Too Late

Chapter 1

~ Will ~

It hadn't even been a month, yet here they all were. He was back, sitting on his bunk, with Nico leaning against him, waiting for everyone to arrive.

It had been three days ago, when he'd been told. It shouldn't have come as a shock, but it had, he was still gone. Apollo was still missing.

And that's why they were back together again. As he looked around he saw the people he had missed so much, but now that they were back he only felt the sense of dread. They shouldn't be here. It wasn't right. But they were, because an Olympian god was missing. And that god was Apollo, their father. He'd been missing for almost two months now, and no one knew where he had gone or what had happened.

One by one everyone had come in, first Zain and Lucian. They sat down on their bunks quietly, to wait. The next person back was Asher, he looked more or less the same except his hair was lime green. After Asher, Quin arrived. Austin and Kayla came in arguing about something and after a few minutes Kathrine and Charlie rushed in.

Beside him, Nico poked his nose, "What?" Will asked.

Nico looked concerned, "You look..."

"I'm fine Nico. I'm fine."

The son of Hades still looked worried but he made no argument. The truth was, Will wasn't fine. He'd been having dreams again, dreams about her. Her smile. Her laugh. Her death.

Nico poked him in the ribs this time, eyes blazing, "You have that look, what is it?"

"Nothing." Will said, he knew that Nico would find a way to get him to talk, but for now it hurt to much to bring it up.

Nico still looked concerned, "Will."

It was that one word. His name. Spoken by someone he cared for, that made him want to tell him. "Not here and not now."

Nico narrowed his eyes, "Fine, but if not you can't wake me up for a week."

Will smiled and kissed Nico on the cheek, Nico glared at him and wiped his cheek, as if to dispel the invisible kiss, "I hold you to your oath." the son of Hades muttered. Will wrapped his arm around him and Nico leaned back, "I hate you sometimes Solace."

"Love you too, death boy."

Nico brightened, "Can I call you sun kid?"

"Sun kid?"

"Yes."

"Why? It sounds stupid."

Nico rolled his eyes, "Good, then I will."

"What!" Will protested.

Nico simply smiled, "I don't like death boy, you don't like sun kid. You call me death boy, I call you sun kid."

"Can't you just call me Solace?"

Nico shook his head, "No can do, sun kid." He said, leaned back against his boyfriend, closing his eyes.

* * *

Will stood up, "It's good to see everyone again." She said with her bright smile, "So, as you all know, we are here to talk about..." His voice failed him. And Nico leaned forward, "Apollo, your father." He finished.

Will nodded, "Yes. Last time we talked about dreams... but he's still missing. And we don't know anything. No new information." The conversation droned on, they talked about dreams, Apollo, the oracle and all the other possibilities.
From across the room, Zain sat up, "At home," he began, with an uncertain look at his younger brother, "Lucian's been having these..." He shrugged, "Episodes? I guess... but he doesn't remember them. And he says stuff."

Charlie leaned forward, "What kind of stuff?"

Lucian shrugged and leaned on his older brother. Zain looked down at him, "Three strikes your out?"

Kayley laughed, "I'm pretty sure Apollo didn't disappear to play baseball."

Nico looked over at Will, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" his boyfriend asked softly. Will nodded, "I think so."

Nico leaned forward, "Three is a sacred number."

Zain shifted uncomfortably, "I guess."

"And if we are talking about Apollo... Well, in the past he's done things to anger Zeus..."

"Like, killing a cyclops?" Charlie asked casually.

Nico nodded, "Yes."

Will looked back and forth between Charlie and Nico, she seemed to know exactly what he was trying to say.

"He got turned into a mortal for that. But even then he still regained some of his immortal power. But that's not my point, he's been turned into a mortal twice before... and if Zeus chose to do the same punishment." Charlie stopped and let her words sink in.

"Three strikes your out." Kathrine muttered.

"You mean out of Olympus?" Will asked skeptically.

"Yes."

guess who's back... back again