Darkness & Sea Go Hand-in-Hand [Hiatus]

10

Out in the distance, it became clear what Annabeth was interrupting them for:

A large tornado, with lightning and debris around it.

"There isn't usually tornadoes in Arizona" Nico said in confusion.. "Even when there is, they're not that bad!"

As far away as they were, it was still able to tear the hood clean off, and start pulling the car closer.

Annabeth tried putting the car in reverse and slamming her foot as hard as she could on the gas, it was no use.

Nico scanned frantically, looking for something to help.

Not too far in the distance, a tree was still barely standing, a large shadow beneath.

"Annabeth!" Nico shouted, his voice barely audible through the wind getting louder and louder outside. "Try driving to that tree!"

Annabeth, as she pushed the peddle down harder, looked at the tree and saw the shadow. Once she got what Nico was planning, she tried to turn the car, but to no avail.

"It won't budge!" she shouted. "Any other plans, because I can't think of any!"

Percy pressed his hands to the front window.

"Well, I can sense a lot of water in it! Maybe I could-"

Nico grabbed his wrist.

"Percy, no! You may still be poisoned! This could be poisoned! It might kill you! It's no coincidence that this-" he gestured to the chaos ahead. "is happening as soon as we got here! It's a bad idea!"

Percy was about to protest, until the engine was pulled out, the impossibly massive tornado getting closer.

Nico shook his head.

"You two, hold onto me! I think I can pull the shadow the long enough for us to reach, but we have to get out!"

Percy's eyes darted to the shadow and shouted "Okay, that is a level of crazy that even I don't agree with!"

Nico glared daggers at him.

"Any better ideas, Jackson!?"

He didn't let the other speak, he was already grabbing the two by the wrists and kicking down the door, that being sucked away too, pulling them out.

As they tried to run, they all felt like they were walking into a brick wall, despite being able to vaguely move to the shadow that grew in size and dimension.

Nico was pushing himself. Percy could feel the quick pulse in Nico's palm, see the strain of the veins in his pale thin neck, as he tried his best to save them.

As Nico spoke, the other two couldn't hear him, but they read his lips.

"When we get into the shadow, cover your ears! You don't want to hear what the darkness can say and make you think!"

Just as he was about to pull them all in the darkness, the wind started pulling him back towards the tornado, his feet lifting off the ground.

He tried kicking a foot out to reach the shadow, but at that moment, Annabeth slipped from his grasp.

Nico panicked and yelled the girl's name, losing his focus at the same time a shadow wrapped around his ankle like a snake.

Thankfully, she was able to grab Percy's leg in time, tears leaving her face and getting sucked to the ever closing in tornado.

Nico pulled the shadow closer, enveloping the three of them.

That's when the voices started...

He's back...the faggot is back...