Percy Jackson: Guardian of the Hunt

Chapter 9

Hey guys! I'm so glad that still a lot of people have stuck around to read this fic. I thought I had no hope. Anyways, I'd just like to make a few things clear to y'all:
Remember, in chapter 1 how Percy says that his friends ditched him for an egoistic son of Ares? Well, he wasn't exactly the son of Ares and you'll understand why Percy thought that as you read this chappie. Carry on (my wayward son).

Nico

Nico observed Percy's face lose a few shades of color. The blonde girl hadn't seen Percy yet since she was in a conversation with someone behind her. "-I told you I'd kick your podex-" Annabeth stopped mid sentence when she looked up to see Percy at the doorway. Her face lost few shades of color too. Ironic, seeing as she was the one who hurt Percy.

"Percy? What are you doing here? I thought...I thought you were dead" She said in a whisper. Nico had a strong urge to strangle her but he kept his anger in check. It would be no good to Percy if he did that. Besides, Nico knew that a male should never hurt a female.
Percy's posture stiffened. He looked like a cornered animal and Nico's heart went out to him. After meeting Will or maybe even a little before that, Nico had gotten over his crush on Percy. Instead, now all he wanted was to protect his cousin from the pain that always seemed to follow him. Percy had helped so many times, even when all Nico had done was to give him reasons to hate him.

Before Will could stop him, Nico had walked over to stand next to Percy, glaring at the blonde, "Well, I guess your not only dumb but now your blind too, seeing as he's standing right here." He said, putting as much as venom as he could in his voice.

Annabeth's face turned red with anger. Before she could say anything though, a voice from behind her, interrupted their conversation,
"Annie, what's the holdup? I need help. Now."
The owner of the voice steps in after Annabeth moves away from the doorway. Next to Nico, Percy imperceptibly takes a small step back, like he couldn't bear being close to the new guests in the Cabin. 

Cade Maxwell (A.N.- I think I've been watching too much Vampire Diaries)

Nico doesn't remember when the stupid son of Demeter showed up at camp but him and the seven (or the five now. They didn't consider Annabeth as a part of their group anymore) didn't like him. At all. Cade was aggressive enough to be a son of Ares and cunning enough to be a son of Hermes. He wasn't like the other children of Demeter who were generally more soft-hearted in nature.

After Percy had left, there had been several fights breaking out at Camp because of Cade. The fights were mostly between Jason and Cade or Nico and Cade. In the beginning Jason had been one of those people who actually liked Cade. And then he too understood that he had  made a mistake in betraying Percy. (Nico had talked some sense into him. Apparently, Cade acted differently around the five and that's why everyone other than Nico had believed him. They didn't even think twice about betraying Percy because of Cade's acting). Something about Cade just rubbed both the demigods on the wrong side. Maybe because he was constantly bad-mouthing Percy and also claimed that he was a coward for running away. Or maybe because Jason and Nico just missed their sparring companion that they needed to vent their anger on somebody else and who better than stupid Cade?

Many times Nico wondered how Annabeth fell for someone like Cade after being with Percy. They were polar opposites. Maybe Annabeth had a thing for black haired boys with green eyes (Nico tells himself that Percy's eyes are anything but green. They were sea green). And Nico had given up trying to figure out why, a long time ago.

Cade's loud sneer brings Nico out of his musings. "Who's this loser here?" He asks, gesturing to Percy with the arm that doesn't have a bloody gash running up its length. He looked at Annabeth as if she held the answers. Annabeth looked pained and reluctant. It sent a new flow of rage through Nico's veins.

How could she act like that?
Like she was hurt?

Percy remains calm and doesn't say anything except he makes for the open doorway, without sparing anybody a single glance (although Nico is sure he saw Percy glance at Annabeth, at least for a second). Unfortunately (or fortunately, Nico thinks, since he knows this is not going to end well for Cade) Cade apparently isn't done, he puts a hand on Percy's shoulder, long enough to say, "I'm talking to you, you jerk"
before he's on the ground, seeing as Percy has just judo flipped him over his shoulder, twisting his already wounded arm behind his back, "I wasn't aware of that seeing as I saw you looking at your girlfriend to answer the question." He spat out.

Nico was glad to see that at least a part of the old, unpredictable Percy remained the same.
The aforementioned person turns his attention on Annabeth, who looks torn about helping her boyfriend or facing her ex-boyfriend. She picks the second option. "I knew you had a bad taste in men, Annie but I didn't think you'd stoop that low" Percy said, jutting his chin to Cade who is groaning on the floor, face contorted in pain.

Even Will, whose always the first one to help an injured person, doesn't move to help him, making Nico hide a proud grin. "I thought you knew I don't like being called that." Annabeth says quietly. Percy suddenly laughs, a sharp, hollow laugh, devoid of humour. It shakes Nico to the core to see a carefree person like Percy laugh like that. And it seems that Annabeth was shaken too.
"And I thought you knew I hate cheaters. Besides, you didn't have any problem when this guy over here called you that, Annie" Percy stressed the last word. Annabeth doesn't comment on it but instead she answers the first part of the reply, "I...I thought you were gone, Percy. You... You'd been missing for ages and I knew you'd want me to move on" Annabeth said. Her eyes were shining with tears. Percy on the other hand, looked bored but

Nico knew that deep down, Percy cared. He always cared. Maybe too much and that's what ended up hurting him. Percy ruffles through his cloak, picking out a black velvet box from the pocket.

Nico freezes and feels Will do the same behind him. He feels a new wave of pain for Percy. How could the Fates hate him so much?
Annabeth's eyes go wide before the tears roll down her cheek, her mouth open in a quiet gasp.
Percy doesn't notice or he pretends not to. He opens the box and stares at it for a moment, seemingly lost in its memories.
Then he moves toward Annabeth, picks up her hand and places the box in her palm, "If...If only you had had faith in me, our lives could have been very different. But I guess somewhere between the trip to hell and back, you lost that faith and I don't blame you. I only blame myself." Percy looks broken, his face more sad than Nico had ever seen. "I wish you the best in life...Wise Girl" he smiles sadly and wipes away the tears on Annabeth's cheeks before he places a light kiss on her forehead. The blonde girl only seems to cry harder and when she looks up Percy's already fading away in sea mist.
Vapour Travel, it vaguely registers in Nico's mind. Percy must have healed enough to do that.

"So he's the loser who ran away from camp? That coward Percy?" Cade's voice is loud in the quiet room. He's munching on a piece of ambrosia and Nico doesn't have to turn to know that Will is furious. No one touched his supplies and hoped to live. Not even Nico.

But before Will could march over to clout the jerk on the head, Annabeth stalks over to him and slaps him, hard enough for his face to whip to the side. The sound echoes through the room. "We're through." Annabeth growled and storms out of the room in anger.

Cade, after recovering, simply shrugs, "There are still many fish in the sea,". He reaches for another piece of ambrosia before Nico moves right on time to see Will leap at Cade, a scowl set on his features. Nico laughs, albeit quietly. To anyone else it would look scary but much to Will's annoyance Nico only found it cute. Nico leaves the cabin quickly so that Will could beat up Cade in peace.

Besides, he had an important IM to make, to a certain Daughter of Zeus.