So Close To Knowing

Eighteen: everyone's blaming Leo....again

---- Nico ----

Nico was harshly thrown into the cell that everybody else was in. They all looked up and Nico huffed in annoyance as one of the monsters that brought him in attached his foot to a chain. They left the cell and Nico turned and looked around for any sign of Leo.

"No..." Nico pulled on the chain and screamed at the door. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS LET HIM GO!"

"Where's Percy?" Annabeth asked. Nico looked over at her and shook his head.

"He's...hes fine." Nico couldn't bring himself to tell her of all people that Percy was possessed by kronos. They didn't know.

"Who were you yelling about then?" Annabeth asked. Nico glared at her.

"Who else noticed that other than Percy, Leo was still gone!" Nico ran his hands through his hair and slid down the wall besides him.

"Nico what happened to you?" Nico looked up as Hazel walked over an started looking him over. Nico shook his head.

"Leo took most of the blows...but then kron-" Nico bit his lip and looked away.

"Wait, Nico! Kronos is out! But...how? He-" Annabeth stopped talking. "Percy..." she gasped.

"Wait so possessing Percy, kronos nearly beat you and Leo to death?" Jason asked. Nico looked away.

"I-It's fine. Percy had control when I last saw him, he'll be okay." Nico looked at his feet. Annabeth huffed.

"I blame Leo." Annabeth growled.

"I kind of agree with Annabeth here." Jason said. Frank agreed, Hazel stepped away nodding her head obviously agreeing with everyone else. Piper stood up and slowly walked over close to me.

"WHATS WRONG WITH YOU ALL!" She cried. "Leo is our friend! He could be dying and you are letting him go! Just like that over something that happened that he couldn't control! Look I know I blamed him...we all did. But that's not the point! He didn't cause any of this. If anyone is to take blame here it's all of us in this room right now. We caused everything that's happened these past few days and-"

"Just shut up girl." Suddenly we all turned our heads to the cell door. Percy stood there a fire in his eyes. He looked over at Annabeth and then looked away with a pained face.

"P-Percy?" Annabeth asked. Everyone backed away. Percy flinched. He glared at Nico and then walked over to him. Nico just held his breath. He was either going to be punched or Percy was going to get control again.

"He won't let me hit you, he won't let me hurt anyone else. You are so lucky he's still in here." He tapped his head. "If he wasn't I would have killed you already."

"He's determined." Nico smirked. "That's what is still pushing him on to not let you gain full control of him. He's not going to let you hurt us. Not ever."

"He is yelling at me for even being so close to you right now." His breath tickled Nicos neck and he shivered.

"Think that through kronos, do you really want him to become a killer?" Nico raised his eyebrows. "If the gods find you they won't hesitate to kill you."

"They will hesitate. I'm Percy Jackson to them. Even if you pathetic demigods tell them otherwise. Poisidon might be a issue but that's alright we'll take care of him."

"You won't even get the chance to get that close! Percy won't let anything happen to anyone!" Annabeth cried. "Especially family!"

"Shut it Blondie." Kronos glared at Annabeth as he pulled himself away from Nico. He held his head and fell to his knees. "Damnit Jackson!" He stood up and walked out of the room in anger.

"Leo-"

"Don't you dare blame this on Leo!" Nico shouted.

"It is his fault! If he hadn't lied in the first place-"

"NO!" Nico felt tears fall down his cheeks. "No..." He looked away from Annabeth and the others. "Just shut up." They all sat in silence. Suddenly the door opened again and everyone gasped. Nico turned his head and saw a giant carrying a knocked out Leo.

"Okay, I'm going to just say what we are all thinking...holy Hades he looks like Hell." Jason grumbled. The giant carelessly threw Leo to the ground and Leo moaned in pain.

"At least he can still moan..." Frank grumbled.  Suddenly he burst into laughter as well as Jason, Annabeth and piper. Hazel and Nico stared at them confused.

"You wouldn't understand." Jason looked down at Leo and Nico saw disgust in his eyes. "What did they even do to him?"

"Not like you guys even care! You just made a joke of him moaning in pain! That giant carelessly threw him down! He could be broken or something!" Nico screamed.

"Nico, do me a quick favor and shut up. My head hurts." Leo groaned. Nico quickly looked over at him and saw his lop sided grin.

"You idiot." Leo just smiled at Nico. How could he joke about this? How can he be so calm? Leo looked at everyone and he let his smile fall a bit but he fixed it and let himself smile again.

"Sorry Nico, didnt mean to startle you." He sat up a bit more and groaned in pain. "I'll be alright." He smiled once more. Maybe he was saying it constantly because he wasn't trying to reassure Nico, but he was mostly trying to reassure himself that he'd be alright. Whatever the case, Leo needed to stop pretending.