Project Demigod (a Percico fanfic)

Chapter 21: The First Battle of Belief

Get ready.

...

Wales penthouse, 4:44 am

His chest was in pain and he could barely see through his tinnitus, but Percy rushed forward and grabbed Nico from behind.

His heart stopped when he lost sight of the prince in the smoke but he trusted his senses and shot forward.

"NO! HELP!" Nico screamed but Percy grabbed his other wrist.

"No, it's me!"

"P-Percy?!" he coughed violently.

Percy felt him spin in the fumes to face him and Nico suddenly tried to reach for his belt.

"Give me my–"

"What're you d–"

"HE'S G–" But Nico began to cough again and he wheezed out a painful gasp as the smoke inhalation threatened to turn his vision black. Percy caught his forearms when Nico stumbled forward.

"No!" Percy cried and looked through the black smoke and hot fire. His chest began to tighten and the more Nico coughed, the harder it was for Percy to control his own breathing.

"Bend down!" he barked and Nico leaned forward, crouching slightly as Percy guided him to the closest wall in sight. Once there, Percy let go of him briefly and flexed both of his fingers anxiously.

"Where's the water... The water in the pipes?" he muttered desperately striking his tan fingers against the wall and clenching his jaw tight. He rubbed an eye, biting back the sting and growled loudly.

"Where is it?!"

"Per... Percy!" Nico cried and tried to reach for the arm of his dark tuxedo but Percy pushed it away gently.

"Stay down!" he barked and pulled off his bowtie and unbuttoned the top of his white dress shirt to breathe easier.

Then, he felt it – a weak, downward torrent of cool water rushing in from the right from a hole that was blown into the wall!

Percy quickly sensed it and lifted it up, the water responding to his whim. His skin prickled with energy and with a slight cough he used his center gene and called the water.

The water wrapped around his palm like a glove, growing faster and stronger as he shut his eyes. He thought of nothing but protecting Nico and where Alexander might be... then he lifted his snapped his fingers to the right.

He felt (more than saw) the water move east and as it did, he pulled out both his and Nico's rifle and shot them in the direction of the water's path. The bullets shattered the windows and with the force of the water behind them, the smoke rushed through the open windows and away from the spy and the prince.

The wind that inside the room whipped their hair and took the smoke-laced breath from their lungs.

Percy watched through burning eyes and a pounding head as the room became clearer and the air better to breathe. The fire however was still strong and licking all the furniture so they couldn't stay in the waiting room for t–

"Aahnn!"

Percy spun.

"Get away from the door!"

He panicked and rushed to the prince as Nico ripped his hand away from the red hot doorknob leading back the main living room. It didn't budge, and they both heard the Hunters outside were screaming and moving around loudly.

Nico instantly curled his right hand into his chest and squeezed his eyes shut painfully as Percy was re-holstering the two guns at his belt and catching Nico's wobbly state... just as a piece of the ceiling above the door began to fall around him. When Nico'd avoided getting crushed by the drywall, Percy swept his eyes around the room urgently.