Zia had mixed feelings when Nico reappeared on the roof. She was relieved to see him awake and alert, but apprehensive about his state of health. He looked much better, yes, but considering how bad he'd looked a few minutes ago, she didn't think he had any business returning to battle.

"Alright, Nico's back," said Percy to the rest of them. "But he's nowhere near full strength, so watch his back."

Nico looked embarrassed when Percy put a protective hand on his shoulder. "I'm not that bad off –"

"Yes you are.

"Am not."

"Get your hands off him," growled Zia.

Percy and Nico both looked at her incredulously. Zia nearly covered her mouth in shock at her words.

"Zia, I'm sorry, but that's enough," said Walt.

"Seriously," agreed Julian.

"Sorry," muttered Zia. "I don't know what came over me."

"Why does everyone feel the need to be so overprotective of me?" Nico wondered out loud. "Is it because you think I'm young and helpless? Well I've got news for all of you! I was born in the 1930's! That makes me older than all of you combined!"

"Don't waste your energy shouting," Percy told him. "You're going to need it in battle. But for the record, Lotus Hotel time doesn't count and you know it."

"I say it does count. You should respect your elders and acknowledge that I'm always right."

Zia couldn't completely follow their exchange, and wasn't sure if Nico was being serious about having been born in the 1930's. She did, however, notice that Percy had not released Nico's shoulder when she'd ordered him to. He'd kept hold of it, probably to spite her, or at least show her that he didn't have to listen to her. Now he squeezed Nico's shoulder, then ruffled his hair like Nico was his little brother.

"Stay safe," he told Nico before turning to leave.

Zia also noticed that Nico seemed completely at ease with Percy. It almost looked like he tilted his head toward the older boy when he ruffled his hair, and his expression was genuinely affectionate when he bade him goodbye.

"You too, Percy."

Zia turned away, fighting the urge to throw something at Percy. Even knowing that her instincts were being influenced by Nephthys's instincts, she couldn't get past her dislike for the demigod. He made her skin crawl, and she couldn't help it, she wanted him away from Nico even though she knew that was wrong. They were cousins, after all. But . . . from what she remembered from her lessons, the children of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades weren't supposed to get along any better than their fathers could.

But then, it wasn't like demigods were supposed to get along with Egyptian magicians either, but it seemed like Nico and Percy were doing fine at that too.

It was then that Zia realized that something was wrong with her own way of thinking. She hadn't thought about it too much earlier because there hadn't been time, or because she'd been distracted, but . . . why did she feel so protective of Nico?

There was absolutely no reason for it. She didn't know him. He was supposed to be an enemy, or at least someone she wasn't supposed to associate with. He was a cute kid, yes, but that didn't explain why Zia felt such a strong urge to protect him with everything she had. She almost felt like they had some kind of connection, like they were family. Could he be a relative of hers? She wondered, but didn't think it was likely. Well, it wasn't impossible. Maybe on his mortal side . . . but that was a really long shot, and even if it was true, they couldn't possibly be closer than second or third cousins. She felt like she saw Nico as more of a little brother . . . or more like a son.

He couldn't be hosting Anubis? Could he? Zia dismissed that idea almost immediately. That was completely ridiculous. Maybe it could have explained why she felt the way she did if it had been true, but there was no way it could be. Demigods couldn't host Egyptian gods. That was a well-known fact. Zia remembered from her studies how a war had nearly started after so many gods had attempted to take demigods as their hosts. It had been around the time when Egypt fell to Rome, and those demigods hadn't exactly been volunteers . . . in fact, they'd all been kidnapped. The Egyptians had gone to a lot of trouble to capture them, and it had been all for nothing. It hadn't worked a single time, ended up killing just about, if not all the demigods they attempted it on, and had nearly gotten the Greek/Roman pantheon directly involved in the war.

No, there was no way Nico could be a host to Anubis. Maybe . . . maybe Zia just had motherly sorts of feelings for him because he was so similar to Anubis. In her mind's eye, Zia could see the form that Anubis used when he was masquerading as human, and that form was strangely similar to how Nico looked. Yes, that was probably it. That and his death-related powers.

Thinking about that, Zia felt a little bit of concern for Nico. How would having powers related to death affect someone? She wondered if they hurt him, or affected him otherwise. Looking at him closely, she started to think that they did. Nico had Mediterranean features but extremely pale skin, almost like the pigment had been leached away. The lack of color made him look unhealthy, like he had no vitality. And he was so short. But that could be from malnourishment . . .

Zia stopped herself as she started to realize she was over-thinking this, when really she shouldn't have been thinking about it at all. Nico was none of her business. He meant nothing to her. Or at least, he was supposed to mean nothing to her. But Zia realized as she watched Nico wince as he sat, like his muscles were all aching, that this wasn't going to be so easy. She couldn't just turn these feelings off. She wasn't exactly happy about it, but it seemed like her protective streak was there to stay.

________________________________

When they attacked again, something felt different. It immediately put Nico on his guard. It felt like the invaders were holding back. Or like they were just trying to distract them. They only sent a couple magicians, and had them cower behind the air conditioning unit, flinging spells and shabtis, but not really making an effort to gain any ground. Their team didn't even include someone capable of controlling the flying snakes, so the uraei hovered around the building but didn't come down to join the fight.

Nico didn't like this one bit. He knew he should be grateful for the reprieve, but it just made him wary. Zia and Walt took over the defenses, since they were the best at ranged magic. Alyssa and Julian who needed to be closer to be effective stayed back with Nico. In fact, they were very deliberate in staying between Nico and their enemies, which made Nico wonder what Percy had said to them while he'd been asleep.

"Does this seem wrong to any of you?" he asked after analyzing the way their enemies were attacking.

"What do you mean?" asked Alyssa.

"We've only got about two hours until dawn," he pointed out. "They know that we're expecting Ra to awaken then. And even if they're all counting on Apophis rising instead of Ra, they should still be getting desperate. Either we've got the king of gods on the way to smite them down, or they've got their uber-boss on the way, who won't be happy that they failed to kill a house full of children. No matter how you look at it, they shouldn't just be stalling like that."

"You're right," agreed Julian. "That is bad tactics. So you think they're planning something?"

"They must have something up their sleeve," said Nico.

"From the sounds of things, they're trying similar tactics on the terrace," said Zia. "Most of what I hear down there are shabtis being smashed. There are a few spells being cast and cancelled, but it's mainly fodder being broken apart down there."

"Do you mind if I go down and check with Percy about this?" asked Nico. "Those snakes aren't being controlled by the freaks behind the AC unit, and if you call for me I'll come running right back up."

"It's alright with me," said Walt. "I think we're alright up here."

"Go ahead," agreed Julian.

Zia looked conflicted. Nico fought the urge to glare at her.

"Alyssa, will you go with him?" asked Zia finally.

"I don't need an honor guard," said Nico.

"You look like you could fall down at any moment. I don't want you walking down all those stairs by yourself."

"What are you, my mom?" asked Nico, disgusted. Then he bit his tongue. That was not an idea he wanted to plant in Zia's head. No, he did not want her guessing that he was hosting Anubis because that would be bad.

Zia's head snapped up and she looked at him intensely. Nico actually took a few steps back from the force of her stare.

"I'm going," he announced, and hurried to do just that.

Alyssa tagged along with him, as per Zia's orders. Half-way down the stairs, Nico grabbed onto the rail and turned toward her.

"You don't have to follow me," he told her. "Like I said, I don't need an honor guard, and Zia's acting way over-protective when it comes to me for some reason."

Alyssa moved to stand beside him and offered him a smile. "Maybe I'm worried about you too."

Nico felt a strange burning sensation in his face. "I can take care of myself," he muttered.

"No one can take care of themselves all the time," said Alyssa. "Especially not when they're trying to take care of all their friends at the same time. That's why you have friends though, isn't it? So they can take care of you too?"

"Well . . . that's not the reason I became friends with you guys . . ."

"But it is one of the benefits," said Alyssa. "And it's also one of those things about friends: you put up with the good along with the annoying."

"I never said you were annoying," said Nico very quickly.

Alyssa just smiled. "Then I better try harder. Now come on. Let's go tell your cousin what you suspect."

They continued downstairs, but when they reached the last step Nico clung to the rail again. "Hold up, a sec. I just . . . need a minute."

"Take whatever time you need," said Alyssa.

"Hey!" Felix popped up, seemingly out of nowhere. "Did you beat those guys off our roof again? Do you need me to take the guys up there more junk food?"

"Not yet, Felix," said Alyssa. "We're working on it."

"Then what are you guys doing down here?" Felix wanted to know.

Nico opened his mouth to answer, but an explosion that shook the entire house cut him off, along with the sound of stones exploding and tumbling over each other. Nico nearly lost his balance. Alyssa did lose her balance and would have fallen, but Nico's demigod reflexes were thankfully still online, and he managed to catch her.

"The east wall!" she cried out. Then she raised her voice and shouted again. "The enemy has breached the east wall!"

Nico narrowed his eyes and drew his sword. "They're going to wish they hadn't when I'm through with them."

Then he sprinted toward the sight of the explosion. Strange as it sounded, the prospect of more battle, of being able to physically cut enemies down without resorting to magic and special attacks seemed to give Nico more strength. His blood felt like it was singing in his veins as he leapt over the huge pile of rubble and flung himself at the first magician who was foolish enough to venture into his home.

These idiots really should have sent in a wave of fodder for their first assaul there, he thought as he severed an important tendon in each of the magician's arms before he even completed that sentence in his own mind. The magician's staff fell from suddenly limp fingers, and his arms fell uselessly to his sides. Nico gave him a very hard kick in the chest, and sent him flying back into one of his comrades.

I don't think they were expecting much resistance, said Anubis. They thought you had your best fighters on the roof and the terrace.

Bad luck for them that I decided to come downstairs just now. Nico smirked as he ducked under a sword swipe of one of those weird curved swords of the type that Carter favored. He came up inside the invader's guard and smashed the enemy's nose with his palm so hard that he swore he heard the cartilage splatter against the enemy's cheek. Then Nico rammed his sword-hilt into his jaw so hard that the bone cracked. The poor sap would be eating his meals through a straw for months to come.

Bad luck ... and their poor tactics, stated Anubis.

Yeah, that too.

Nico could feel how sloppy his movements were. It was a sad testament to his enemies skills, or lack-there-of, that he was having such an easy time putting them in their place without even killing them. On the other hand, it was also his enemies' saving grace. If they'd been dangerous enough that Nico couldn't stop them so easily, he would have had to have dispatched them by killing them instead of merely disabling them. So he guessed that it evened out in the end.

I don't understand why you want to spare them, said Anubis. They would not be returning the favor if they had the upperhand.

I know. And believe me, I wouldn't lose sleep if I killed these freaks. But the kids here really don't need to see so much death.

Let us just hope that this does not come back to haunt you.

Nico smirked tiredly. I'm slicing their tendons with a Stygian iron blade. You really think they'll be back in the fight any time this year?

Just be careful. You're in no shape to be fighting, let alone sparing your enemies.

Nico almost told him that he was fine and not to worry, but then he thought better of it. If he was honest with himself, he was a long way from fine. Even though he was still capable of holding back this invading force, pretty much on his own.

The other magicians from the reserve team joined the battle, like they'd been waiting for it all night. And honestly, they had. Nico smirked as he saw a penguin projectile peg one of their enemies in the head, followed by a rain of jagged ice shards. Felix was making his presence known. And he wasn't the only one.

A boy named Alan began sending spells flying every which way. Cleo, the oldest girl in their reserve team, began using words of power to incapacitate as many invaders as she could.

The invaders had expected to break through easily without much, if any resistance. They hadn't expected to face a bunch of battle-thirsty juveniles who'd been waiting all night for their chance to kick some butt, or a son of Hades whose natural hard-wiring for battle far exceeded their experience and skill.

They fell back quickly, under the defenders' fierce onslaught. Alyssa summoned her earth magic and used it to begin repairing the broken section of wall, right next to the doors, where the enemies had broken through. Nico considered helping her, but she looked like she could take care of it just fine, and using his geo-kinetic abilities again would probably put him out of the fight for the rest of the night, so he let her take care of it. When the invaders saw that, they full out retreated, abandoning the fight in their frantic need to stay alive, with all limbs still attached.

"That's right!" yelled Felix. "Run away! Run away! Begone, foolish noobs! You don't stand a chance against my leet-ness! Run away!"

Nico laughed, as much because of Felix's taunts as because he felt exalted, when the wall was sealed up behind them. Then, when he realized that the squirmish was over, he suddenly felt as if all his strength had abandoned him. The extra adrenaline that the battle had given him fizzled, and he almost took a nose-dive.

But he couldn't just break down right there and then. He was the senior warrior in the room. He had an obligation to his troops because of that.

"Is everyone okay?" he tried to ask, but his voice came out as a hoarse, unrecognizable rasp the first time he tried. He coughed, and licked his lips, then tried again. "Everyone okay? Are there any injuries?"

A few scrapes and bruises. Nothing major, and nothing that needed attention. Which was good, since their best healer was still comatose upstairs.

"Okay. Okay, good. Um . . . good job, everyone. Grab something with lots of sugar and caffeine to help recharge, but stay alert. I doubt they're smart enough to give up that easily."

"Hey look! Over here!" Felix had found something. That something was a seemingly unconscious enemy magician, half buried under a pile of stones. He poked the enemy magician with his wand, smirking at his enemy's plight.

But Nico's eyes zeroed in on the enemy's hands. "Felix, get away from him!" he shouted, and immediately sprinted forward.

Because the enemy magician's fingers weren't curled like they would have been if he was unconscious. They were lithe and alert, ready to grab a weapon at a moment's notice.

"But why?" asked Felix. "I –"

Then several things happened at once.

The enemy magician sprang to his feet, pulling a knife on Felix.

Felix froze in shock.

And Nico barreled right into Felix, determined to get the younger boy out of harm's way.

He felt a sickening, burning sensation in his stomach as he hit Felix like one pool ball slamming into another. Felix went flying and hit the ground hard, but Nico's momentum was canceled out, helped by the fact that he'd braced his feet upon collision, and pivoted. His Stygian iron blade slashed right through the enemy magician, and he killed the invader with one blow. He fell to the ground dead.

Then Nico fell over right on top of him.

Nico! No! screamed Anubis in his mind.

Nico's next breath came in a rasping gasp, through clenched teeth, as his world exploded in pain. He tried to push himself off his enemy's corpse, but his arms wouldn't listen to him. He felt like his limbs had been turned to jelly, except there was no way being turned into jelly could be so painful. Everything hurt. Moving, breathing, thinking, everything.

He whimpered, and the sound was as pathetic as a tiny little kitten crying, helpless and alone, but Nico was in too much pain to even be embarrassed about a noise like that escaping his mouth.

No, no, no! Anubis sounded frantic in his mind.

Someone grabbed Nico by the shoulder and rolled him onto his back, and Nico screamed. He couldn't help it. He hurt so much. Tears obscured his vision, but somehow he could tell that it was Alyssa bending over him. And somehow he knew what they were seeing.

The enemy magician's knife was embedded in his abdomen, right below his ribcage...