When It Fades To Black: Percabeth AU

Get Out of My Way

(All story line rights go to ChasingFreedoms)

Annabeth POV

It's  been twelve days. They still haven't found me. I'm not losing hope, but I'm losing life... very quickly. I've eaten nothing in that time, and been beaten even more. 

My ribs are broken, and I can barely breathe. I can't see my skin anymore, it's so blood covered. I hope someone ties the note to Gabe Ugliano, but I'm not sure that's possible. I begin to devise an escape plan. It'll never work of course, but it occupies my brain, distracting it from the pain. 

Nico POV

I can't believe I didn't realize before when I read the note. My undercover cop friend had shown it to me in the hopes that my family's ties with the criminal underworld would help. I'd come up with nothing so far. 

And then, last night, it'd hit me like a ton of bricks: Gabe Ugliano, Mafia hit man extraordainare. 

He was the one Annabeth's father had been referring to. I'd met him back when my mom was still indebted to the Mafia. We used them to get overseas because we we're poor.

I burst into the police station and find Thalia and Luke, who are deep in conversation but look up when they see me. I kept tabs on Annabeth for them the past couple years.

"What's up Nico? You got intel you need to pass to your friend?" Thalia asks, avoiding names for security reasons in so public an area.

I shake my head, "For you two, actually. The Gabe mentioned in the note? I think I know who he is." I lower my voice, "Gabe Ugliano. Serves on the board at NYU..."

Luke cuts me off, "We know who he is. Mafia hit man. Thalia and I have been trying to nail him for a while. But as much as I want you to be right, what makes you think it's him?"

I grin, "Because, as a senior professor, Frederick Chase worked for the very same board at NYU."

Luke and Thalia grin and Thalia tells her partner, "Get a warrant. I'll tell Nico's friend. We might need some back up." She turns to me, "Thanks for the help. If you wouldn't mind, can you and Will keep and eye on Annabeth's friends, especially Percy? They all have heroic tendencies, that while I appreciate, I don't want said tendencies to claim their lives." 

I smile at the thought of Will, the physician, trying to intimidate a group of six athletes. He was my age, but he'd graduated high school early and now he was almost done with his MD. I nod anyway and decide to ask Gleason along too. I text Piper, Hey, can you get the gang together? I'll explain when I get there. 

She shoots back immediately with a, Cryptic, but sure. I smile and text Will and Hedge.

 We all meet at Piper's place and when everyone at last arrives, I explain the situation. Immediately, all of them stand up and to my surprise, it is Piper, not Percy who speaks.

"Get out of my way, Nico. You may be my friend, but you'll have Hades to pay if you don't move."

 "You know I can't do that Piper. No one needs to get hurt." I reply.

Jason says, "Pipes, calm down. Nico is right."

Piper whirls to face him and speaks in a deathly quiet voice, "My best friend is probably dying. I will not calm down. And I will kill anyone who tries to keep me in this room when she is out there." Then facing all of us, she says, "So at this point, you've got two choices: come with me, or get the hell out of my way." 

Hazel, Percy and Leo stand beside her. Jason and Frank, both stick straight rule followers, sit back down. Piper glares accusingly at them but walks towards the door. Immediately, Hedge, Will, and I move, blocking the door.

 Hedge who has kept uncharacteristically quiet thus far, points his ever present baseball bat at Piper and says, "Listen cupcake. I appreciate that you want to go crack open some skulls for your friend, but you'll get your skull cracked open in the meantime." 

Piper's voice suddenly goes quiet again, and she says, "I did nothing for her for years, and I knew. I knew and told no one. If I die for her now, it's rightly deserved and she'll do great things. I will not stand idly by as she is harmed. Not anymore. And if that means going through all of you, I'll do it. So one more time, come with me or get. Out. Of. My. Way." 

Will looks at me, hoping for some kind of command decision. I give no signal, for I've no clue what to do. Before I accomplish anything, though I hear Piper say, "Fine."

The world goes black.