Sorry it's a wee late. Blame school and sickness. Meh.

Anyway, prepare to get your feels destroyed because this chapter ain't gonna make you eat rainbows and poop butterflies.

Enjoy and I love you all <3

Chapter #27 : Black And White And Red

~I feel like I'm drowning in ice water

My lips have turned a shade of blue

I'm frozen with this fear that you may disappear

Before I've given you the truth

I bleed my heart out on this paper for you

So you can see what I can't say

I'm dying here

'Cause I can't say what I want to

I bleed my heart out just for you

I've always dreamed about this moment

And now it's here and I've turned to stone

I stand here petrified

As I look in your eyes

My head is ready to explode

And it's all here in black and white and red

For all the times those words were never said

I bleed my heart out on this paper for you

So you can see what I can't say

I'm dying here

'Cause I can't say what I want to

I bleed my heart out just for you~

NICO POV

"Don't even think about doing anything funny tonight, Nico."

I rolled my eyes with a small smirk. "Since when did I welcome humour?"

"I mean it." Jason sighed in defeat as he ruffled his spiky blond hair.

"Whatever, Grace."

I spun on my heals and waltzed into my cabin, saluting Jason as I shut the door behind me. With a small sigh, I lit all of the Greek fires in my room, casting an eerie but calming green shadows on the Hades cabin walls. My mind was already spinning into overdrive, so I decided to take a shower to get my mind off of things. Whilst I let the warm water heat my cold skin, I thought about what I was planning to do tonight. The shower didn't seem to help soothe me about the nonexistent appearance of Percy today. It confirmed that I had to go through with my plan no matter what Jason told me.

Once I stepped out of the shower and changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, Percy's beige jumper, and my beanie, I slipped my glasses onto the bridge of my nose and fell back onto my silky bed sheets. I turned my head to the side and my clock read 10:07pm in red numbers. I still had a couple hours until My plan began, so I got comfortable on my bed and gazed up at the ceiling. I was wide awake, my eyes open, as everyone else at camp were just beginning to fall asleep. I could hear Camp Half-Blood becoming silent as my anxiousness heightened.

I had to do this. For Percy.

~

"Everyone's asleep..." I've decided. "Time to get moving."

With that I sprung from my bed, walked over to my dresser to snatch up my Stygian iron sword and place it into the sheath on belt, and stole a glance at my alarm clock. It read 12:03 midnight. With a deep breath, I slipped on my black Converse sneakers and stalked out of the door of my cabin into the chilly night air. With a small shiver, I hugged Percy's beige jumper closer to myself, wincing as it rubbed against my burn mark. I didn't stop, though. It smelt like the sea... Like Percy. With a sudden boost of determination, I drifted off into the shadows and darted around the silent camp unseen.

I was where I wanted to be in no time at all. As I saw the building in view, I snuck towards it and entered. A chorus of startled sounds echoed around me and I froze. As it died down, I let out a sigh of relief. The sounds wouldn't have woken anyone, but, I mean, you can never be too careful. I tiptoed around the stables in search for a particular creature. I could almost leap in joy as I recognised the familiar winged creature.

"Blackjack." I whispered.

His head turned towards me and he huffed in response, his black tail flicking behind him. I knew he remembered me, his eyes flashed with recognition. I hesitantly approached him and bit my lip. Blackjack seemed to frown at me in a way that suggested 'What the hell are you doing in my stables, puny demigod? What do you want?'. Or maybe it just meant 'Do you have sugar cubes?'.

"Blackjack." I repeated softly as not to startle him. "I need your help."

The pegasus neighed in irritation and trotted on his feet, his mane rippling against his pitch black body.

"Percy's in trouble." I pressed urgently.

Yeah, I felt beyond stupid talking to a horse, but you've got to do what you've got to do.

I cleared my throat. "Please trust me, boy. He's in danger and I need to get to him. You're my only hope in reaching him."

That finally seemed to have gotten his attention. His head lifted up to me and he huffed as his eyes widened. He didn't want Percy to be hurt any less than I did. The pegasus seemed to roll his eyes in reluctance and bowed his head. This time, I actually did leap in joy. With a sigh of relief, I opened his stable lock and tugged him outside with me. Once we exited the stables and Blackjack seemed to be cooperating well, he lowered himself and I hopped up onto his back. With that, his massive black feathered wings pumped the air beneath them and lifted us up into the air.

"I'm coming for you, Percy." I whispered into the night as if he were listening. "Just... Hang in there."

~

Blackjack was super fast when he wanted to be, I'd give him that, although he was not nearly as fast as Hazel's horse Arion. Dark clouds and skyscraper tops zipped past us in multicoloured blurs. I tried my very best to cling onto Blackjack. My anxiousness was growing every second we wasted flying. Even though I knew we would get to Percy quickly, maybe half an hour at most, I still couldn't help but feel desperate to see him then and there. But I was also terrified at what I would find.

Blackjack whinnied and I mentally thanked the gods that he knew where he was going. The sky was becoming a beautiful pinkish orange colour as we soared across beaches and trees and roof tops. The image would have been magical if it weren't for the reason why I was there in the first place. Now that I was there in Sydney Australia, I drew a blank at what beach Percy would be at. I cursed under my breath. How stupid could I get? The pegasus must have felt my desperation and rocketed down closer to the ground so we could get a better look at things.

Not even a minute later, my chest began to burn and I cried out in pain. Blackjack snorted and huffed in confusion as I gasped for air. My trident burn mark... It was stinging. We must have been close. Percy had to be nearby.

"That beach over there, boy!" I shouted over the wind.

The winged horse whinnied in response and dove down to the sandy beach below as I clutched at my chest. The pain subsided as we neared the outskirts of the sand. But then a new pain grew in the pit of my stomach as the shore came into view. Only one small black dot could be seen on the beach, and I was hoping to the gods that it wasn't what, or who, I thought it was. But as we neared, my pleas were thrown to the wind and my stomach wrenched as I choked on my breath.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I repeatedly whispered under my breath.

Blackjack didn't even land yet when I threw myself off of his back, tumbled to the ground, and sprinted off down the shore line. My heart was in my throat, beating wildly, and I couldn't help but suck back my desperate sobs. My eyes were stinging as I neared the lump in the tan sand. About ten feet away, my suspicions were confirmed, and my knees almost gave out on me. The motionless lump was Percy.

"No!" I screamed and lurched forward, dropping down beside him.

I sucked in a sharp breath and gently placed my hands on his shoulders, turning him onto his back. One look at his pale face broke me and I was gasping as my chest constricted painfully. His shirt was soaked in scarlet blood, and the sand around him was tinged a deep red. Tears streamed numbly down my face. No... He couldn't... I cried out and clutched at my heart, dropping to my knees and resting my forehead on Percy's cold one. I couldn't feel it... His life... It wasn't there, he...

"P-Percy, ple-ease." I whimpered brokenly. "You p-promised me you'd c-come ba-back! You p-promised..."

My sobbing continued and I could feel every part of my body become numb as warm tears pooled down my cheeks and dropped onto Percy's lifeless blue lips. Wait... Water. Beach. My head shot up with a whimper and I placed my hand on Percy's arm, closing my eyes and shadow traveling down the shore to the water. Once my eyes opened, we were laying in the shallow end of the water. I turned to Percy's pale body and began to cradle his head just above the water. This had to work. He had to get better. He had to! He couldn't fucking leave me like this! He couldn't...

"Come on... Come on!" I screamed as my voice cracked. "T-this has to work... Why isn't it w-working?!"

Percy's body stayed the same as the water around us turned pink from his blood. That only caused a nauseas feeling to arise in my stomach. One full of dread, agony, heartache, and desperation.

"Percy, come on! You can't fucking l-leave me! Wake up, you asshole! W-wake up!" My words faded out into whimpers. "W-why...? Why aren't y-you waking up?

"He'll never wake up, you pathetic demigod."

My head spun around in an unknown fear. But then a red hot fury spread through my veins, swallowing me up and turning my vision red. Standing about twenty feet away from Percy and I was a chimera-like beast. The chimera thing was definitely different in a deformed way, though, I could immediately. The spiky three faced beast was ugly in all its glory. His yellow serpent eyes were locked onto me... And I didn't like when people stared at me.

Making sure Percy was stable up on the sand, his feet still in the water, I stood up with my chin held high and my puffy but fierce eyes set darkly on the grotesque beast in front of me. I had a strong feeling this was the bastard I was going to rip apart for Percy.

"What the fucking hell are you?" I growled lowly and dangerously. "And give me a reason why I shouldn't hack your fucking head off of your bloody neck."

The beast had the audacity to sneer and cackle wetly. "My, my... Feisty, aren't we? And I might as well tell you that you have the honour of standing in front of the eidolon that killed your pathetic boy toy over there-"

In an instant, I had my black blade in my hands, screaming in fury as I shot towards the eidolon beast. He roared and swiped his razor-like claws at me. He would have gotten my chest if I wouldn't have somersaulted away from him. My fury and grief induced adrenaline allowed me to unleash every bit of my strength, agility, power, and concentration onto the beast that hurt MY Percy. So with that, I released a powerful battle cry and struck the demon behind the right knee. It wasn't deep, but it still injured him enough.

"Agh!" The eidolon bellowed as he swiped his claws at me. "You blasted little piece of scum! Get back here, you filthy bastard!"

I growled in an almost animalistic way. "I will avenge my friend if it's the last fucking thing I do, try to stop me all you want; your head will roll in the end, bestia dei dannati."

(Translation: Beast of the damned.)

The eidolon's eyes blazed. As soon as I saw his clawed fingers twitch, I was springing into action. He missed me by a hair on my head and I swung my sword down, chopping off one of his nails. He roared and backed up, something I wasn't expecting, and lashed out in a jumble of claws, spikes, talons, and razor sharp teeth. I stumbled amidst the flailing and felt my skin rip on my left shoulder. I yelled out, but it was less in pain and more in anger. As I felt blood trickling down my arm, I pounced on the beast again, not giving my injury a second thought or allowing the eidolon chance to recover.

Four claws as sharp as blades were speeding towards my heart, but I easily deflected them with my own black metal blade, cutting through the remaining claws. Everything I did from then on was done numbly and not given much thought at all. It was just do or die. And I'd think that I would rather send this bastard to hell instead of giving him the pleasure of killing me.

I heard the dull thumps of his nails hit the sand, then his agonising hiss of a roar, and I jumped into the air with my sword raised above my head. If Percy somehow couldn't bring the beast down, I would. And that's exactly what I did. With one last growl, I plunged my Stygian iron sword into his chest and left it there. The eidolon screeched and writhed, but I didn't take my sword out of him. Not even a second later, a strange yellow essence began to wisp out of the monster and was absorbed by sword. The beast disintegrated right after.

I panted as I dropped to my feet, watching as the spirit of the eidolon was sent to the Underworld by my dark sword. My rage was slowly burning down and all the pain began to accumulate. Without a second thought, I sprinted over towards Percy, pulling his head up onto my lap. He looked the same as I had left him. A strange inhuman sound escaped my throat and I bit my lip. I defeated the monster that hurt Percy, but that doesn't mean Percy would get better. But he had to. Even if I couldn't feel his life anymore, he had to wake up!

I gently stroked his hair out of his pale face. "Please wake up. Don't leave, Percy. Please just... Stay. S-stay with me, p-please?"

He remained completely still and my heart kept breaking every second he didn't open his eyes. I didn't know my heart could repeatedly break itself, because I thought it was already broken the moment I knew it was Percy who was laying limp in the sand. I sniffled and wiped furiously at my wet eyes even though I knew no one would see me cry.

"Gods dammit, Jackson!" I whimpered, pressing my forehead to his, breathing heavily. "Don't you dare leave me! I-I... C-c'mon, Perce... I... I just- Oh gods..."

I broke off sobbing, hugging the son of Poseidon to my body, not caring that we were both soaking wet and I was being coated in Percy's blood. Once I pulled back, I sniffled again and then leaned in. As gently as I could, I placed my lips on his delicate skin on his forehead, letting it linger longer than normal.

When I pulled back, I let out a huge shaky breath. "R-remember your p-promise, Percy. I-I... I need you. I need you with me m-more than anything! I just... I need you." I whispered weakly. "... I love you."

"Nico di Angelo."

I gasped and turned to look out across the beach's water, my eyes widening the size of saucers.

I frowned. "Aphrodite."

Sure enough, there she stood (or rather floated) on top of the water, the background an Australian sunset. Her pinkish dress reflected the colours in the sky.

"I see you are in a little bit of a-" She began calmly in her silky sweet voice.

"Get away from us!" I screeched at her, hugging Percy tighter to my chest. "Leave us alone, I swear!-"

"I suggest you do not ever speak to me with disrespect like that or there will be no chance your love will live." She snapped in an icy tone, yet her voice remained calm.

My breath hitched and my heartbeat stopped. "You could save him...?"

She waved her hand in the air as if dismissing my question, then she became serious, staring me right in the eyes. "Do you really love this... boy?"

"I-I... Well, I, um..." I stuttered over my words, my mind too overwhelmed to think straight.

"Do you?" She pushed again, more sternly. "Because if you don't, he can just stay here and-"

"Yes!" I wailed, snapping into two. "I love him, okay? I love him so fucking much it's not fair. He can't just leave me! He can't, because I... I love Perseus fucking Jackson!"

Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I broke down, stroking Percy's black hair with my shaking fingers. When I looked back up, the goddess had a look of forlorn cross her face before it was replaced with a tiny smirk of a smile. I hiccuped on my sobs and pressed kiss after kiss to Percy's cold skin.

"You only had to say..." Aphrodite whispered with a sort of satisfied nod of the head.

I started in confusion as she looked up at the now purplish sky, and I blacked out mid-cry.

~~~

End of Chapter

Thoughts???

Predictions???

PERCICO...?!!!!

Hopefully it was depressing enough for you guys ;P Next chap will hopefully be better, yeah?

Love you!

-Sad Nico!... Dead Percy!