear on my body as they occur.
"Okay," Sophie starts, I can project my memories of where we're going onto paper to show you so you can teleport there."
"First, tell your leaders that you're bringing royalty, and that any action against us could mean the start of a war." I said, a dangerous glint in my eye.
"You can't tell us what to do." The-Almighty-King-Fitz-(NOT) said snootily.
"What did we just tell you, moron." I say slowly. "Did you know, that right now, I could kill you."
"Fitz!" Sophie whisper-yelled. "Stop!"
"Taunting us would not be a wise decision, Mr. Vacker. What did you not understand when we told you that our fathers are gods."
"Your a liar. Prove it." Fitz says confidently.
I make my sword appear, along with Nico's, and I clear the Mist from their eyes.
Leo holds up a ball of fire, Nico makes the shadows come to him and skeleton warriors to appear, and I call water into my hand and make a small earthquake. "We can be very deadly, Mr. Vacker, I can control any liquid, including blood."
"And I, Vacker, can send you to the Fields of the Damned Souls with a snap of my fingers." Nico says dangerously.
Leo speaks up, "I can burn you to a crisp with a single thought, so I suggest you respect us."
"Fine." Fitz says reluctantly.
"Now, to the photo-showing."
"Kay, where is the paper." Sophie inquires.
While I go to get the paper, Nico and Leo sit the kids down on the sofa and coffee table.
I come back with the paper and don't pay attention to how Sophie does her mind tricks. When I turn back, she hands me the sheet, whispering,
“Sorry for my friends' behavior, he is extremely prideful and doesn't know when to stop."
"It's okay, we needed to show you guys anyways."
"Alright, then."
I turn to the boys that have become my brothers.
"We have the photo, lets go."
Sophie turn to her friends, "We're going to Everglen."
Echoes of okay and sure spread through the room.
"Goodbye~" I say creepily before vanishing with Leo into mist.
Chapter Text
Percy POV
When Leo and I showed up, We were blinded by the outrageous amount of light emitting from the giant gates in front of me. We turned and saw Nico appear from a nearby tree shadow and Silvertips, Mr. King-of-the-World, Sophie, Dex, Keefe, and Biana appeared from what seemed like pure light.
"This place is brighter than my flames!" Leo exclaimed excitedly, leaning towards Snob as if sharing a big secret, "and my flames are the brightest!"
"Sorry about him." I start softly, "he's the most ADHD out of all of us."
"It's fine," Sophie says with a small smile, "as long as he knows how to keep himself under control."
"Oh, we do that for him." Nico points out.
"Cool, okay. Uhhhh, Fitz" Sophie turns to look at the snobby boy, "Let's go into Everglen, we'll eat, give them a check up with Elwin, and tomorrow we'll go to the council. Sound good?"
"Sure, Soph." He replies.
I think for a second about disappearing to avoid the doctor, but my body is still very exhausted from him, and the vapor traveling. That was the last thought that ran through my head before I heard,
"Time to play, Perseus, time to play."
Before everything went black.
(A/N I wanted to end it here, but you guys, gals and non- binary pals deserve more for the long wait.)
Nico POV
After I contributed to the conversation, I noticed Percy start to sway slightly, before his eyes glassed over and he fell to the floor. I jumped forward, catching him before he landed, worried for the boy who had become my brother.
Third POV
"Oh!" Sophie exclaimed in surprise. "Is this another one of those weird dream thingies?"
"Yeah," Nico replied breathlessly as Nico noticed small injuries showing up on Percy's prone form. "Yeah it is. Uh, he's gonna need a doctor."
"Yeah," Tam said, "We gathered that."
"Guess food will have to wait," Keefe said sadly.
"C'mon Keefe, you know Percy's well being is more important than food," Sophie said exasperated. "Let's get him inside."
Leo grabbed Percy's feet while Nico hooked his elbows under his arms and noticed splotches of blood appearing on his shirt.
"Guys! We got a guy bleeding out over hear, can we get him to a doctor?" Leo exclaimed worriedly.
"Yeah," Fitz said as he let the demigods in, "This is mine and Biana's house."
"I'll contact the doctor for you," said mostly silent Dex.
"Thanks man," Nico said tiredly, as the crew walked through the gates and to the front doors, " You got somewhere we can put him?"
"Yeah," Biana spoke up, "Follow me."
Leo and Nico followed her with Percy through winding and twisting hallways, exchanging glances between each other in concern for their brother.
"Don't worry," Sophie spoke up from beside Nico, "Elwin's the best doctor in all of the lost cities."
"Thanks," Leo said tightly.
The group continued through the halls till they reached a main gathering area with two adults conversing inside. Nico immediately passed Percy to Leo, who threw Water Boy over his shoulder in a fireman's carry easily, and drew his weapon.
"Woah, woah! Calm down! Those are just my parents." Said Fitz from a few feet behind Nico and Leo, garnering the attention of the two adults.
They turned to face the group, a woman and man of great beauty, and looking as though they are way to young to have children the ages of Biana and Fitz. They were both startled by the sight before them.
And a sight the crew must be, a group of seven elves whom they already knew, leading a group of three teens, one with a long black sword in his hand, and a small one carrying the third over his shoulder.
"Oh my!" Exclaimed the woman, Della. She turned to her husband, "Alden, go help them," Alden followed her gaze and found himself staring at the sixteen year old boy in the hands of a fifteen year old covered in blood and occasionally twitching.
Alden rushed forward in an attempt to grab Percy but Leo turned and ran behind Nico who turned his blade on Alden.
"Mom, Dad," Biana started, "these are the three unregistered elves in the forbidden cities the council sent us to retrieve."
"Yeah," Fitz picked up where she left off, "although they aren't elves, they're demigods, half god half mortal."
"Their abilities come from one of the Greek gods the humans used to believe in," Sophie continued.
"Yeah, and they just finished fighting in a war with the earth, whose husband was literal hell and decided to torture Percy, the one who's unconscious" Tam resumed.
Della gasped in distress and Alden's face grew more worrisome.
"The one holding Percy is Leo, and the other is Nico." Linh continued after her brother.
Nico put his sword away as he realized the adults were not a threat.
"He's still being tortured in his sleep," Nico added quietly.
The silence of the moment was interrupted by a loud scream wracking its way through Percy's throat. Filled with pain and suffering, it shocked everyone into action.
"Follow me to the guest rooms," Alden said urgently.
"Dex!" Sophie turned to look at her long time friend, "Is Elwin here yet?"
"Yeah!" Dex exclaimed as the large group ran through the halls. "He's making his way to the guest rooms now."
Nico and Leo, who had been silent most of the time, exchanged another glance, this time of worry. One of Percy's episodes had never lasted that long, and the injuries were getting worse, soaking Leo in Percy's blood as well.
They reached the guest rooms and Leo, though wary to put Percy down, knew that he had no choice. He laid Percy gently on the bed, and held down his legs as Nico held down his arms.
"What! What are you doing!" Keefe exclaimed, "Aren't you hurting him?"
"No," Nico grunted out, "We're stopping him from hitting himself." Nico eventually got a good enough grip to command the shadows to restrain his friend instead.
"What?" Della exclaimed softly, "you're a shade as well?"
"No," Leo answered for him, "our abilities come from our parents. His father is Hades, Lord of the Underworld, so he has the ability to control shadows, the earth, the dead, bones, ghosts and other creepy stuff. Nico is also Ghost King, and heir to the Underworld. My father is Hephaestus, the god of fire and building stuff, so I am very good at building stuff and I can control fire, a gift Hephaestus's kids rarely get. Percy's dad is Poseidon, Lord if the Seas, so he can talk to all water animals, control water, and create earthquakes. He's also the Prince of the Seas."
Nico continued to concentrate on the task at hand while continuing Leo's story, "After fighting a war against our grandfather and Leo's great grandfather, Kronos, the Lord of Time. and his army, we had to fight in another war against the earth itself, Gaea whose our great grandmother and Leo's great great grandmother. While on a quest, I fell into Tartarus, Hell, also the embodiment of Gaea's husband. I found a way out. Later, Percy and his girlfriend fell in. They were captured by Tartarus and his monster army and were tortured. His girlfriend, my sister, our cousin, and another two of our friends died in that war."
By the end, Nico had captured all of their attention with his scarily quiet voice.
"How old are you?" Della asked tentatively, afraid of the answer.
"Fifteen," replied Leo.
"Fourteen," Nico said, "I was twelve in the first war."
"Percy's seventeen," Leo continued.
Everyone went silent as they realized the implications of those statements. Their thoughtful silence broken only by the sounds of Percy's whimpers was ended as Elwin rushes into the room with his travel kit and Bullhorn not far behind.
"That's Bullhorn, my pet," He said breathlessly. "So, what'd I miss?"