The sun had risen by the time I'd finished ironing out my plans. The rest had drifted off and gone to sleep one by one, and only Leo remained, sleepily tinkering in the corner with his machine, occasionally muttering to Festus, who whirred back comfortingly. Everything was quiet, but I couldn't seem to relax; the entire plan hinged on the deception. Sitting down, I dropped my head into my hands, trying not to think about what lay ahead. It wasn't confirmed yet, far from it, but...

"No! There's no way I'm letting you do that, no way in hell, do you hear me?" I glared at Nico, holding his arm in an iron grip.

"Percy! When Hazel asked to speak to me alone, she told me that with your blood, she could raise the rest of herself from Tartarus. You can't do this. If you sacrifice yourself for us, she'll win anyways." Nico's voice softened, and he took my hand pleadingly. "Just let me do this one thing for us. I can shadow travel out as soon as everyone is safe, and she doesn't need me."

"She'll kill you!"

Nico's smile turned sharp, and the shadows that his hands cast danced and flickered. "I'd like to see her try." Yet sharp as it was, his grin was brittle as glass, and as I shook my head, I couldn't help wondering whom he was trying to convince.

As the ceiling lights began to imitate the late morning sunlight outside, I examined the plans once more. Idris and Amy would go with me to free the Seven, while Alexa helped Leo with the preparation of the machine, ready to usher everyone out. The portal would be opened as near to the bunker as they could manage; the son of Hephaestus had been busy with his network of tunnels. Some led off to safe rooms, but others to strategic points surrounding the campus. Jack and Nico would be in the centre of camp up through another tunnel, as far away from the bunker as he could be. Nico would challenge Eris to a duel for Hazel, and generally raise a commotion with his dodgy shadow powers, and I'd made sure to contact the river nymphs. Nico might stand without me, but he wouldn't stand alone. Jack, I'd admitted reluctantly, was the only with the strongest demigod powers, so he would accompany him and watch his back. Then once everyone was out and running like hell towards the ship, Nico would shadow travel with Jack to the barrier and slip through the portal, and then shadow travel again down to the ship, where we'd be waiting to cast off.

It was more or less a sound plan, but I couldn't help feeling uneasy. Nico was an able fighter, he could take care of himself, especially with all the training he'd had with his demigod powers. Plus, with Jack at his side, a demigod who could apparently exert some control over time, they'd be the best combination to create a diversion. Yet Eris was a hugely powerful being, and if I was right, one of the most primal ones. Love and hate had existed since the beginning of time, and if the love concerned was as cruel as Eros, I was willing to bet the hate was worse.

Rubbing my temples, I muttered. This would be tricky, and messy, and was hinging on a flimsy hope that they'd concentrate on Jack and Nico as a diversion until it was too late, but there wasn't time or resources for a new plan. Eris had the upper hand in every way, and she probably already knew that we were here. Somehow, the thought of her toying with us was too much, and I balled my hand into a fist, resisting the urge to growl.

"Perce? Why're you up?" The soft whisper jerked me out of my reverie and I looked over to see Nico, hair sticking up and all, sleepily padding over to where I stood, tucked away in an alcove. "Hey, you. Are you still worrying?"

Forcing out a smile, I shrugged. "Can't help it. Our plan's kind of crap, and if it fails, you could die. Don't want that happening before we have our first date." Where did that come from? I winced in embarrassment as Nico huffed a bemused laugh. "Tell you what, when this is over, we can go get a coffee at New Rome. I've spent quite some time there, and I know a few good shops." Grinning back at him, I couldn't help but wonder at the surreality of the situation. Here we were, only a couple hours away from executing a dangerous and practically suicidal plan, and Nico was asking me out on a date.

Still, I wasn't going to complain. At least there was something else to look forward to now, other than the end of this miserable business. Leaning forward, I rested my forehead against his, watching his dark eyes shine with affection. "That sounds great. If we make it out of this."

"We will. Love's on our side, remember?" Nico's wry expression matched mine, and we shared an understanding grimace. Eros was...less than ideal, as an ally. Still, at least it meant we wouldn't be facing down the embodiment of all evil without equally strong backup. That was something to be thankful for. And, I considered as I gazed into Nico's dark eyes, he was another. Wrapping my arms around him, I held the one thing that was keeping me going, a warm weight against my chest.

Oh yes, I was so thankful for him.

-

It was about two or three hours later that I realised what was making me fidgety, past normal pre-battle jitters. I was legitimately scared about this, in a way that youth and overconfidence had prevented me from feeling in the other two wars I'd been in. It was a very real possibility Nico could die, and that I could die, and that any members of the rest of our team could die. The idea itched at my nerves, urging me to pace constantly, and when I was forcibly sat down, shake my leg uncontrollably, and even gnaw on my knuckles. The agitation just grew and grew, hovering at the back of my mind like a thundercloud, whispering and hissing, tempting me to succumb to blind panic.

It was a relatively slow build up, but an hour later, I was crouched on the floor in one of the many underground rooms Bunker 9 led off to, breathing heavily and telling myself I should've really seen this coming. It wasn't that I was terribly afraid of death, just that I had so much I hadn't done, so much I hadn't seen, so much I hadn't said. I needed to make my peace with Annabeth and the Seven, and with Hazel, and with everyone I'd ever wronged.

And most of all, I hadn't even started to know Nico. We were bonded together by history, of course, and the recent traumatic events that had brought us together, but there was still so much about him I didn't know. What was his favourite colour? What was his favourite childhood memory? Did he prefer coffee with sugar or not? Which did he like better, dogs or cats or rats or bats? What were his pet habits, his preferences, his loves and hates? I didn't know any of them, and I knew I really wanted to. I wanted to know what he looked like first thing in the morning, lying next to me in bed, and not just a crackly sleeping bag. I wanted to know what his smile looked like when it wasn't tinged with pain, what it looked like when he was staring up at the Eiffel Tower, at the Statue of Liberty, all the way to the Merlion of Singapore. I wanted to see his eyes light up when he talked about his favourite books or movies (if he had any) and introduce more to him. I wanted to know what it felt like to hold him late into the night, every night, what it felt like to have a proper, normal conversation with him, about nerdy stuff.

I wanted to know who Nico di Angelo really was, and it was entirely, very possible I'd never get the chance.

The idea made my head spin, and I grimaced, one hand against the wall to steady myself. Pull yourself together, Jackson! You can't afford to be distracted; your friends need you at your best! Focus on the extraction and trust your team.

But how? What if something goes wrong, or Eris knows our plan? What if we all get captured? What if-

A pair of gentle hands rubbed comforting circles into my back, and I vaguely realised I was hyperventilating, the world spinning crazily as I tried not to throw up.

"It's going to be okay, Percy." Leo's voice was understanding and quiet, and I made an effort to calm myself.

"How do you know that? You can't know that."

"I trust in our great leader, namely you. It's going to be alright. The plan's as good as we can get it, and when we get them back, we'll all storm the camp together and take it back."

"We could die."

"True, but we could've died any of the countless other times we've charged in recklessly. At least you won't have long to worry about it, should the worst happen." Leo's smile was grim, but he didn't look at all fazed by the sight of his leader having a panic attack on the floor, which I was pathetically grateful for. I knew we weren't the closest of the Seven, not by a long shot, but I owed him for this. We sat in silence for a while, my breaths gradually slowing to a normal pace. "How did you find me?"

"I know when a person's in my tunnels. Plus, it wasn't that hard. This one's the one closest to the sea, almost right next to it. I come here myself sometimes. There are seashells in the walls, and if you stay quiet, you can hear the waves. Faint, but they're there." He seemed sort of embarrassed by the admission, but I understood. It probably explained why I stumbled here in a blind panic. He waited a few more minutes, before taking me by the arm and hauling me up gently.

"C'mon, great leader. You should get some rest. We can't have you passing out from exhaustion in the middle of battle, can we?"

Smiling gratefully at Leo, I climbed the ladder out of the room slowly, not trusting my limbs. He had a point though, and once I was back in Bunker 9, I headed over to where Nico was sleeping soundly, flopping down on the foldable bed next to him and falling quickly into sleep. A nice, deep, dreamless sleep.

Yeah, right.

-

My dreams were, needless to say, terrifying. I was in a honeycomb room tinted amber, next to Mr. D. We were both strapped to chairs, and for some reason the chairs were attached to this honeycomb shaped backboard that stretched really high. In between us was a tank filled with dark yellow luminous liquid, in which floated a pair of cherries, the type you could win and would give you extra health in games. In one hand, I held for some reason, a pair of glowing chopsticks, and below us were a dozen other players, all strapped to chairs as we were. They were screaming at me to get the cherries and throw it down to them, but when I got the cherry, a swarm of any began devouring my entire body, and the (relatively) normal dream dissolved, leaving behind empty white space.

In the centre, two fought, one red and one black. The black one constantly shifted, from a spider to a woman to a screaming demon to what looked like a manticore, if it were mutated and many-tailed, streams of hissing venom and sharp barbs flying from the one giant scorpion sting rising from its behind. The red one stayed the same, although the expressions on his face changed with insane speed, each one more grotesque than before. In his hand, he held a flickering weapon, now a crop, now a whip, now a long shining sword, now a scroll of paper, now a giant...flower? I squinted, but before I could get a better look, the black one whipped a barb my way, and I dissolved again, into a scene that seemed familiar.

It was Annabeth in her cabin, but instead of sketching or learning or doing any of her favourite hobbies, she was curled up on the bed crying, and my heart jerked at the sight. Then the world shifted, and Annabeth was dressed in a slim-fitting garment that accentuated her figure, and sat at a table, laden with delicious food and drinks, thrown into spotlight while the surroundings were pitch black. Her face was twisted into an expression that was half resentment and half curiosity. A voice, low and tempting, floated out of the darkness, and I strained to hear.

"Help me destroy Jackson, and I'll give you anything you want. A city named after you and built by you, a harem of boys that will serve you. Anything your heart desires. Just help me defeat the boy who betrayed you and broke your heart. That's all I want, and that's all you want too, isn't it?" The struggle on her face was plain, and I winced, expecting the worst. I'd deserve it, too. But then-

"Are you crazy? Percy's still my friend! Sure, he's a jerk and he treated me like crap, but he can't help who he is! I'm not going to help you kill him and destroy the world just because he hurt me! Is that why you dragged me here? You think a pretty dress and food is going to win me over? You say you know human nature? Then you should know there's no way in hell I'm helping you!"

"Very well." The voice was cold steel, an undercurrent of anger snaking through it. Then Annabeth cried out in pain as a pole smashed into the back of her head, and the scene shattered as well.

-

"Percy! Percy, get up. It's almost time!" I jerked awake, dread filling the pit of my stomach. This was it.

HEY OK ITS BEEN A YEAR OK KILL ME

anyways hi!

it's me, I'm back, hooray. I know, this chapter was kinda crap, but it was a real doozy for me, because I spent the better part of a year ignoring it, writing it, rewriting several thousand (slight exaggeration hoho) drafts and versions of it, plus deleting like 4 either in a fit of frustration or pure accident.

so ok im terrible for not updating at all, but for real i was writing, just on my ao3 account, all oneshots that i didnt really want to post here, plus a few original stories that im considering posting (thoughts or nah?) and yeah, i want to address some of the stuff that may seem strange in the chapter.

firstly, percy's panic attack. I honestly wrote that from a firsthand point of view, as well as the thoughts he had. I've never had them at the same time, like percy, but if I can get mildly freaked out considering death in this safe first-world country, then percy, who faces death all the time!, must have them occasionally, right? I always thought it was a little strange he never freaked out over it. also, the thing where he might never know nico properly... well I realised they werent really close as people, and I honestly couldnt imagine them having a normal conversation (communication is impt for relationships yeah?), so yeah. food for thought.

also, that leo was the one to help percy. well, idk. i just thought that since he was having a freak-out over nico, seeing him wouldnt really help that much, it'd be more of a reminder to what he could lose. so yeah.

also, the weird honeycomb dream thing? an actual dream i had, yeah. last night. >

anyways, ill try not to leave another 4 months between updates again, but yeah, we'll see. the new readers? y'all are lucky.

-N

ps. this is dedicated to thehunters77, because that's my dear darling danny's account, who is my editor and a huge loser and an idiot. he's the one responsible for reminding me about rejection, and guilting me for 'giving up' on it ((haha no way whattttt)) and being a shitty as hell editor who hasn't edited three-quarters of this dumb book, so y'all should message me, im definitely looking for a new editor (do you hear that ya dickbag step up ur game)

pps. jkjk danny is awesome and the best person ever and I love him so much and I'm a dickbutt and I suck

ppps. editor has finished editing