Entangled [A Percico/Pernico Fanfiction] ✳️

26 [The Hades Figurine]

Nico opened his eyes. He was exhausted and every movement was stiff. He blinked, squinting as his eyes struggled to get into focus. His head was throbbing with the familiar post-panic headache.

"– keep it under control!" Nico heard from outside. He couldn't help the growing feeling of warmth in his chest when he realized who it was.

"Percy." He said. His lips were sticking together and his throat was sore from sleep. He lifted himself up, his arm shaking in protest. Nico's headache continued despite his body easing up as he moved. The cot creaked.

"I am in control! Now let me see him!" A female voice shot back. Nico, for a minute, was calm. It was just Annabeth he assumed. She was one of the only girls at camp who would snap at Percy like that... but she sounded different.

Nico let out a strangled breath as he realized it wasn't the daughter of Athena.

"Bianca," Nico managed to gasp out. His eyes widened as his, previously dead, sister ran into the room of the infirmary. He struggled to find any words as his eyes stung with tears.

She was here. She was okay.

But hadn't she been dead a few days ago?

"Nico," Bianca's warm voice pulled Nico from the beginning of his existential crisis. The daughter of Hades let her floppy cap conceal her eyes. All Nico could see was her smile before she grabbed him.

Nico sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Bianca murmured to him. Nico melted into her embrace. Her hands wrapped themselves around his waist to keep him steady. Nico couldn't stop shaking as he cried into her shoulder.

His tears stained his cheeks as Bianca continued to hold him. It looked strange to others, a 12 year old holding a crying 16 year old, but Bianca was afraid to let go. Her shoulders trembled as she, too, began to cry.

Her frayed hair stayed down her back like a tamed beast. Her hat had been pressed to the side by Nico's head, the green cap tipping and resting strangely on the top of Bianca's ear. Bianca's jagged nails and calloused hands griped Nico's shirt like it was her lifeline.

"I missed you," Nico couldn't help but tell her. Bianca sniffled and pulled back. Her arms rested on Nico's hips and she looked into his eyes.

"I know.. you fed me Happy Meals."

Nico couldn't help but let out an ugly mix of a snort and a laugh. His sister giggled and wiped a tear from her face.

"How, Bia, how are you here right now? Does-does anyone else know you're here?" Nico asked after a few seconds of comfortable silence. Bianca bit her lip. Her eyes escaped his gaze.

"Most of camp knows. Percy actually brought me here."

Nico sighed.

"You know what I meant." He retorted. His mind was racing as his body hummed. It was like a storm of anxiety and adrenaline was buzzing in his body.

His stomach dropped. It felt like he was punched in the gut. Nico showed no initial reaction. After all, this feeling happened when someone was dead or dying. He was used to it, in fact, being at camp helped lower the gut wrenching feelings he had as the worlds population was corrupted by death. The only reason that he would be feeling this way, in camp borders, was if a camper was near death.

Nico blinked slowly as the feeling strengthened. Bianca shakily exhaled and looked around.

At that moment, a name popped into both of their heads.

Annabeth Chase.

From outside, Nico heard a camper scream out orders. His mind was fuzzy. Annabeth's name weighed heavily as her spirit was thrown between the land of the living, and the land of death. The same voiced yelled again, this time Nico could make it out.

"Put her under, she's bleeding out!"