Archive of Our Own

The first time Will felt the aftermath was after the Labyrinth, when he was eleven years old, about to turn twelve.

Monsters had poured out of the Labyrinth, attacking anyone in sight. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, and Tyson appeared to help, along with another mysterious boy. Even that hadn't been enough to prevent death in the camp.

Two casualties, and multiple injuries across many campers. Some with deep lacerations or broken bones, others with minor scratches and sprains. They could be saved, but two were not so lucky.

The first casualty had been Castor, son of Dionysus. He had been stabbed in the arm, and hit in the head. They were too late to save him.

The other casualty was Lee Fletcher, counselor to the Apollo Cabin and head healer of camp. He was Will's oldest brother.

He had been crushed by a Laistrygonian’s club, beyond saving when Michael and Will got to him. Will watched as it happened, horrified.

Will remembers his lifeless eyes and crushed body, all the brightness from him stolen. It had made him want to vomit, but Michael pulled him away. Will tried to run back over and over to heal him, but Michael insisted there was nothing they could do. He refused to believe that, even if deep down he knew Lee was dead.

He screamed and screamed and fought against Michael until other demigods began yelling for a medic. They had duties to fulfill. Lee had been training him to be head medic one day. He had to leave his body there and follow Michael. He hoped Lee would forgive him. There was nothing to forgive, but he still felt like he failed him. Michael said Lee would want them to heal everyone else, so they did. Michael was more of a fighter than a healer, but Lee had taught him just the same, in case something happened to him. Will never imagined something would happen to him.

He would never forget Lee laying there lifeless and mangled, desperately wishing for one more smile from his oldest brother. Lee had welcomed him to camp when he arrived. Everyone loved Lee, and Will wanted to be like him one day.

Michael was now counselor and head medic. Michael was different. He was intense and impulsive, but he was also his brother. Michael loved him, and he knew his harsh orders were necessary, so Will followed his orders through the battlefield, healing everyone they could.

He couldn't save the one he cared about the most though.

At some point, he'd tripped and scraped his knee badly, but he ignored the searing pain to focus on the injured fighters. He had to conserve his energy. Will was not a fighter, and he felt like the others deserved to be healed before him. He weaved between the battlefield, singing hymns and performing emergency field procedures, ignoring the blood running down his own knee. Campers cried in pain, and his own pain felt miniscule compared to that horrible sound.

He'd never seen so much destruction and injury. Being a healer at camp meant he was used to treating injuries, but never on this scale.

Throughout the battle, a boy dressed in black caught his eye. He looked familiar, but Will couldn't be quite sure. He carried a sword with a blade dark as night, and he fainted after summoning skeletons to help fight. He'd wanted to rush over to him and get him out of harm's way, but Percy Jackson beat him to it. Michael had pulled him away to another camper with a broken leg, and he forgot about the boy.

When it was over, he sat quietly in the infirmary where Michael had put him. He healed his knee, and forced him to take a break. He'd begged to keep working, but Michael was firm, almost yelling at him. Lee would react differently, but he wasn't here anymore.

Michael is ill-tempered and loud. He snapped at others constantly, but he rarely ever snapped at Will. He was kind to Will. At least, his version of kind. Michael only yelled at Will when necessary, and always apologized after. He wasn't sure if Michael ever apologized to anyone other than his siblings. Michael was in charge now, so he had to listen. Will still didn't like being yelled at.

When he realized how broken Will looked, he softened his tone.

Michael wasn't known for his gentleness, but in that moment, he was as gentle as Lee. He sat next to Will and ran a hand through his blonde curls and told him to rest for a few minutes, before returning to his usual scowl as he went to work.

Will watched the campers with more severe injuries lay in the various cots as the other Apollo children checked on them. He still wanted to help, but Michael had been firm telling him his powers needed a break. His hands had started to burn. He watched helplessly as his siblings ran around the infirmary, wishing he was just a little stronger.

He could hear whispers of the funeral preparations for Lee and Castor, and he wondered what that would look like. He'd never seen the burial rites being performed the way the Greeks did it. He wondered if they would be taken to Elysium.

One of his older sisters, Katie, approached him to check in.

“Hey love, how are your hands?” She asked gently.

Will looked at her. She'd clearly been crying, but was trying to hide it for Will.

Was that what it meant to be a leader? To be strong even if you didn't feel it? She was the oldest after Michael, the second-in-command now. Katie was always sweet. She preferred music over archery and healing, but still learned all of it in preparation for these battles. Will regrets not having trained anything other than his healing. He hated fighting.

He held his hands out to show Katie. “Better,” Will mumbled.

They still burned slightly, but he was fine. He had a duty to fulfill. They were short a healer, and Will needed to fill that spot.

Katie smoothed out his hair and pulled him into a hug. She smelled like antiseptic and blood, but he still felt comforted. Katie's hugs were the best. She kissed his forehead gently. “Good. We're going to go out for the funerals. You don't have to come if it's too much,” she said.

Of course he wanted to come. He needed to see Lee sent off. He needed to say goodbye.

“I'm going,” he said.

Katie gave him a sad smile and held out her hand. Will took it and followed her out of the infirmary. Katie leaned down to kiss his forehead again before they were joined by the rest of their cabin. Michael wordlessly took Will's hand from Katie's and walked with him all the way to where the bodies had been prepared. Michael was tense, and his grip was rough, but Will still instinctively walked closer to his brother, seeking out his warmth.

“I know how much you loved Lee. I'll do my best to take care of you,” he whispered to Will.

He looked at Michael and for the first time, he saw what looked like tears threatening to fall from his eyes. A rare show of emotion from Michael. Will was one of the youngest in the cabin and was doted on by most of the Apollo kids, but Michael and Lee had taken to him the most. He knew Michael would take care of him, but nothing would be the same without Lee.

They watched as Chiron read the funeral rites, and Will's eyes landed on the same boy from before, who was overseeing the funeral behind Chiron. Getting a closer look, he realized it was Nico di Angelo, the boy who disappeared last winter.

He was a child of Hades.

Will had wanted to be his friend when he first came to camp, but rarely had time to play when his cabin was training him to be a healer. He showed promise as a healer, so they made sure he would be prepared for an emergency. He'd only gotten to talk to Nico twice, and not for very long. Nico looked sad. Maybe he could talk to him, and they could be friends now.

He was able to say his final goodbyes to Lee, and he promised him that he would become a better healer to make him proud. Lee's legacy would live on through him, he decided.

The funerals ended, and Michael asked Will if he was ready to go back to the infirmary, but he asked to stay behind for a few minutes. Michael agreed, but told him to come back when he was ready.

Will stared at Nico, who was still standing in the shadows looking lost. He approached slowly, hoping he wouldn't walk away.

“Hi. Are you Nico?” He asked.

Nico stared at him, then nodded. He looked so tired.

“You probably don't remember me, but I'm Will. My dad is Apollo. I just wanted to see if you were ok. I'm a healer, and I saw you faint earlier,” he said.

“I'm fine,” he said quickly, frowning.

Will didn't understand why he was acting like this. Maybe that's why he looked so sad, he didn't know how to accept help. Will decided to drop it. He should ask if Nico wanted to hang out and show him that he could have a friend.

“Okay. Are you going to stay at camp? We could be friends, if you want,” Will said.

Nico looked at him in surprise before turning into a scowl. His dark eyes looked scared and untrusting.

“I'm not staying, I don't belong here,” he said.

“But-” Will tried to object before Nico interrupted him.

“No. I have to go,” he said firmly as he pushed past Will.

He walked a few steps before stopping and turning again. His scowl had lessened, and his eyes looked a bit softer.

“I'm sorry about your brother,” he said before actually walking away.

Will watched him leave, feeling like he could have done more to help him. Nico looked just as sad as Will was. Despite the anger in him, he still gave his condolences. Nico was nice behind the walls he had built. He hoped he would come back and stay for good one day.

Will returned to the infirmary and got back to work. He could drown out the sorrows if he buried himself in healing. Michael and Katie weren't crying, so he shouldn't be either. After a few hours of tending the different patients, he was dragged away to dinner by his siblings. Dinner was quiet. His friend Cecil from the Hermes Cabin hugged him before joining his siblings. Cecil knew how he felt in a way, he'd also lost a brother. He'd lost Luke Castellan.

Will heard what happened to Luke, and he wondered what that meant for the impending war. Kronos was coming, and they had a year to prepare. Will had a year to get better at healing, so he could save everyone. He caught sight of Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and the child of the Great Prophecy.

Percy is supposed to save them, but he looked just as shaken as the rest of them. They still had a year before his sixteenth birthday to prepare, so maybe Percy would figure something out. He's managed to complete every quest he's been on so far, so he had to win against Kronos as well.

He watched Percy disappear after Nico into the forest, hoping he'd convince him to stay.

He could understand why Nico wouldn't want to stay. He knew who his father was, but had no cabin of his own. Nobody would feel welcome like that. He wondered how many other unclaimed demigods remained like that because their parent had no cabin. The Hermes table was always full, with demigods who had been at camp for years without being claimed. That's why Luke betrayed them, because he felt betrayed by the gods.

Luke was claimed, but he had to welcome the countless demigods who might never be claimed. The Hermes cabin was always full, both with unclaimed children and Hermes children. Travis and Connor Stoll were left in charge of the cabin after Luke betrayed the camp, and he hoped they wouldn't end up like him.

He hoped Nico wouldn't end up like that, either. He didn't think he would, though. He wouldn't have come back to help them if he was like Luke. It must be terrible to not feel like you belong. Will had camp, and he had his home with his mom. Everyone deserved to have somewhere to call home, including Nico. He wondered if maybe he had a place in the Underworld to stay at least.

Will thought about his mom, who was busy working on her next album. He'd be going home to her after this summer, but he knew he couldn't tell her what happened. She would worry too much, and maybe not let him come back. The camp needed as many healers as possible for the war, so he couldn't afford to be kept from camp next summer. He would cherish the school year spent with her in Texas, knowing it could possibly be his last. He would go home, and no one would know he watched his brother die. He would pretend like everything was alright, and return next summer ready to face the war at only thirteen years old.

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The second time he felt the aftermath was after Manhattan.

Will was exhausted.

The war against Kronos was over, but the battle was nowhere near its end. There were injuries to tend to, and the Apollo cabin had dwindled down to a mere three members.

Thirteen year old Will Solace, twelve year old Austin Lake, and eleven year old Kayla Knowles. All of them still children, as was every other Camp Half-Blood demigod that fought in the war, but they were responsible for all the healing in their makeshift infirmary.

Many casualties were suffered, but the Apollo Cabin seemed to have been hit the hardest.

Just a few days ago, they had been one of the more populated cabins at camp, and now more than half of the Apollo kids had been killed or lost.

He watched many other siblings fall to monsters or rogue demigods, unable to get to them quick enough. Will Solace was the oldest one left, and was thrown into the position of counselor mid-war after watching his older brother Michael collapse with the bridge.

He couldn't get the image out of his head. He watched as Kayla and Austin made it safely to where Will was stationed, and pulled them into a fierce hug to shield them from seeing Michael fall to his death. Will remembered trying to scream. He tried to scream at Michael to move, but he was frozen, left to hold on to his younger siblings, refusing to let them turn around. All that was left was Percy Jackson. He made the bridge collapse, but it had been Michael’s idea.

Will wanted to hate Percy for letting Michael die, but deep down he knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't even had time to consider hating Percy, because he was promptly whisked away by the son of Poseidon to heal Annabeth.

The look in his eyes when he found Will made him not resent Percy for the death of his older brother. Michael was his friend, and he looked so desperate and mournful, so Will knew he did what he had to do. He followed the older boy and save someone's life. Percy tried to be as gentle as he could with Will as they made their way, but Annabeth was dying and they needed to move.

He'd only gotten a few minutes to process what he had just seen before he was on the back of a motorcycle with the older demigod, leaving behind his remaining siblings with a few older campers, who promised to keep them safe.

Healing Annabeth had healed something in him, at least for a moment. He got to make sure his friend survived. He'd known Annabeth for three years at that point, and he adored her. She was kind, and guided him when Lee or Michael or Katie were busy. He was thankful he had the chance to save her. If only he could have saved any of his siblings.

After Kronos was defeated, their makeshift infirmary was in chaos. Will was now head healer at only thirteen, and he had to heal anyone he could alongside his siblings. Kayla and Austin hadn’t been fully trained in healing yet, focusing more on their combat skills, but they did their best. Other campers who were able helped out with simple things, but Will was the only skilled healer available. He sang hymns and used his powers until his hands burned.

Someone, he wasn't quite sure who, had forced him to sit for a moment after he'd almost fainted and shoved a piece of ambrosia in his mouth. It tasted like his mom's apple pie, but not even that was comforting to him at the moment. All he could think about was the fact that he should be doing more. If he was stronger or a better healer, maybe they wouldn't have lost so many friends and siblings. If he'd put any effort into actually learning archery, maybe he could have helped in the fight. Healing was important, but he never felt like he was doing enough.

His name was called out from all directions once he rejoined the healing efforts, asking him what to do, or where the ambrosia was. It went on for hours, and it was overwhelming. There had been no time to grieve any of his siblings, and he hadn't felt like he was allowed to cry. The head medic couldn't cry. Too many people relied on him, and if he let himself cry, the morale would break. Michael told him the head medic had to be the strongest one in the army. He had to be strong and push aside his feelings, especially for his younger siblings.

He never felt it was fair that he had to be brave. Why wasn't his father here to help him? Did Apollo even care that he'd lost so many children? Did he even care that the ones that were left were being overworked to the brink of exhaustion? Did any of the gods care that they just fought on their behalf to save everyone? Why were children expected to be the ones to fix the gods’ mistakes? They wouldn't be in this situation if the gods' hadn't ignored their children. Maybe Luke wouldn't have been driven to madness and anger if the gods' showed even a little care.

He could understand Luke, to a degree. He'd never do something like what he did, but he could understand why he'd done it. He just wished there had been some other solution that didn't involve the loss of so many lives. Luke was the reason he lost his siblings, but he couldn't bring himself to hate him. His siblings wouldn't want him to harbor hateful feelings towards anyone. Almost all of his siblings. Michael might have encouraged it. He would have laughed at the thought, if it didn't make him want to rip his heart out of his chest.

He thought about his mom, who was somewhere on tour, unaware of what was happening. He never told her the details of his life, but she knew it wasn't great. When she dropped him off at camp for the summer, he gave her a long hug, in case it was his last. She didn't ask what was going on, but he suspected she had a rough idea. He'd give anything to melt into one of her hugs right now, but he didn't have time to think about it, he had too many responsibilities now.

Will weaved through different patients, stitching deep lacerations and applying healing salve, attempting to save his healing abilities for the worst of the cases. Some cases were impossible, but he still tried to revive them, even if he knew they wouldn't make it.

Michael’s words rang in his head, what he had told him after Lee’s death when he didn't try to heal him. Michael had said he was too far gone, and that they had to save their energy for someone else. He hated that, but he knew Michael was right.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to not try. He felt like he owed it to everyone to at least try. He couldn't fight to protect anyone, so this was all he could do.

Lee and Michael had told him he was the best healer camp had seen in years, but he found that hard to believe right now as so many demigods had died despite his best efforts.

After what felt like hours, the last of the healing was done, and the counselors had been invited up to Olympus, which now included Will.

He followed the other counselors, exhausted physically and mentally, to the elevator leading up to the gods' domain. Clarisse had found him, and laid a hand on his shoulder. She'd given him a simple “sorry, kid” but her eyes showed a deep guilt and sadness, something he'd never seen from the Ares counselor.

Clarisse and Michael had ended on bad terms over the chariot, and she had refused to come fight until Silena posed as her to lead the Ares cabin to battle. After she died, Clarisse fought harder than ever. She helped turn the tide, but he knew she blamed herself partially for the deaths that happened before she arrived, especially the Apollo kids. He couldn't bring himself to hate her either. Clarisse felt guilty enough about Silena.

Silena turned out to be a traitor, but she died trying to help them. Silena was a hero, and a victim. She'd always been kind to everyone, including Will, and Katie was friends with Silena, so she would want Will to remember her kindly.

He hoped they would meet again in Elysium.

The ride up the elevator was silent, save for the horribly cheerful tune that played all the way up. None of them could bring themselves to speak. Some of the counselors, like Percy and Annabeth, were already in Olympus, having finished the battle against Kronos up there. He wondered if either of them needed healing, or if one of the gods had already done it.

The doors slid open, revealing the destruction of Olympus. They were led to the throne room, which was miraculously repaired, where the gods stood with Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood in the middle of the room. The gods seem to work fast to fix what is theirs. Why couldn't they help fix camp after the Labyrinth?

What really caught his eye though, was Nico di Angelo, sitting at his father's feet, smiling. Something he had not seen Nico do since he'd first arrived to camp a few years ago.

He remembered Nico from back then. He was cheerful and talkative, and they'd even hung out after he helped Michael heal Nico from an accidental self-injury via sword. Will had wanted to be his friend ever since that moment, but then he disappeared. He'd been disappointed, but didn't have much time to really think about it since Lee and Michael had been training his healing skills nearly every day in preparation for emergencies.

Then Nico came back, for a single day after the events of the labyrinth. After Lee had died. He watched as Nico helped with the burial rites of the fallen campers, but he had looked different. He'd looked…sad and defeated. Will had wanted to talk to him, to show him he had a friend at camp, even if they'd only spoken once.

He had tried, but Nico hadn't been very open to friendship. He brushed him off, but still offered his condolences for Lee before disappearing again.

He didn't see Nico again until he showed up in Manhattan with three gods at his side, personally challenging Kronos. He'd turned the tides of the battle, restoring hope when it had gone.

Nico was a hero.

He could hear the gods talking to Percy, but his focus remained on the son of Hades. He looked worse than he had after the Labyrinth, despite the slight smile he donned. On the outside, Nico looked small and fragile, but he had seen the way he fought. He was fast and talented with a sword, killing any monster that got in his way. Will wondered where he'd learned to fight.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bright light approaching him. It was a boy who looked just a bit older than Percy, with sandy hair and perfect features. He looked like a typical surfer in casual clothing, but there was something… godly about him.

He realized suddenly that this teenager was his father. He'd never met Apollo in person, only in the occasional dream where he forced him to listen to his latest poem or listen to him play his lyre. Apollo did this with all of his children, but would occasionally speak to some of them normally to warn them of a prophecy, or just to check in when he remembered he had children. Lee and Michael had gotten messages from Apollo before, maybe because they had both been counselors.

Maybe that meant he'd start hearing more from his father as the new counselor. He wasn't sure if he wanted that.

“Your mother…she is Naomi Solace, yes?” Apollo asked.

Will stared at him before finally mustering the courage to speak. “Yes, she is.”

Apollo smiled. “Your mother is a lovely woman. You look like her. She named you William?”

“I go by Will,” he answered automatically, then froze, afraid he had spoken out of turn.

Apollo just chuckled. “Will. You are counselor to my cabin now, and I hear you are an experienced healer. I wanted to wish you luck as you take over this position. It is…unfortunate that your brothers and sisters lost their lives, and I wish I could have done more to help, but we have rules we must follow. I will do my best to check on you and your siblings when I'm able through your dreams. I'm sorry, Will,” he said.

Apollo sounded almost genuine. Maybe the gods did care, but that didn't mean they were good parents. Will still had to shoulder the burden of his siblings’ deaths, and still had to pretend like he was strong for the sake of the camp, and Apollo wasn't going to help him with that.

He had to go back down there and guide Kayla and Austin, and make sure they were ok. He had to check in on injured campers and take over the infirmary upon their return to camp. He had to do all of this on his own.

Still, he knew he had to thank his father. He suspected gods don't take kindly to being ignored or disrespected.

“Thank you, father. I'll make sure to keep the cabin and the infirmary running,” he said.

Apollo clapped him on the shoulder. “I should go. It was nice speaking to you, Will. Good luck.”

Apollo walked back to the other gods, standing next to a young girl who he assumed was Artemis, and Thalia Grace. Some of the gods' appearances confused him, but he couldn't think about that right now.

Despite his feelings, he still hoped Apollo would stay true to his word and check in on him.

He scanned the room, noticing Nico had disappeared, and he almost wondered if he had left again, until he found him speaking with Percy.

They are all ushered back towards the elevator to join the rest of the survivors in Manhattan. On their way back, he learned Percy turned down an offer of immortality, and also forced the gods to promise to claim their children by the age of thirteen. He also promised to build cabins for other gods, so their children had a place to live. He wondered if that meant a cabin for Hades as well. For Nico.

Nico rode the elevator with them, but did not speak to anyone but Percy and Annabeth. At least it seemed he might have friends, although it almost felt like the two boys were wary of each other.

The trip back to camp was somber at best. He sat with his two siblings and held them as they cried, not allowing himself to join them. He could cry later, in his cabin where no one could see him. Apollo appeared at camp after Rachel Elizabeth Dare became the new Oracle of Delphi, and stopped to speak with Will once more before leaving. He

Will realized as head counselor he had to oversee his siblings' funerals. All the head counselors had to do it if they lost any siblings. There were numerous shining gold shrouds to prepare for his siblings, which his father helped acquire. He was not the most comforting, but Will supposed it was better than nothing to go from never having met his father to seeing him twice in one day. He did not stay for the funerals, leaving Will alone to comfort his siblings.

The bodies they were able to recover were prepared for proper burial, which Nico oversaw once again.

He wondered what would happen to people like Michael, whose body had been lost in the rubble of the bridge. He would never be sent to the Underworld properly. He would have no coin to pay Charon with. He hoped that somehow Michael and anyone else who had been lost would still make it to Elysium.

The funerals were filled with tears, but Will still could not bring himself to cry. He remained stoic, and even comforted others. He was the head healer, that was his job now.

He said goodbye to his siblings, even the ones who could not be given the proper burial, and sent his two younger siblings to rest.

Most of the campers had left, but a few had lingered to offer their final goodbyes to their friends and siblings. Nico stayed behind as well, but stood in the shadows, watching. Will decided he should try to speak to him. He could ask if he knew what would happen to Michael. He could try to offer him friendship again.

“Nico?” He said as he approached.

Nico looked shocked that someone had spoken to him, jumping a little at Will's voice. He stared at Will with dark eyes and he took in all of his features. Nico's cheeks were slightly hollow, and the bags of his eyes were dark and tired, but he still looked… oddly ethereal. Will felt something shift in his heart, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Nico shook off his surprise, returning to his unreadable expression.

“You're Will. I remember you, after the Labyrinth. I'm sorry, I know you just lost a lot of siblings,” he said quietly.

Will swallowed, but he still refused to cry. He'd heard the same thing over and over from everyone, but something about hearing Nico say it felt different. Will had heard about the death of Nico's sister, and how much it had affected him.

“Thank you. I'm sorry about your sister, I never got to tell you that,” Will said.

Nico looked away, pressing his lips together tightly, and Will felt like he'd said the wrong thing. Before he could apologize, Nico spoke again.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” he managed.

Will stayed quiet for a few moments before asking his real question.

“I was wondering…. about my brother, Michael. His body was lost and we couldn't send him off correctly. Do you know what happened to him and the others?” He asked.

Nico hesitated, then sighed. “This probably isn't the answer you want to hear, but their souls are lost.”

Will's heart dropped. Michael didn't deserve to be a lost soul wandering the Underworld. He should be in Elysium, as should the rest of the lost demigods. They should have looked harder for their bodies. Nico seemed to notice the way his face fell and hurried to speak again.

“I'm going to speak to my father, and I'll find them and take them to Elysium as soon as I'm able,” he said.

Will met his dark eyes again. Behind the dark and mysterious demeanor, there was kindness. He believed Nico, and he knew his siblings would make it to Elysium.

“Thank you, Nico. You're a good person,” he whispered.

He watched Nico look away, like he was embarrassed. It was almost…cute, in a way.

Why did he think Nico was cute?

“I should go. I have to get my cabin built,” Nico said, avoiding eye contact with Will.

“Does that mean you're staying this time?” Will asked, not caring to hide the hope in his voice.

“Yes. For now, at least,” he said. His voice was strained, like he didn't want to stay.

Despite the way Nico answered, Will found himself smiling for the first time in days.

“I'm glad. Maybe we could hang out some time? If you want. I'll be pretty busy taking over the infirmary and everything, but maybe once everything settles down we can do something together,” he suggested.

Nico met his eyes again, seemingly considering the offer in his head. Will realized how captivating Nico is.

Was this a crush? Will didn't even know he liked boys. He pushed it away, feeling bad that he was thinking about crushes when he had just lost so many siblings.

“Maybe. Good luck with the infirmary, and I'll try to update you about Michael if anything changes,” Nico answered before turning to leave.

Will watched him go, feeling the first sense of hope he'd felt in days. He really hoped Nico would stick around this time. He looked like he needed a friend, and Will needed one as well.

He returned to the infirmary and sat at the desk Lee and Michael once sat at. Everything about this felt wrong, like he wasn't meant to be sitting here yet. He was only thirteen, and the weight of the world had fallen onto his shoulders seconds after watching his brother fall to his death. This shouldn't be happening to him, but it did, and he had to accept it.

They prepared him for this moment, knowing it was possible. Will never imagined it would come true.

The infirmary was finally empty, and the silence was killing him, so he decided to go to his cabin. Campers said hello to him as he walked, and he put on his bravest face, faking smiles and soft responses.

As soon as he entered his cabin, the facade fell. He saw Kayla and Austin sitting in the beds of their fallen siblings, going through various drawings and journals that had been left behind. They were both crying, but stopped when Will walked in. There was silence as they stared at each other, until Will finally collapsed and let the tears fall. The tears he had kept locked away for days spilled out in horrible sobs.

His siblings rushed towards him and threw themselves at Will. They held each other as they cried for what felt like an eternity. The cabin was filled with the sounds of sobs and sniffles, when it was once filled with laughter and music. The light had been taken from their cabin, and Will knew he would have to bring it back for Kayla and Austin.

Will pulled away, but kept his arms around the two younger Apollo children, and placed a soft kiss on the top of their heads, much like Katie would have done.

“We're gonna be okay,” he murmured, partially to himself.

He wasn't sure how much he truly believed it, but he had to pretend for his siblings.

Kayla looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked exhausted. She looks so young and scared.

“We love you, Will. We're gonna get better at healing so you're not alone, and we'll protect you always,” she said quietly.

Austin looked up as well. “Yeah. We're gonna help you and we're gonna make sure nothing ever happens to you,” he added.

He stared at his young siblings. They weren't that much younger than Will, but right now they looked tiny and fragile, and it broke Will's heart. Even as tiny and fragile as they looked, they were reminding him that he isn't alone. It was up to them to keep the cabin going.

He'll miss his siblings dearly, but he has to live in the present, for Kayla and Austin. They need someone to look up to, and to take care of them, and that job falls to Will now. He vowed to himself that he would always make sure they were safe and happy. He vowed to himself to be the sunshine of camp, to make sure no one felt the way he did right now.

He would lead with the kindness of Lee and Katie and many other siblings, and the loyalty and bravery of Michael. He will honor all of his siblings.

The head medic has to be strong, and Will was ready to be strong.

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The third time he felt the aftermath was after the battle against Gaea.

In the time between Manhattan and Gaea, Will had become the camp’s golden boy. Shining healer with a smile that rivaled his own father's. He was popular around camp, and everyone relied on him to be level-headed and smart. He learned to hide his pain and fake smiles. He ran the infirmary with the help of his two younger siblings, rarely having a moment of rest.

When Percy disappeared and Annabeth went off to find him, Will was left as one of the senior counselors. He was expected to run the infirmary, welcome new campers, and run first aid classes. He did all of it without complaint. He was the head medic, he had no time to complain.

Lee never complained, so he wouldn't either.

Will also stayed at camp year round now, as he decided to take on the full responsibility of head medic. His mom had been worried, but Will managed to reassure her. He even convinced her he'd be safer at camp now that he was older.

If only his mom knew what was really going on. He could never tell her the reality of his life. He had to shoulder the burden on his own. He left his mom behind to come back to camp indefinitely.

Not that he would have left his responsibilities as head medic to hide away with his mom on tour. Everyone relied on him and he couldn't let them down. He had to honor his deceased siblings and protect Kayla and Austin, although he still wasn't much of a fighter. He was brave though, willing to try anything, even deliver a baby.

His hands shook after he delivered Mellie’s baby. No one ever showed him how to deliver a baby, it had never come up, much less the baby of a cloud nymph and a satyr, but he had to do it. It was his responsibility. He still couldn't fight so he did the one thing he could; He played doctor at only fifteen, as was expected of him since he arrived at camp years ago.

He was good at it. Great, even. Chiron said he was the best healer he'd seen in decades, and that meant something to Will. His own father had trained Chiron, centuries and centuries ago, and Chiron had trained countless heroes. It had to mean something if Chiron said he was a great healer. Although, it still wasn't enough to make him truly believe it. He has saved countless lives, but he has also lost many others. If he was as great as he was told, why did they die? So he had to keep learning and practicing, hoping one day it would be enough to keep everyone alive.

After the delivery, he knew had to get out there. He might be needed for his medic services, but most of all, he just needed to get out of the infirmary. Delivering a baby shook him to his core, and he needed to get the nervous energy out somehow. He had spotted his friends Cecil and Lou Ellen preparing to scout the Roman defenses on the outskirts of camp and approached them, asking to join them. Cecil and Lou Ellen had looked at him skeptically. They did not doubt his abilities, but they also knew he was not a fighter. If something happened, he could get hurt. Will hadn't cared, he just needed to do something.

After slight bickering with his friends, he was dressed in black with streaks of paint on his face along with his friends, shrouded in mist by Lou Ellen. They were scouting out an enemy tent, planning to take out some of the onagers they had set up, when a figure emerged from the shadows.

Nico di Angelo, wearing a dirty Hawaiian shirt, looking worse than he'd ever looked, had just appeared in front of them. His face was sunken in and ghostly pale, and he looked beat up and exhausted. And yet, Will had never been happier to see him.

He approached him, perhaps somewhat carelessly, ignoring his friends objections.

“Nico?” He whispered.

Nico whipped around, eyes wide, and lunged at Will. Before he knew it, he was being pinned down by the son of Hades with his stygian iron sword at his throat.

He blinked at Nico.

Nico was beautiful, even though he looked on the verge of death. He also realized there was a sword at his throat.

“Put that down, it's me! What are you doing here?” Will hissed.

Nico stared at him, then slowly lowered his weapon.

“Me? What are you doing here? Trying to get yourselves killed?” He hissed back.

Nico was in terrible condition. Will could sense it just by standing near him. He had to check his vitals somehow. Before anything, he was head medic. It was his job.

“We're scouting. We took all the necessary precautions,” he said, gesturing at their clothes.

Nico stared at him in disbelief. “You dressed in black, with the sun coming up. You painted your face but didn’t cover that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag.”

Will was speechless. No one has spoken to him like that before. Everyone always spoke kindly to him. They had to. He could heal them.

But Nico didn't. Although his words weren't necessarily mean. It still took him by surprise.

“Lou Ellen covered us in mist, we're fine,” he managed to say.

Lou Ellen poked her head out and waved, blushing slightly. She always got flustered easily.

“Hi. You're Nico? I've heard a lot about you, and this is Cecil from the Hermes cabin,” she said, gesturing at Cecil.

Will glanced at her. He wondered what she'd heard. He hasn't told anyone about his crush, but has spoken about Nico a few times. Maybe that was it. They couldn't delve into that right now. He had to make sure Nico was okay.

Nico crouched with them and asked about Coach Hedge. He was surprisingly excited to learn about the birth of the baby, even smiling at the news. His smile was lopsided, like it caused him physical pain to emote like that, but it still illuminated his whole face.

“I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a baby?” He asked, getting flashbacks to the experience.

Nico scowled. His scowl was cute.

“No?” He answered, confused.

Here was his chance.

“I needed fresh air after that. That's why I volunteered to come out here. My hands are still shaking, see?” He said as he reached out to grab Nico's hand.

He checked his vitals as quickly as possible, and he'd never felt anything like that before. Nico was playing with fire, mere steps away from joining his father forever.

He couldn't allow that.

Nico snatches his hand back. “We don't have time for this. The Romans are attacking and I-” he started to say.

Will knew he wanted to use his powers. Coach Hedge warned him that his powers were killing him.

“We're well aware, but you're absolutely not using your shadow travel or whatever,” he said firmly.

“Excuse me?” He hissed. Nico was mad.

Will didn't care. He could deal with a temper. He dealt with Michael’s temper well enough.

“Coach Hedge told me all about it. I'm not letting you try again,” Will said.

They bickered, and he felt the watchful eyes of Lou Ellen and Cecil. He would hear about this later.

Nico finally agrees, and together they make their way over.

Will knows he has no weapon. He's scared, but he can't show it. Camp counselors don't get scared.

Cecil messes with the onagers and Will wishes he could be useful like that, but he was only a healer. People tell him healing is the most important thing, but his siblings could fight and heal. He thinks he should have learned to fight. His siblings won't be honored if he is weak.

Unfortunately, Lou Ellen's mist trick was failing, and Will improvised. He found himself running. He had no other way to help but run with Roman guards following him. At least his friends were out of harm's way for now. Nico saves him eventually, and lets out a scathing remark of how stupid that was. Will knew it was stupid, but it was brave. He contributed something.

Maybe his siblings would be proud.

The Romans are aware of their presence now. The mist stopped working, and the fear crept back in.

He had to be brave like Michael.

Nico decided to summon skeletons and nearly collapsed. Will caught him, feeling angry at his stupidity, and extremely concerned for his well-being. He will not lose Nico. He will not fail someone else. He holds Nico close and shoves medicinal gum in his mouth. This would not fix him, but it would keep him alive long enough.

“Don't do that again, death boy,” Will said.

He tried to channel the kindness of Katie at first, but that didn't work with Nico. He had to be firm and just as stubborn as the son oh Hades.

Nico hated the nickname and Will wanted to keep using it.

They were interrupted by a Roman. He was followed by an army. He wore his father's symbol.

He didn't look like he deserved to be a child of Apollo. Will was angry now.

He calls them graecus saboteurs and sends monsters towards them.

Nico raised his sword, but he was in no condition to fight them off like this. Will did the one thing he could do. He whistled.

It rang through the camp, stopping everyone in their tracks. Nico takes advantage of the confusion and strikes down the monsters. He really liked watching Nico fight.

This malnourished Roman continues to insult him, and Will gets angrier. He had to keep it down, he couldn't lose his cool out here. Anger was not an emotion he allowed himself to show.

The Roman is now addressing Nico directly. He learns Nico has been going back and forth from both camps for months. The Roman is not happy about this.

Will’s anger bubbles to the surface after he hears Nico say he would be leaving both camps for good.

Will thinks Nico di Angelo is an idiot.

“Why would you say that?”

Nico glares at him. “It's none of your business. I don't belong here. Or anywhere. No one wants me to be here,” he snarls.

Will wants him here. He's wanted him here since the Labyrinth when he offered condolences for Lee despite the anger he held.

Lee could handle this better. He wishes Lee was here. He would have never spoken the way Will was about to speak. Maybe Michael would have, and that thought almost made him laugh.

“Oh please. Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends – or at least people who would like to be your friend. You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once-"

The Roman interrupted him. Will wants to rip his head off, then pushes that feeling away. Healers don't do that, and that was his only job.

Nico looked stunned, but they had no time to talk about it.

The Roman claimed to have been shown the future by Apollo. That was impossible.

Was it impossible? Or had Apollo ignored Will and chosen to betray him?

No. This Roman was lying. He hated liars. He couldn't control his anger any longer.

“No! I am a son of Apollo, you anemic loser. My father hasn’t shown anyone the future, because the power of prophecy isn’t working.”

The Roman, who he learns is named Octavian, continues to spout nonsense. Will wants to hit him, but they are interrupted by the ground rumbling.

Gaea was rising.

The anger was replaced with fear once again.

Octavian threatens Nico again. Will realizes Octavian has lost his mind.

Katie always told him to never give up on someone if they might still be saved from their doom. He would try to reason with him for Katie.

“Please don't do this Octavian. Don't divide your people. This is your last chance,” he pleaded.

It clearly doesn't work, and Will feels like he's failed someone else, even if it's not his fault.

Everything that happens next is a blur. The onagers Cecil messed with destroyed themselves when the Romans attempted to fire, but Clarisse still decides to declare war, throwing everything to chaos.

Will quickly remembers he is not a fighter. He has no use on the battlefield. He prepared to run, when he caught glimpse of the Athena Parthenos. He whistled again, forcing everyone to stop fighting long enough to see the statue appear. It worked, but there was still an army of monsters to fight. He wondered where Kayla and Austin were beating himself up mentally for not knowing. He should know, he's responsible for them.

He runs, leaving Nico to fight alongside the Greeks and Romans, surveying the scene. Injuries were already occurring. He had to go.

He weaved through monsters and demigods, thinking about the Labyrinth, the way Michael led him through the chaos. He had no one to guide him this time. He healed everyone he could. Some were too far gone, but he still tried.

Michael would have yelled at him, but Michael wasn't here.

He finally saw his brother and sister, shooting arrows from a distance. He prayed that they wouldn't be taken from him. They were all he had left.

He realizes he has no supplies, and his hands are already burning. He would have to run back to the infirmary for nectar and ambrosia. People will die in my absence, he thought. He already feels like he's failing as head medic. He'll cry about it later, when he's alone, probably.

He grabs ambrosia and nectar and rushes back into battle. Kayla and Austin have joined him. They begin to heal as well. He prays again that they will stay safe.

He finds dead bodies he was unable to heal. He moves them out of the way so they can be buried properly later. No one deserved to be a lost soul.

Will briefly wondered if Nico stayed true to his words, and led everyone to Elysium.

He heals more, before spotting Octavian attempting to fire the onagers. He had to stop him, but he had no weapon.

He spots Nico and he knows he will help him. Nico fought gracefully despite his dwindling life force. Will approached him and yelled in his ear. Nico nods tells Jason he has to go, and together they find Octavian.

There is chaos in the sky, as Leo dragon grabs Gaea. They had to focus on Octavian, but he hoped Leo was alright.

Octavian cannot be reasoned with, but Will had to try. Katie would be disappointed if he didn't try. Will sees he had gotten tangled up in an onager, although Octavian had not noticed, and he would die if he fired it. Will had to stop him, even if he didn't like him.

“Octavian. Get away from there. It's not safe,” he said calmly.

Octavian disagrees. He believes it will kill Gaea, and that the gods approve of his actions. No one really knows what the gods approved of, especially now, but he hoped this wasn't it. It couldn't be it. Octavian was mislead, and he hoped it truly hadn't been by his father.

Nico is angry, and Will can tell the son of Hades wants to slash at Octavian with his sword. Will had to try again.

“This is not what Apollo would want. And your robes-” he attempts to say.

“You know nothing, Graecus scum! I will fire this onager and I will single-handedly save everyone,” Octavian yelled.

Octavian begins to set up the onager, and Will panics. He tries to stop him, but Nico intervenes.

“Will, we can't stop him,” he said gravely.

Will stares at Nico. Does he expect him to allow Octavian to kill himself? Nico stared back. There was certainty in his eyes, like he knew a secret Will did not. He is a child of Hades, so maybe he did know a secret, and Will decides he trusts Nico’s judgement.

He hopes his deceased siblings wouldn't be disappointed in him for this.

His name is called. It's Kayla. He runs in her direction, leaving Nico alone after Octavian launches himself into the sky.

Will has just allowed a death to happen. He feels like he has failed again, but there was no time to dwell on it, Kayla needed him.

He helped her heal the Roman demigod, and pointed him to the infirmary to recover. Austin joins them, and together they move through the battlefield, protecting Will as he heals.

He should be the one protecting them, he thought.

Will is exhausted. The fighting ends, but the healer’s job is never done.

His third major battle at only fifteen. He is also in charge of the camp's well-being, and now is also in charge of the Roman camp's well-being.

All he could think about is if Nico was safe.

Once the final demigod had been treated and everyone was stable, he stepped outside. He wanted to cry, but it wasn't the time. Nico was in the distance, preparing to oversee the funerals once again. Will decided he would talk to Nico after, just as he had done the previous times there had been funerals.

For the first time, no Apollo burial shrouds were in sight. Kayla and Austin had not been taken from him, thank the gods. Octavian was a descendant of Apollo, but his body was gone. Will wondered what would happen to him in the Underworld. He did not die a hero, but in the end he was just a teenager like they all were.

The funerals concluded and he hugged his siblings.

“I love you both,” he said. It was all he could say.

They hugged him back and Kayla kissed his cheek while Austin kissed his head.

Their siblings would be proud of what they had become.

Will saw Nico, once again hiding in the shadows. He approached him. This was a familiar feeling.

“Hi,” Will said.

“Hi,” Nico answered.

They stared at each other. Nico still looked close to death, but he was alive.

“I'm glad you're alive,” Will said quietly.

Nico looked away but still replied. “I'm glad you are as well. I'm glad…your siblings are okay.”

Will took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

They were silent. Will had so much more to say, but it wouldn't come out. He had to go back to the infirmary and check on everyone.

“I should go now. I hope I see you around, Nico,” he said.

Will didn't wait for a response, but Nico called out to him.

*Michael. And everyone else. They're in Elysium. I found them,” he said.

Will smiled, glad to hear good news finally.

“Thank you, Nico,” he said.

He returned to the infirmary, back to his job as healer. People smile at him as he enters, and he smiles back. For once, the smile is genuine. He checks on his patients, and he is thanked by each one for saving them.

Maybe he is only a healer, but he is a good one. Every one in this room was healed by him or his siblings. They are alive because of them.

His siblings and friends were in Elysium.

They would be proud of who he has become, he thinks

Maybe he would never be truly okay, but he could continue to heal, and help others deal with the aftermath of war.

Will Solace is a talented healer. He'll believe that one day.