The Jacksons (completed): Book 2 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

~ Chapter Ten: NERO

Chapter Ten

NERO

"Get off me!" I kicked and shouted until my legs ached and my throat was hoarse. It was no good. Drake was too strong. Thalia stood nearby, watching with an intense amount of regret.

"Drake -" she said softly.

He ignored her, and punched me hard in the ribs. I groaned as I collapsed to the floor, utterly winded.

"Hey!" Thalia yelled. An arc of lightning zapped from the sky down into Drake's back. He jumped back, cursing. But that didn't deter him. He landed yet another harsh blow before Thalia and Will - who had recently returned - managed to restrain him.

"What... have I..." I choked out, "done... wrong?"

Will bent down and looked me over. "His injuries are bad enough," he shouted at Drake. "What on earth would persuade you to make them worse?"

My chest felt really tight. I told Will so. He whipped out his stethoscope and pressed it hard over my heart. His face crumpled with concern.

"Can we get Esme out here, please? I want to run some -"

Suddenly there was a massive THWACK! and we heard something similar to a wall caving in. My chest felt even tighter. My breath came in shorter and wheezier.

"Damn," Will muttered. He laid a steady hand on my shoulder. "Nero, you're okay."

"C-can't... can't..."

"Sssh, sssh. You're all right, son." I felt Will patting my back.

But I couldn't see him. Where was he?

I gasped for air. Black dots danced in front of my eyes. Every breath I took was laboured and painful.

"WILL!" a voice screeched. "WILL!"

My eyes unclouded as I tried to focus. The voice was so familiar...

"Leo, what's wrong?" Will asked.

Pounding footsteps. Heavy breathing. "It's Esme. We found her power and then... she... I can't explain... wait, what happened to Nero?"

"It's a panic attack, but I think he's coming round. Tell me about Esme..."

I looked up. It was easier to breathe. I had to know what happened to Esme.

"Esme..." I whispered.

I could see Uncle Leo's face. He was grimacing.

"She's unconscious," he admitted. "She was fine. We've got her power nailed down - she can activate a force field by making herself invisible. Then she started having a succession of fits. I'm worried, Will. She's not far off death."

Despite feeling horrible and still reeling from Drake's mighty punch, I processed these words. I could see the past; Es could shield herself but also turn invisible. Now she was almost dead?

Suddenly, I was vomiting all over the ground. But not sick.

Blood. And lots of it.

I awoke in a small white room. It was entirely white - there was no splash of colour apart from myself. Someone had dressed me in a white gown and placed me on a white mattress in what looked like a hospital bed, with thick silver railings on either side. I was freezing; the room felt like an igloo.

I unbuttoned the top of the gown and looked down at my ribs. A huge purple-black bruise covered my entire left rib, and a fading ochre-coloured one centred my right. The darker one was the most recent, from Drake. It was with a shock that I realised the yellow-brown one was from just this morning, when Ethan Harper and his mates ambushed me and pummelled me.