3rd Person—

"Lord Chaos!" Luke bowed mockingly. Chaos huffed.

"Don't call me that, Renaldo." He sneered. Luke pouted.

"It's Renard! Not Renaldo!"

"Are they always like this?" Percy whispered to Zoe. She nodded, then realized who she was talking to.

"Chaos, Agnostos here decided to threaten us for Kronos, whom he's working for." She said, gazing into the Primordial's galaxy eyes.

"What? I told you, I'm not working for Kronos!" Percy protested. "This is ridiculous. Why are you asking? I saved three people from Kronos just a few days ago!"

"Agnostos, may I ask who made that cloak for you?" Chaos pointed at the black cloak. Agnostos thought for a moment.

"I think it was Akhlys or Nemesis or someone like that. Can't remember." He shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I can't sense your presence here, and I'm the creator of the Universe." Chaos deadpanned.

"Wait, really?" Percy looked at his cloak in awe. "Wow. So that's why Zeus couldn't hit me with his lightning all the way up from the sky!"

"Zeus tried to kill—you know what, never mind." Beckendorf sighed and rubbed his temples. "Chaos, can you uncover his hood?"

"Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and NOPE." Percy backed away slowly. "I'd rather keep my hood on, thanks."

"Why so dramatic?" Bianca cooed. "Are you...scared?"

"Yes." He replied, giving her a death glare.

"Why?"

"Uh...I'd rather not say." He narrowed his eyes at Chaos. "Why are you guys so interested in me?"

"The forgotten prophecy...no, never mind." Chaos waved it away. "That's irrelevant."

"Doesn't sound like it." Percy grinned cheekily. Chaos sighed.

"This is not the time. I will discuss it with my commanders later." He glared at Percy, who stared back defiantly. "Now, I need you to take off your hood."

"What?! How did talking about a prophecy go to me taking off my hood?" He backed away even more, until his back was touching the wall.

"Conversations are just like that." Luke shrugged. "Do as Chaos says, or he can incinerate you."

"I don't think I can, since I can't really sense him." Chaos mumbled. Percy muffled a snicker.

"I can do this." Bianca stepped forward and yanked at his hood.

"Missed me—oof!" He ducked out of the way, tripping over a toadstool in the process. Luke sniggered.

"Hey! Not funny." Percy pouted as he got up and dusted himself off. "That's mean, Renard." Luke still chuckled at that, with Silena and Zoe holding back giggles of their own. Even Chaos and Beckendorf were looking at them amusedly.

"You goof." Bianca smiled. Percy shot her a lopsided grin.

"Agnostos." Luke's voice was deadly calm. "Take down your hood." Percy snorted.

"What makes you think that I'll do that?" He raised a brow. "I already told you, I'm not on Kronos' side. In fact, I have a score to settle with him..."

Hey! He said in my mind.

Deal with it! This is how I get away from going to your little meetings, anyway! I retorted.

"Still, we want to make sure. A cloak even Chaos can't sense underneath could be dangerous if the wrong people get their hands on it." Luke informed him. Percy sighed. 

Unfortunately, he's right. 

"I-I can't." He fingered the rim of his hood gingerly. "I'm sorry, but there are...things that want to kill me. This hood—it was crafted so no one knows who I am." 

"There can't be that many people who want to kill you, unless you're someone like Percy Jackson." Luke joked. Percy avoided his stare as he slid his hood further down his face.

"I won't let anyone else get this cloak, if it's the last thing I do." He growled softly. Chaos looked at him uncertainly.

"I promise." He crossed his heart, because honestly, he really grew attached to that cloak. Very comfortable and lightweight. 

"Alright." Chaos seemed satisfied. "Well, I'll be going now. Renard, don't call me if it's not an emergency. And please put Max in the nearest dumpster." He whispered the last part, which Percy had to strain his ears to catch.

"With pleasure, my lord." Luke grinned and Chaos rolled his eyes before teleporting away.

"Well, that was eventful." Grover remarked as the commanders scattered from Juniper's cabin. Percy just snorted in reply. 

"Think I need to leave, G-man." He told him. "See you around." He smiled as he left Juniper's tree but the second they were out of sight, his cheerful mood evaporated.

I can't do this. He thought to himself. It's just going to make things worse.

Fake your death. Kronos suggested.

Excuse me?!

You heard me. Then you won't have to live around those good-for-nothing campers who keep accusing you of wrongdoing.

You're not wrong... Percy sighed, rubbing his temple. This conversation was giving him a headache.

Do as I say, Perseus...

For the last time, it's Percy, my lord. He grumbled. Kronos ignored his comment as he whispered ideas into his mind, each word making Percy grumble as his head throbbed further.

—Time skip sponsored by an angry Luke Castellan—

(idea from AthenasGirl2028)

Nico's POV—

It's been a week.

A freaking WEEK since Agnostos heard the faintest trace of Percy.

I sighed and put my head in my hands. This was taking too long.

As I set out into the woods to clear my mind, I caught a hunched figure in the grass.

"Agnos?" I whispered. He jumped.

"Nico! What are you doing here?" His stance was guarded and tense. 

"Just taking a walk. What are you doing here?" I teased.

"Nothing much, just enjoying Apollo's rays while it lasts." He mumbled. "I'm trying to sense where Kronos is hiding his lair."

"You can do that?" I asked incredulously. He nodded shyly. 

"Every monster with a connection with Kronos can do it." He explained. "I've had a...not so nice connection with him but I can still sense him nonetheless."

"Is it working?" I peered over his shoulder.

"Not really." He admitted. "I can't do far distances very well. Wait a sec—" His jawline hardened as he froze. 

"Agnos?" I murmured. "Agnos!" He snapped out of his trance.

"Sorry. I think I connected with his lair—" A screech interrupted his voice as three blurs shot out of the trees.

"Argh!" He leaped back as one of the blurs slashed at them with huge claws. "Gods dam Keres!" Keres. My memories flicked to the time where me, Thalia, and Percy were on a quest for Persephone. It almost killed him.

"Get back, Nico!" Agnos commanded.

"But—"

"NOW!" He unsheathed Sicarius and skillfully killed one of them.

"Die in pain, monster!" It screeched. Why were there Keres here if there wasn't a battle? Weren't they always in the Underworld or in a battlefield?

"Not again!" Agnos grumbled. "Dying is so overrated, don't you—ACK!" He dodged one that was flying behind him. "Nico, go. Right now, I'll be fine!"

"Agnos!" I cried, backing away to the trees. "They're going to kill you!"

"Doesn't matter!" He yelled back. "Just get away! I'll be fine!"

"But you need a god to heal—"

"Just go! What would Will say if I let his boyfriend die?" He shot me a look that told me to obey him. I huffed.

"You need help! I'm going to get help from camp!" I told him.

"Don't—" I didn't hear the rest as I shadow-traveled to camp. 

"Chiron!" I shouted. "There's an attack in the woods!"

"Sound the horn!" He ordered, slinging his bow and arrows over his shoulder and trotting in the direction I was pointing to.

Percy's POV—

Pretend to die. I heard Kronos' voice in my mind.

WHAT?!

It's the only way! 

No it's not! Besides, the acting is too much for me at this point. I snapped.

Do as I say, Perseus. You will be rewarded. 

I'd better get an Oscar for this, I grumbled. How am I supposed to 'die' anyways if I bathed in the Styx? There would be no blood!

Use the Mist. 

I'm sorry—what?!

Or I could do an illusion.

How are you supposed to do that? I demanded as I swung Sicarius at another Keres. I could feel his anger building up in my mind. 

Ok, ok, jeez, I'll listen. Do what you need to do.

"What the fu—?" I saw golden liquid drip from my chest but strangely, I didn't feel any of it.

This better be no-mess fake blood, Kronos. I growled. "Oof!" I tripped over a nearby tree root and fell on my face. Seaweed Brain move. Dam it.

"Agnos!" I heard Nico's strangled cry behind me. Schist.

"What happened?" Chiron demanded as I recovered from the face-plant.

"Oh, nothing much, just got attacked by a bunch of Keres—"

"WHAT?!" Annabeth shrieked from behind him. "'NOTHING MUCH?'" 

"I'm not sure we'll be able to heal you." Nico muttered. 

You're forgetting the acting! Kronos scolded. I winced at the throbbing headache he gave me.

Oh, come on! It looks bad enough already, I don't think I'll need acting!

The Keres' scratch brings a painful death, Perseus. You must add the act.

I'd better get an Oscar for this, Kronos. I winced at the anger burning in my mind. 

Nico's POV—

"I don't think you'll survive, Agnos." Chiron whispered. Agnostos gritted his teeth.

"'Think?' I definitely won't." He muttered. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow."

"We need a god's help!" Will cried. "DAD, A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO COME IN IS NOW!" Thunder shook the sky. 

"Yeah, I don't think they'll help us anytime soon." I winced at the golden blood gushing down Agnos' cloak.

"Holy...crap..." He croaked. "This is not the best feeling in the world."

"We won't let you die." I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched. 

"It's fine, I'll just reform in Tartarus." He gasped. "Hey, Death Breath? Don't die while I'm gone, k?" He smiled weakly as I nodded slowly. Not again. Another life lost just to save mine.

"Don't march into Tartarus, either. Tartarus isn't going to be happy about that." He added.

"You can't go." I begged, tears starting to form in my eyes. "We need you!"

"I'll reform in time." He dismissed it. "Although, reforming is much worse than this. See ya, Neeks." He vaporized into mist, leaving only a puddle of blood in his wake.