Picture at the top isn't mine, and doesn't go with the au.

Tw: A lot of death, heavy angst, emotional trauma, wine, kind of Trials of Apollo spoilers (not actually though), non-binary Emile w/ Neopronous.

Please don't drink, because of grief or anything else, at a young age. Dionysus just does that, and being the god of wine, knows limits. It's still not healthy though!

THERE ARE NO NON-PLATONIC SHIPS IN THIS!

Tell me if I missed anything!

Virgil had been at Camp Jupiter for almost two years. I was some sort of exchange program. He still got to iris message his friends back at CHB and had great friends here.

He was taking with said friends, Logan Daios, Patton Polaris, and Roman Alevros, respectively the sons of Vulcan, Venus, and Apollo, when Virgil stopped mid sentence.

He immediately doubled over and stumbled back against the brick wall behind them. His breathing became ragged and heavy, tears springing into his swirling black and green eyes, and his already pale and drawn skin became even more deathly.

Before any of the others could say a word, Virgil had shadow traveled away.

Roman yelled his name a second too late and almost ran face first into the wall Virgil had just departed from. 

Patton's glasses quickly clouded from his deep ding breaths and the tears spring in into his light blue eyes. Being super empathetic did not help him in this situation at all.

Even Logan's frown deepened as his eyebrows grew closer.

Just as they were begging to collect themselves, a ear-shattering scream filled with rage and heartbreak and misery raced through the streets like a mighty breath of tear filled wind.

Everyone that heard it collectively lost much of their liveliness, and some of the closest even gained grey hairs and more wrinkled faces.

No one was in a rush to move towards it.

But eventually, after many minutes that were much needed to, at least somewhat, collect themselves, the trio was off in search of their friend.

They searched every ivy covered alley and darkening plaza, for hours they questions the residents of the city, and even collected a search party at one point.

But it wouldn't be until just after sunrise the next day that they found him, leaning against a concrete in Caldecott tunnel. It was dark, and he was at least 50 feet about, so the trio could barely make out his shape, even with their heavy duty flashlights.

But as soon as Patton saw even that, his exhausted body gained a new jolt of adrenaline and he ran forward. Just to slam face first into someone that glowed purple, if just for a moment.

Roman rushed to help him up, and Logan quickly joined them at Patton's other side.

In front of them was a portly man with dark hair and a leopard print shirt. Their exhausted Brian's didn't recognize him until his pupils began to glow purple.

Then it clicked for Logan, who shared his realization with his friends. This was the Greek god of wine and madness, Dionysus. Why he was not in his Roman form, or even here in the first place, none of them could guess.

Anger bubbled up in Roman like lava in the forges of Vulcan, but he managed to contain it for the sake of his and his friends' life and remaining sanity. Though he still couldn't contain the growled, "What!?"

Logan shot him a harsh warning look, and Dionysus' frown deepened.

"I really wouldn't recommend going any farther." The god said in a slightly hushed voice.

"And why would that be?" Roman asked, unable to suppress the obvious annoyance.

Dionysus simply summoned an apple, and after marking sure they were watching it, turned and held it out just a bit farther then he had been standing.

It immediately blacked and aged, them crumbled to dust in his fingers.

"See, that's you if you don't head me. Got it?" He said, voice low.

"What's going on?!" Patton asked, voice full of worry.

"You're all obvious exhausted and won't even process any of the information, so I'm not wasting my time telling you. It's not even my place. So get lost before I make you."

When none of them moved, Dionysus' eyes once again flashed purple and he barked "Now!"

They were ashamed to admit it, but all of their brains went haywire, and they ran out of the tunnel, only regaining their senses when they were panting in their rooms. Knowing it was no use to go back, their tired bodies collapsed and immediately feel into a deep sleep.

That afternoon, Roman was the first to wake. He rushed to find and wake his friends, not bothering to change, and they all hurried back to the tunnel.

But no one was there. They went back to camp to search, but were soon stopped by a few of their closer compatriots, who told them they were still looking, but the trio needed more rest. It would be okay. 

Though they don't quite believe their friends, the trio was still exhausted. So they went back to bed, and later had dinner, trained a bit, and rested more.

There was no sign of Virgil.

Until the next morning, as Logan, Roman, and Patton walked into the mess hall.

Emile Picani, child of Vejovis, intercepted them and quickly pointed them to a table in the very back, where very few people ever sat. Xe had a grim expression and gave them a quick warning to not get their hopes up, before going back to xyr table.

The three barely listened as they sped back to the indicated area, and caught sight of their elusive friend.

He had his hood pulled over his head, which currently rested in his folded arms, slightly tilted towards Dionysus, and who sat beside him.

Dionysus had a barely helping of pancakes in front of him, and Virgil a pushed away plate of eggs and toast. His favorite breakfast food, too.

Dionysus glanced their way and called out, "What'd I say about coming any closer than that?"

Virgil's head snapped up, and he sucked in a breath. The wood around him began to crumble slightly and his hair began to grey.

"Don't suppress it. It'll only hurt you. And you won't hurt them as long as they stay over there." The god beside him said, too quiet for the older teens to hear.

Said trio had stopped warily, feeling the death radiating form the son of Hades currently staring at them anxiously.

"Virgil? Kiddo?" Patton asked, worried more for his child than himself. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

The emo stayed quiet for a few moments before starting to say something much to quiet for the other demigods to hear, then raising his voice just enough for them to catch it, "I can't talk about it right now. Especially since you have to be all the way over there. When I learn how to control it, though."

"Maybe even after that." The god at his side added. "The point is, get lost. We'll talk to you later."

"Virgil, seriously! What is going on? Why are you with him? What even is this- this- Death barrier doing here?!" Roman exclaimed, angrier than the situation called for.

"Shut up, Roman. You have no fucking clue what happened so you have no fucking right to get Ben try to talk like that, you insolent-" Virgil cut himself off with a harsh breath, shook his head, lowering it to just above the table again, hands on his ears.

Dionysus simply snapped his fingers, and Virgil's empty plastic cup immediately filled with a deep red liquid. The fourteen year old downed half of it almost immediately, then collapsed back into the position he had been in when his friends first came.

Speaking of, all of them were reeling. Especially Roman. Virgil never referred to him by his actually name, and while he sometime got angry, it was never that bad.

And was that win he had just had?! He hated wine! They sometimes had it at important events, but Virgil never touched it.

Why was the god giving it to him?! And why would he actually drink it?

Dionysus turned his slightly sunken eyes to the trio and said, "That's your cue to get lost."

It was about a month before the the trio was able to really talk to Virgil, and even that was over special almost-paper airplanes Logan had specifically designed for that purpose.

Almost six months later they were finally able to approach him, though it was only for short periods of time and they could never touch him.

Three months later, they were able to hug him and stay around for long stretches of time. He broke down multiple times, and they had to back away, but he was always so thankful for them staying and apologized profusely.

Dionysus stayed, helping him through everything and making sure he didn't get unhealthily addicted to the wine the god now only sometimes gave him.

Five months after that, Virgil finally managed to tell them what had happened while in the middle of a rocky beach via paper airplane, while they were on a cliff above it. Dionysus remained with him.

Honestly, all of them were way jealous of him for being able to withstand Virgil's death aura, but that's not the point.

Virgil voice played from the paper as they unfolded the plane to find the words appearing as he spoke.

His message went like this:

Hey guys.

I'm so sorry for not telling you earlier or being more open. And thank you for never abandoning me even though I was, and am, being difficult.

I get it if you can't do it anymore though.

Mr. D says I'm delaying, which is true I guess.

Uh, I just don't really know how to say this, I guess.

There was a drawn out silence.

As a son of Hades, I can... uh, sense death. Especially those of people I know and am close with.

That day-

The Roman's didn't need to ask what day. They knew it was the day everything started. When Virgil shadow travelled and disappeared for a couple days.

I sensed that... More death at that one time than all of the other ones I had know before and after that combined. And I knew a lot of people that died.

I didn't understand where it was coming form until a few hours after that first panic attack.

But...

His voice wavered and completely cut out for a moment. It came back a few seconds later, quieter than it has ever been. And it was not because of poor connection.

It was home, or, Camp Half Blood. They all-

A chocked sob sounded.

They all died.

They didn't even hear him anymore, but the words appeared on the paper.

All of the three had different reactions to that. Patton began to cry. Roman sir pressed a scream. Logan's hand shook, but he continued to hold the paper.

All of my family back there. Basically my mom, Dee, and my chosen brothers: Remy and... And- Remus. You're actual brother, Roro. I'm so sorry.

Roman gasped and backed away, tears beginning to flow from his eyes. Patton rushed to calm him down, but was in a similar state of disarray. Eventually though, they had calmed down enough to listen to the rest of it.

Virgil seemed to have expected the reaction, and it was another few seconds before he started talking again.

It was a massacre. Even Mr. D didn't know what happened. He hasn't told me what he found out yet.

He did tell me that monsters broke through the barrier. Anyone they touched... went crazy. Turned against the other campers...

They killed each other, then the Traitors killed themselves.

After I found out it was my family that had died, I- I prayed to Mr. D. I knew he was still at camp for another year and since he was- is- the god of madness, I thought he could help.

And he did. He came and he helped me work through it and stop killed everything that came within a thirty foot radius of me.

He had to because he got even longer of a sentence after... it, and since I'm the only living member of Camp Half Blood, he has to stay with me.

That ends in two days, but he said he might stay a bit longer...

So, yeah. There's your explanation.

The three just stood in stunned silence.

Camp Half Blood was... gone. Roman's twin, who he hadn't seen in years, was dead. No wonder Virgil had been so distraught for so long.

To deal with that kind of loss while also kind of losing your alive friends in the process and only one person able to really be around you, who didn't even have a choice in the matter.

None of them could imagine...

That ending sucked, but whatever. Bye~