Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

49. The God of the Sun has to Double as the God of Responsibility (And it Sucks)

"Wait, Nathan and Octavian are definitely supposed to be coming here?" Percy asked, relief running through him that the decision they had made to come here first instead of going after Nathan and Octavian had worked in their favour. He'd been terrified the entire time that each turn and new corridor led them further and further away from the person who could bring Will back to life. The decision hadn't been for naught.

"Octavian?" Eros repeated, looking to Apollo. "Your Roman Legacy? The one who caused quite the stir, if I remember correctly?"

Dread shot down Apollo's spine at the mention of the boy, distaste colouring his tone as he answered with a sigh. "Yes, my Roman Legacy."

"Didn't he die?" Eros asked, confusion flashing across his face.

"Yes." Apollo nodded, hating the conversation that he knew they were about to have. "Yes, he did. Nathan is responsible for his resurrection. He actually used your kidnapping as a distraction because Gaia had told him he wasn't allowed to go through with it, so he waited until her attention was elsewhere and brought him back to life."

"How?" Eros frowned. "Raising the dead isn't exactly common. Or easy."

"You wanted to know what happened to Will, right?" Nico offered, voice heavy and shoulders hunched. He seemed resigned to the conversation. "I can shoot two birds with one stone by giving you the answer."

"How does Octavian being resurrected have anything to do with Will dying?" Eros asked, his confusion plain and simple. Apollo sighed, knowing he would have been confused himself if he'd been having this conversation a month prior. Life was so much easier a month ago, but he wouldn't trade his current existence for said simpler times.

"I hate to interrupt..." Luke interrupted.

"What's up?" Percy turned to look at his Lieutenant.

"I heard Eros correctly when he said Nathan and Octavian are coming here, didn't I?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Eros responded. "According to Aphrodite's son, they were waiting for their arrival before escorting me to meet Gaia. Which is why they broke my leg, so I couldn't try and run away the minute I had the opportunity."

"How would they get you there though?" Percy asked, looking a little green around the gills. Apollo knew that he wasn't just doing a marvellous impression of Triton, the thoughts running through his head at that moment were likely knocking him sick. "You wouldn't be able to walk."

"They'd probably drag me," Eros informed him with far too much false cheer in his tone. Apollo couldn't help but narrow his eyes at him, daring him to continue to sound thrilled at the prospect of suffering. "It's not like I'd be able to run very far."

"So this is our perfect opportunity to capture Nathan and Octavian, correct?" Luke hastily moved on. "Since they're literally going to walk into any trap we set."

"You're right," Nico agreed, lighting up in a way Apollo hadn't seen since Percy had admitted that he had finally managed to summon Will but passed out. "We can catch them here and now."

"What's the plan then?" Percy asked.

"It's logical, isn't it?" Annabeth answered and Apollo watched as Percy's body tensed and his smile flickered on the boundary between real and pretend. He'd obviously been aiming the question at Luke, who had already proved his predisposition for planning with the night of pranks orchestrated just to cover the theft of Nathan's sword, and wasn't expecting the daughter of Athena to answer in his stead. "You and Nico can stay in there with Apollo and Eros, we steal the cloaks and helmets off the guards and hide their bodies in with you, lock the door and wait for Nathan and Octavian to arrive. We let Icarus speak because they've never heard his voice and if they ask about Tanner, tell them that he was summoned away, invite them to open the door and the minute they have their backs to us, we strike."