Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

50. How to (Not) Get Away With Murder.

Percy watched as the most satisfying punch he had ever witnessed connected with Nathan's face, knocking the son of Gaia flat on his ass.

"Man, that felt good." Nico grinned, shaking his hand slightly. Apollo's grip on Percy's shoulder tightened slightly and he knew that the god was fighting the desire to shoot to his feet and grab Nico's hand so he could inspect the son of Hades' knuckles.

"di Angelo?" Octavian's eyes went wide.

"Octavian." Nico's smile was vicious. "I hear you're the person I have to thank for Nathan killing my boyfriend."

Octavian turned as pale as a white toga, looking frantically between Nathan and Nico.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan struggled to his feet and peered over Nico's shoulder. "And why is he here?" He asked when he saw Percy. Then he seemed to notice Tanner's unconscious form in the corner. "Is that Tan?"

Octavian's expression darkened, anger flickering in his eyes for a moment in place of fear.

"Guards!" Nathan yelped. "Arrest- Oh."

The son of Gaia had spun around to find arrows and swords alike, all poised to add a few holes to his body if he made any sudden moves.

"Hi Nathan," Annabeth sounded inordinately thrilled to be threatening Nathan with the Drakon bone sword Percy recognised instantly. There seemed to be a grim determination in her eyes as she used her other hand to remove the helmet she had been wearing, her hair falling down around her face and shoulders like a golden halo. She looked terrifying. "Sorry, did you expect to see someone else?"

"Annabeth?" Nathan squeaked, terror in his voice. He looked back and forth between those inside the cell and out, confusion growing. "How did you know about Eros?"

At the mention of his name, the god who had only just mastered the art of sitting up without complaining looked as if he was about to stand, stopped swiftly by Apollo. "The minute I regain enough strength to make you fall in love with your own mother, I will." Eros repeated the same threat they had heard upon opening the cell door. "Or worse."

"You're not doing anything of the sort until after you've been thoroughly checked over in Olympus' Infirmary." Apollo retorted, instantly ruining Eros' threat. "Anyway, making the boy fall in love with his mother would be tame. Go big or go home. Make him fall in love with Ares, they've got a similar amount of brain cells."

Percy resisted the urge to burst out laughing, shaking his head and hiding his smile in response to Apollo encouraging Eros after disparaging him only moments before. He also had to agree with Apollo's assessment of Nathan and Ares' brain cell count.

"Can we please not talk about my boyfriend falling in love with other people?" Octavian's voice was shrill, a sense of alarm to it that Percy recognised. Despite knowing who Octavian was and what he had done, for a moment he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, his own heart clenching. He knew the feeling of having to watch the person you loved fall out of love with you and into love with someone else, and it wasn't something that he would wish on anyone. Not even Octavian.

Well, maybe Octavian.

"You have terrible taste in men," Eros informed him. "Him? Really? He's not even that pretty."

"I love him. He loves me." Octavian shrugged as he made the declaration, though to Percy's ears, he didn't know who Octavian was trying to convince.

"Surely there were better options than a murderer?" Eros raised an eyebrow. "Because if not, I question your standards if a murderer is a yes, and a completely normal and sane person is a no."