Percy vs Nico - Percy Jackson

Chapter 22

Nico's POV
I lean back against the tree, exhausted and thirsty. A type of sadness that felt familiar washed over my body, it felt like I had lost my sister all over again. I hadn't known her for long but she sparked hope in me, and she saved me. I reminded her of her brother and she reminded me of my sister. She was young, too young, and yet her whole world was ripped away from her, and she was still giggling. She'd never see her parents or her brother again. Maybe the reason why we connected with each other is because we have a lot in common, but at the same time we don't. She's dead, and I'm still alive, and i'll have to live with that.

I struggle to stand to my feet and start heading back toward my father's mansion, looking back one last time at the grass maze behind me. The journey took nearly twice as long getting back to the mansion with the ache filling my body. When I arrived, the door was left open, so I snuck inside. On one of the tables held a plate full of grapes. I rush over and start picking grape by grape until my stomach is satisfied. I wonder around until I am stopped by a painting on the wall, on of my mother. She is dressed in a beautiful black dress with velvet gloves. Her hair is long and brushed back behind her ears. She looks beautiful. Around her neck was the same necklace Bianca wore, I wonder if dad had any paintings of Bianca. I doubt it. He barely mentions Bianca to me after she passed, like he just forgot about her. I snap out of the trans that the painting put me in and walk around some more. I've been here plenty of times, but I swear it's different each time, I always seem to get lost. I lift up my shirt and assess my wound, it's completely healed. All that's left in its place is a white line across my abdomen. I took this as my chance to get out of here. I thought about my mother, Bianca, the girl in the blue dress, and I used all that anger to go back to Camp Half-Blood.

Percy's POV
I awake to ringing in my ears. My head throbs as I try to get up. I can barely see anything as my hand touches blood on the back of my head.

"What the hell." I manage to croak out. I lean my back against a wall, at least I hope it's a wall, and give myself some time to think. I'm in a pitch black room, there is nothing surrounding me and-

"AAAEK." I scream as something touches my leg. I swear if it's a rat then it's lucky I don't have my sword. My sword! Am I stupid or something? I reach in my pocket and grab the pen that appeared in my pocket. The cap flicks off and the sword lets out a tiny glow, enough for me to see a little of my surroundings. That's when I notice what had touched my foot, it was Annabeth. I jolt back and bang my head against the "wall". I hiss in pain and immediately reach for my head. A new rush of pain fills my head as I get my teeth.

"Percy?" Annabeth says.

"Yup." I say loud and quick, a huge sigh leaves my lungs as my hands lower to collect my sword again. The handle was slippery in my grip from the liquid on my hands but I managed to lift up the sword between me and Annabeth. "So this is where you've been." I say with realisation. Annabeth gives me a blank stare.

"Glad you noticed I was gone," She says. I was about to say something when she continued, "Three days late." She snarls.

"You were gone for three days?" I ask with a smirk. She hits my shoulder. "Ow!" I scowl.

"How'd you get down here?" She asks me.

"I don't really know. I was walking, looking for you," I added so she would know I noticed she was missing. A smile tugged at her lips, "and then I just blacked out."

"So you don't know where we are?" She asks disappointingly.

"Nope." I say.