They weren't ready. Well, they were ready, but they couldn't escape. At least not that night. There too many men walking around. Not that Jason cared, he was anxious to get them out if there. He wasn't what they would do after outrunning them--which he was sure they would do. After all, it wasn't that big of an island, but he figured they would just steal a tiny boat and sail to the nearest kingdom.

Nico, he really wanted out of this place. He was getting sick and tired of being beaten every other day. He wasn't going to tell Jason of course. That would only make things a hell of a lot more complicated. Especially since he just had his worst beating yet. If he complained to Jason, an argument would break out and Galil, would return and show them what arguing caused. (As if they didn't already know.) Except Nico would take the physical brunt and Jason the mental and emotional.

Jason jumped when their door opened with a loud bang, rustling the younger boys open wounds causing said boy to yelp.

"Get up!" The boys could hardly hear Galil over the resounding bell. "We're moving you boys elsewhere." Jason quickly got up so that he could help the younger. "W-Where are we going?" "Doesn't matter where you'll go exactly where I tell you to go." There went Nico's attempt at getting information. Galil pushed the two out of the room and into the hallway.

Nico shivered at the sudden breeze when Jason picked him up. The Italian's clothes were tattered and dirty. They wouldn't give him new clothes no matter how many times Jason screamed at them.

They were turning a sharp, narrow corner when Galil suddenly fell to the ground. Nico let out a yelp of surprise, but mostly fear when he turned and saw Galil. He slowly, subconsciously, backed into Jason, letting loose a scream when his back finally hit Jason's chest.

Jason, he was freaking out. How in the world does someone walk behind them one minute, then the next drops dead? Jason took a shaky breath to calm himself down. He's the elder one. He has to keep himself together for Nico. Though it felt as if he's been doing everything for Nico these last few weeks. He grabbed hold of Nico's shoulders, who had a frantic look in his eyes.

"Nico, I know you're scared, but you have to listen to me. Ok?" The boy's vision got blurry. Nico's shoulders were a bit shaky under his hold, and sore too. Still, Nico nodded. "Ok, this may be the only chance we'll have, so we have got to run. Alright?" A long pause. "OK, good. C'mon," Jason grabbed Nico's wrist pulling him along, unaware of the boy's tears.

***

"Why'd you stab him?" "Because... uh, what better chance would we have gotten? They're already in the hallway. Which makes our job only that much easier! At least this way we won't have to waste time picking a stupid lock!" Reyna shook her head to convey disappointment. She was actually rather proud of Thalia. That was the first move she ever taught the young princess, but of course, she would not tell Thalia she was proud.

"And besides did you see Nico's clothes! They're starving my baby cousin and brother, and torturing them! This is an outrage when we rescue them--!" Thalia finally paused when she came to a realization. Oh, I am going to kill Jason. The hell isn't he at home? And he had the nerve to drag Nico too." She stomped after the boys, leaving Reyna no choice but to follow.

*** 5 minutes later***

"...Reyna, I lost them."

"Yea, I know."

***

He was moving around like a fighting machine. Everything to him was going rather slowly, but it was actually pretty fast. Considering it only took around twenty minutes to take them out.

Although Percy did kill one of the guards in a fit of anger and frustration. Percy wanted to know where his cousins were, but the man only stammered annoying Percy furthermore.

"Percy! Calm down, we're trying not to kill anyone, ok?" Annabeth spoke in a weak attempt to gain his attention. It worked none-the-less. Percy closed his eyes as he inhaled, and reopened them when he exhaled. He sent a look to Grover. "Percy, you're not--" "I'm gonna go find my cousins," He said with a shaky breath.

***

They had to stop near the exit. They were this close to escaping before Nico's blood fatigue, blood loss, and hunger caught up to him. The heir of Italy didn't pass out thankfully, but he was surely not able to keep going.

Jason didn't know what he was going to do. His baby cousin was far too injured to keep moving, but guards could come to find them any moment. The people who killed Galil could come back too.

He heard a faint dragging sound and a voice that seemed to be berating someone else. Jason quickly got up as quickly as he could. He picked his younger up, to carry on his back, abruptly invoking a yelp from the aforementioned boy. "C'mon, Neeks. We gotta move now. I can hear voices." Nico shifted on Jason's back. He could move by himself, thank you very much.

The fourteen-year-old said as much. Jason shook his head, still running. "Yea? I'm sure, but we're not gonna find out."

"Jason, slow the fuck down!" He sped up, running onto the sand looking for a small getaway boat. The voice sounded familiar, but Jason didn't seem to be looking back anytime soon.

Nico looked behind him, gasping. "Jase... J-Jason turn around. Jason, stop and turn around!" The boy's accent grew thicker with the more emotion he, unintentionally, gained. The elder finally slowed to a stop, attempting to catch his breath. "Can you put me down now, Jason? Please? And for fuck's sake, turn the fuck around!"

Jason's mouth gaped open. "Ok, for one: no. No, I will not put you down. You're severely injured. And secondly--" He was cut off by that voice from before.

***

Well, Percy found them. Not in the way he was expecting, but he found them nonetheless. "-and for fuck's sake, turn the fuck around!"

Percy let a low gasp. "You watch your motherfucking mouth, you little fucker. What the shit di Angelo? God damn. Kids these days, am I right Lukas?" The former was in a state of awe. His cousin was only, what? Nine? He shouldn't be using language like that.

The pirate shook his head. "That's not my name, Perseus, you know that." The latter shook shrugged, dismissing the subject. "That's irrelevant. Niccoló di-fucking-Angelo and Jason fucking Grace! Why the fucking hell aren't the two of you at your homes?" Percy's attitude did a one-eighty, as he turned around expecting the others to follow.

Jason gulped deeply, sharing a look with Luke before answering. "Well, Thalia ran away to who knows where and I spent forever trying to find her." They finally got back to the ship. Percy silently telling Luke to go and gather the others that left with them.

"Yea alright, but that doesn't explain why- wait! Why did Thalia runaway?" He mumbled under his breath incoherently after asking. Jason opened his mouth to answer, only to get dragged into yet another lecture. "What was the one thing I asked you not to do?" Jason dropped his gaze as he replied, "...look for you." "And what did you do?" "Look for you." "Exactly. How long have you been looking for me?"

Percy smirked. He always had enjoyed it when Thalia went off on Jason. Plus, she's been a bit pissy ever since they heard the boys went missing.

"Since you left..." whispered Jason. The female shook her head. "And when exactly did you drag Nico into this?" Jason's head snapped up. "No. No no. No, no, no, no, no. I most certainly did not force him to come! I distinctly told him not to come. It was his choice to come along."

Thalia shifted her gaze to the paler than usual Italian. She squinted her once getting a look at him. "Nico, you good?" He was looking worse for wear. His hair was matted with his blood and stuck to his forehead. His clothes were definitely more tattered than when he first got them, and while he was leaning on the wall, it was obvious it was all that kept him upright.

"Yea? Yea, I'm good. Why?" The fourteen-year-old veered dangerously to the left, eyes closing. "Nico!"