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Ω Ι Melt a Wall Ω

NICO

Being stuck in a wall is probably one of the weirdest things that's happened to me, and that's saying something.

In front of me, I can see Percy standing up. I can't see his face, but Annabeth looks terrified. He charges, but she dodges out of the way, stepping behind him. Tears are streaming down Annabeth's cheeks as Percy swings his sword at her and she dodges again, looking reluctant to hurt him.

I don't blame her.

Percy attacks again, but this time Annabeth blocks the strike, slashing across with her knife. Her eyes widen, and Percy moves just enough for me to see a thin, red cut across his chest. He yells and cuts through the air above Annabeth, slicing a few hairs off her ponytail as she ducks.

I want to scream, to run over and stop them, but all I can do is watch as Percy attacks again and Annabeth blocks the blow, knocking Riptide out of his grip. She runs into him, knocking him to the ground three feet from where Riptide fell, holding her knife against his throat. The tears are coming full-flow now, streaming down her cheeks and onto Percy's bloodstained shirt.

Nyx laughs and claps her hands.

I hear Annabeth's voice, wracked with sobs.

"Percy, please. Percy, it's me, come on, Seaweed Brain, don't make me do this-"

She hesitates a second too long. Percy's hands shoot up, his fingers wrapping around her neck and tightening. Her eyes widen, and she starts choking.

Nyx watches with an amused gleam in her eye, and it disgusts me.

Then I realize something: I'm the freaking son of Hades. I've lived in the shadows my whole life. Why not give this a shot?

I close my eyes, the only thing I can move, and concentrate on the substances around me. I feel a tugging in my gut, and suddenly it all comes crashing down around me. It melts into the shadows in the corners of the room and disappears, and I'm standing near the wall, gasping for breath and staring at the sight in front of me.

Nyx frowns. "You weren't supposed to do that."

"Oh really?" I raise an eyebrow. "I don't usually do stuff I'm 'supposed to' do. Deal with it." I unsheath my sword and run over to Percy and Annabeth. She's still choking - her face has turned slightly blue - but Percy seems to be taking his sweet time.

Suddenly Annabeth collapses on top of Percy.

She doesn't move.

Percy throws her off of him, gets up, and faces me. I see the spheres of black in his eyes and recognize it as the same stuff I was trapped in. He pulls Riptide out of his pocket, and I raise my hand, concentrating again. Suddenly he grows rigid. The darkness seems to be pouring out of his eye sockets, and I close my eyes. I hear him collapse and open them again. Percy and Annabeth are sprawled next to each other. Annabeth's regaining her color, but I can't tell if Percy's okay or not.

I turn slowly to Nyx, twirling my sword between my index and middle fingers. "Step right up! One picture with the son of Hades, absolutely free!"

Nyx makes a face, pulling out her blade and rising to her full height. "I'll take a picture," she snarls, "of your dead body!"

She swings her sword and it meets mine, sending up black sparks. I bring mine down easily, disarming her and throwing her sword across the room. She tries to catch it, but it flies out of her reach.

Nyx turns back to me. My sword is pointed at her, and I feel anger welling up in my chest. "Here's something to do when you're bored; practice," I say. "Oh, and I might have forgotten to mention the hidden charges," I add. Then I stab with my sword, sending the blade straight through her neck. She explodes in a burst of black.

I turn back to Percy and Annabeth. Percy's sitting up, holding his head and staring at me. "You okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah..." he says slowly. "What happened?"

"Nyx kind of possessed you and told you to kill Annabeth," I reply.

"What?!" Percy seems to just now notice the passed-out Annabeth next to him. He gasps. "I didn't- No-"

"Relax, Seaweed Brain," I say. "She's still alive."

"Oh, gods." Percy scrambles to his knees and shakes Annabeth's shoulder. "C'mon, Annabeth, wake up-"

Her eyes flutter open, then widen, taking in Percy's face above hers. She sits up slowly, examining him, then throws her arms around his neck, putting her head on his shoulder. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs.

She pulls back, her expression morphing into a mock-angry one. She jabs a finger at Percy's chest. "Don't you ever even think about getting possessed again, do you hear me?"

Percy's hand shoots up to his forehead in a playful salute. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

I clear my throat, half of me not wanting to ruin their moment, the other wanting to smash through it with a wrecking ball. Their heads swivel to me, and Annabeth smiles. "Thanks, Nico."

"No problem." I shift awkwardly. "So, should we get going now?"

"Yeah, I guess," Percy says. He stands up, offering a hand to Annabeth. She takes it, and he helps her up. They approach me.

"So, are we gonna use shadow-travel again?" Percy asks, an almost-childish tone of enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yep," I reply, not sure how else to get out of here.

"Alrighty then." Annabeth easily grasps my hand, then wraps her fingers around Percy's. I slip my hand into Percy's, rough with calluses from years of sword-fight and training, and close my eyes. I'm already exhausted from controlling the dark matter, but I concentrate one last time, and soon the plush carpet disappears and there's a crunch beneath me as my feet slam into the glass-sand ground.

I almost collapse on the spot. I'm close to drained of energy, but I manage to catch myself and stumble after Percy and Annabeth, who are already making their way to a set of black elevator doors on a hill in front of us.

"Are those-"

"The Doors of Death," Annabeth says quietly. "I never thought I'd have to see them again."

"Well, looks like you are," I say. "Let's get this over with."

++

Wow, that was long. Yay! The next one might be as long, maybe longer, but after that they might get shorter cuz there are certain things I have to fit into certain POVs. Just an FYI. :)

The majority of the answers to Annabeth's question in the last chapter were a form of "Throwing Percy and Annabeth into Tartarus" and I very much agree. ;)

All rights go to the amazing Rick Riordan!

Yours in demigodishness and all that. Peace out!

Katia