Another Option | PJO

•Eleven•

~Percy's POV~

Mrs. O'Leary bounded down the steps of the stairway. It was so dark I could barely see, but her dog senses must have told her where to go because she had no fear.

"Nico- are you sure this is a good idea?"

Nico kept walking down.
"Percy, Luke did it. I'm sure he did. This is the only way you'll be able to beat him and win against the Titans."

"Well if you're sure. I mean can't we come another time-"

"No! It has to be tonight."

"Uh... okay..."

Nico looked down and kept moving. "Sorry, I've just waited long enough. This is the way to win, you can do it."

"Well okay."

As I looked at Nico's face I saw maybe an expression of... guilt? I wasn't sure.

We made it to the bottom of the stairs and I looked around at his dad's domain. Dark black walls and I could barely make out the ceiling, it was so high.

Nico started to walk into another doorway inside the basement.

"Wait Nico, isn't it this way?" I pointed to a table of bottles.

"Uh, yeah. But I have to get something first."

I sighed. "Okay. But you know I can't be caught by your dad. He hates me."

"I know. It won't take long."

We walked through the doorway and then down a hall. Nico told Mrs. O'Leary to sit and wait for us to come back. When I walked past her I patted her big, soft, Labrador head.

We went through a doorway and Nico shut the door behind me. Then I realized I'd been tricked.

"You-" I lunged at Nico to tackle him but someone grabbed me from behind and held my arms behind my back. I tried to shake him off but another person in black came up and took hold of me as well. That's when I saw him. Nico's father, the crime lord, Hades.

"I've done what you wanted father. Now what about my mother."

"Yes well, what can I say? She was a lovely woman." Hades said with his eyes on me.

"That's not what I came for. I knew that. I need to know more!"

"No you don't. You'll find out when you're older. Now, Percy Jackson."

I glared at Nico and then slowly turned towards his dad.

"What do you want Hades."

"What do I want? Oh much more than you cold give me. No no, I only had you brought here so my son could win that little school tournament. I cannot have your father rubbing it in my face if you bring honor to that school again. So here you will stay until it's over."

"Father no!"

"Silence. I do what I please. Take him to the cells."

"I-" someone clamped a hand over my mouth and I was pulled from the room and into a cell with a padlock so big it could have eaten me.

It was really late at night, probably four in the morning, so despite my attempts to pick the lock and break down the door, I fell asleep. The next thing I knew was I heard the lock click and I was suddenly on top of a shaking Nico.

My choke hold prevented him from talking but he managed to squeak out a word or two. "Stop- need- me-"

"And why should I trust you?" I whispered angrily.

I wish his reply hadn't had a point. "No- choice?"

I sighed and let him go, and he retched in the corner. Once he got his bearings I asked him how he got the key to the lock.

"I managed to sneak it from my father's desk."

"Won't he notice it's gone?"

"That's why we gotta move fast."

He got up and helped me to my feet. We raced out of the cell and down the hall to find Mrs. O'Leary playing with Cerberus the guard dog.

"Come on girl!"

We sprinted down the next hall and into lord Hades' drug room. Nico scanned the desk and picked up a bottle that sounded like it had pills inside. I took the bottle from him and opened it. "If I take this, I'll be able to match Luke, because he took it too?"

"Yes, but Percy, now that we're here I don't think-"

"Too late" I took out a pill and popped it into my mouth, and not a second after I swallowed it, three guards walked into the room and pulled out guns.

"Percy!" Nico yelled. I dove left as I heard a gun being fired. A baseball bat was on the ground so I picked it up and knocked a guard out with a whack to the head and took another out with a kick to the stomach. The only other guard whistled and Hades himself came in.

"Well well, looks like we have an escapé."

I wasted no time and knocked the gun out of the hands of the last guard. I picked it up and pointed it at Nico's father. He looked at me with shock.

"Now now boy, let's make a compromise here."

"Just because I'm a nice person, I'll let you go-"

He booked it back into his office.

"Percy- that- how- you- all three of them you just-"

"Yeah. And this drug isn't illegal, right?"

"No. only in the Olympics. But nothing says against it in the school competition."

"Great. Mrs O'Leary!" I whistled and she came bounding into the room.

Nico made to climb the stairs but I stopped him.

"You need to stay here."

"What why"

"Try and convince your father to donate his usual sponsor to the school. He refused to do it with me in the competition, but you might be able to convince him."

Nico looked at me with shame. "I didn't know he'd do that. He told me he only wanted to talk."

"Yeah okay. Just stay safe and be careful."

"Okay"

Mrs. O'Leary and I walked up the stairs and into the light of Saturday morning. The day of the competition. I pulled out my phone and called Annabeth. She picked up and I told her to have everyone meet in the gym so we could discuss tactics before the games. She asked where I had gone and I told her everything would be fine. She stared to say something else but I hung up.

Looking around for cars I sprinted back to the school with Mrs O'Leary at my heels. It was going to be a long day.

A/N guys who's excited to see how I fit the rest of the story in? Did anyone catch all of the similarities in this chapter? I sure had fun writing it so don't forget to vote if you enjoyed reading!

<3 Auntie Tori