The House of Hades

Chapter V: Nico

Nico's POV

Once I was awake my last moments of being with Percy haunted my memory. Meet us at the house Nico.

I have to get to the House of Hades but I don't where it is. After a few minutes of silence in my bed I realized how badly I missed Percy and Annabeth and that it was all my fault that they were gone. I turned slowly onto my side to see Leo peacefully sleeping on the bed beside me.

I had seen Coach Hedge carry Leo into the infirmary and he's been asleep ever since. Slowly I got to my feet, my joints groaning beneath the weight of my body as I leaned onto my sword. I yawned as I began to stumble/shuffle out of the infirmary.

Outside I was greeted by Piper. "Nico you're awake!" her voice filled with joy, she pulled me into a hug and all of my air escaped my lungs, I could barely breath out the words "P-Piper, I-I need air,"

"Oh gods, sorry Nico!" she released me from her grasp and I gasped as air filled my lungs once more. I opened my mouth and closed it again wondering what I was going to say finally I asked, "Piper do you know what is wrong with Leo?"

"There's something wrong with Leo?!" her voice that was once joyful was now filled with panic, "Well I better go check it out. Bye Nico!" She ran into the infirmary closing the door behind her. So I'm alone with my thought... again. I began my long journey up to the deck.

Fresh air crept into my lungs, and I was able to breath the stale air that I had been confined in for so long. That stupid jar was almost the death of me and it feels so good to be free. That's when I noticed that my legs were beginning to grow numb, I looked down to see that they were trembling. As quickly as I could I made my way to the mast. Slowly my joints creaked as I sat down, sighing in relief I closed my eyes for a second and the next thing I know is that I'm asleep.

****************************************************************

After about five minutes of sleep, I was awoken to the sound of an alarm going off. What the Hades is that! Slowly , I opened my eyes to find that a flock of something was flying in our direction. "What are those?" I mumbled to myself.

As the flock grew larger I realized that they were birds, their beaks glistening in the early afternoon light. Oh crap Stymphalian birds. I heard someone race up onto the deck, I turned to see that it was Jason. His hair was messy as if he had just woken up, even though it was around 2 o'clock.

"What the heck is going on?" he shouted as he looked at the flock of birds slowly approaching.

"Stymphalian birds," was my only reply. Jason nodded curtly and muttered a Latin curse under his breath, as he drew his Gladius.

"How do we stop them?"

"Percy and Annabeth fought them once and said that they can't stand loud-" I began to cough and fell to my hands and knees struggling to have air return to my lungs. Jason rushed to my side and grabbed my shoulder, "You okay?" he asked urgently.

"Y-Yeah fine," I wheezed standing once more. "Where is everyone?" Just as those words escaped my mouth Hazel, Piper, and Frank hurried up onto the deck tripping over each other.

"What's going on?" Piper yelled over the alarm that was still blaring loudly.

"Nico?!" Hazel squealed. She sprinted up to me and hugged me, when she pulled away I could see trails of tears running down her cheeks, her eyes were red and puffy. "I-I was so worried."

"It's okay Hazel, I'm fine."

Jason interrupted our reunion when he said, "Sorry guys to interrupt but we have some more important things to deal with right now." Oh right the birds. Turning around I could now tell that there were thousands of birds heading towards the ship. "We need loud music... where's Leo's?" I asked.

"In his room," Jason replied, "I'll go get it." He ran down below deck. Soon the birds were on top of us the sky now dark, as they blocked out the sun. Soon the birds gave out a shrill screech and they began to attack swooping down upon us like... hawks.

Through the mess of feathers and beaks I could vaguely see Frank transform into some animal a tiger maybe. Hazel who was standing beside me was trying to use the metal in the birds beaks to guide them away, and I had know idea what Piper was doing or if she was okay because she was concealed from my vision.

I heard rumbling from the stairs and Jason burst out from below like a rocket with a CD player in hand, "What the Hades is going on?!"

"Jason!" I yelled, "Go fight , I can plug it in." I ran towards him and he quickly gave me the CD player and shot up into the sky. I scrambled up to the controls and desperately began to look for the CD player's plug-in, when I realized that it was battery powered. Stupid New-fangled machines. Even though I have lived here for three years, I still wasn't used to all of this new technology.

Before pressing the play button I looked out to survey the area. Frank was a human again and was firing arrows into the sea of birds. Piper as trying to hack away at the birds, and Jason and Hazel were absent from my vision.

Quickly I turned the volume all the way up and pressed play. The air was filled with the loud erratic rhythm of Salsa music. The birds now we're going ballistic trying to escape the hideous noise. As the birds flew away Frank shot his lat arrow into the flock and something fell from the sky. A blonde haired boy-sized something. "Jason!" Piper screamed.

As fast as my legs would carry me I made it back down to the main deck. Piper already held Jason's head in her lap. His face was covered in cuts and scrapes, blood was trickling slow from the corner of his mouth and down the side of his face. His arm was bent awkwardly and was already swollen, and the broken shaft of Frank's arrow protruded from his chest.

"P-Piper I am so sorry," Frank cried, "I thought he was a bird." If Piper heard what he said she just ignored him. She was quietly sobbing over Jason one hand was stroking Jason's blood stained hair, and in her other hand she held the rest of Frank's bow in her hand the tip of the wood stained with Jason's blood.

Slowly my eyes began to close, I wasn't aware of the fact that my knees were buckling until Hazel caught me, just when I had begun to tilt to my right.

"Nico do you to go and lay down," I nodded, to tired to use words. Hazel guide me down below deck, but instead of entering the infirmary she took me to a vacant room. I knew that it was Percy's because of the smell of sea oats and the salty ocean breeze wad on his sheets.

I settled down under the covers and Hazel left me alone to rest. Soon I knew I was about to fall asleep but just before unconsciousness overtook me, I felt a hard pressure on my neck. My eyes snapped open to find myself being strangled, I struggled weakly against my unknown attacker.

"You really thought you could escape me Nico, just by leaving Tarturus?" the voice said sweetly, "Because if you did, you thought wrong." My vision was tinged with red and black dots began to appear, but I could still recognize that voice anywhere. It wad the sweet voice that seemed to mesmerize me every time I heard it. It was the voice of my torturer in Tarturus.

"Kellie," I whispered and then my vision went dark.

________________________________________________________________Hey guys sorry it took so long for a simple chapter update I've been lazy and stuck with hours of homework every night. So a major sorry once again.

Please comment and vote because I get reads and it seems like no one likes my work same with my MoA all I want to know is what I do good on and comments for improvement just don't be rude about it. so thank you for letting me vent my feelings.

see ya!!

Disclaimer:

me: I don't own any of this. it all belongs to Rick

Leo: Why wasn't I in this chapter. Ricky would never do that to me.

me: U are in a hypnosis induced coma it would be weird if u just woke up but I promise that u will be back soon.

Leo: I still don't like it and why is Jason hurt.

me: to add excitement and suspense it is what all good people do

Leo: whatever I'm board. I'm going to Starbucks wanna come.

me: check yeah. Wait a sec Leo. I don't own any of this again it is Rick's.

*Leo and I leave*