Nico

We thought it was weird that it was going on for longer than a few hours. So we sent a message to the group Percy made this morning.

Hey dude, Grover was the one who sent it. I get that appointments take time, but where are you? It's almost lunch.

I think he typed out the message at least four different times. It took him ten minutes to respond when he read it right away.

Don't wait up. The son of Poseidon insisted, which made me worry a bit. I was around Jason, Leo, Piper, Frank, and Hazel when I got the message. I uh... Won't be there today. I kind of got suspended. I'm not in trouble. Shit just happened and Chiron and Mr. D thought it was best that I go home. Sorry, I'm just really tired. I forgot to text you guys earlier. Tell the others if you want. I don't care.

He got... I was first to respond.

What sort of shit happened? I asked the guy I really wanted to get closer to over the summer. Like, how long wr you gone for?

Personal shit. So he didn't want to talk about it. And I don't know. They didn't give a number of days. Just said they'd talk to my mom about it. So I don't know. But yeah. I'm going to go unpack and whatnot. Have a good summer guys ✌️

So he didn't think he was coming back.

"Hey, guys," I told the other five. "I'll be right back. I have to make a call."

They didn't think twice about it. I stepped outside and called Percy's number.

I had to call four times before he answered.

"What!?" Percy snapped at me, sounding like he was going to break. "What do you want, Nico? It better be pretty fucking important to call four times."

"Hey, relax." I tried to soothe him without knowing what was going on. "I'm just trying to be a good friend. What happened to get you out? And you can't say it's personal shit. I am personal shit now."

"I just..." I wasn't sure if he had been crying or not, and that just might as well have killed me. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? I was sent home because I'm dumb and I'll probably never be able to go back. It's just what it is, okay? I don't want to talk about it."

"Bullshit," I called it where I saw it. "You've been balling shut up for years, Percy. Talk about it. It's going to be fine. We can still—"

"I'm suicidal,"he spit it out and I froze, standing on the back porch. Because, believe it or not, that terrified me. "Okay? I was dumb and I went to talk to Chiron score it and they sent my home and I can't go back until I'm stable. I haven't been stable in 10 years. I just didn't realize how bad it was."

I froze up. I dropped my phone. And I started to cry. Because if he's suicidal, he can die at any time he wants.

And I can't handle that. I can't even handle the thought of it.

It was when I threw and probably broke my phone when the others noticed that something was wrong. When Jason ran out because Hazel wasn't risking it.

"Nico," the son of Jupiter at least kept me in this reality. "Hey, dude. Nico. What's wrong? What happened?"

I couldn't bring myself to talk. So he asked me yes and no stuff. So I could nod and shake my head.

"Is it about Percy?"

I nodded my head.

"Did you call him?"

Yeah.

"Is he missing?"

No, I know where he is.

"Is he okay?"

He was ready to kill himself.

"Is he still at camp?"

"He... No," I regained the ability to speak as I shook my head. "He was suspended. Like earlier today. Because he had a really shitty night and he was really fucking close to killing himself. And he's at home. And he isn't allowed back until he's stable. But he said he hasn't been able in ten years. He's just kept his mouth shut. This isn't a first."

Jason couldn't believe it either. But he had to. Why would I lie about that?

I fucking love Percy. I'd do anything and everything to make sure he's happy. I fucking told him that I had this huge ass crush on him the other night.

"I'm scared, Jason." I've never felt like this before, and it utterly terrified me. I can't lose him. "I can't... I just can't..."

"Come on," he said as he picked me up. "Let's bring you back to your cabin."

Leo

Jason carried Nico off to somewhere and came back a few minutes later. Seeming a bit worried.

"What's going on?" I asked my best friend as everyone else had taken off to find out what had happened.

"Just a lot of bullshit." Jason explained as I gave him something to drink. "Percy got suspended because I guess he's having a hard time right now and it's pretty fucking bar and Nico just found out over the phone and he didn't take it well. All of his hopes and like happiness is relying on Percy and with the position Percy's in, it's just not going to end well. And we can't do shit about it. We're not allowed to leave camp."

I slowly nodded my head. I figured that Nico cared about Percy after he told me about his sister. I just never really knew how deep that ran.

After figuring out he was gay, it was kind of obvious that he liked Percy. But it seemed like it would be a cute couple.

"How bad are we talking about?"

"Suicidal."

But my gods, I think he night love the man. And if he does, he better fucking show it whether or not Percy's a rainbow slinky or a metal ruler.

If Percy's suicidal, you don't know what he might do. None of us even knew he was depressed. Much less on the verge of taking his own life.

"But we're not allowed to leave camp?"

He shook head head.

"It's a strict rule, I guess."

"Then break it." I insisted as Grover and Annabeth finally showed up. "I don't give a shit what it takes. If you have to die, you're dying for this shit. You're getting him out of this fucking camp to see the man he probably loves if he's likes this to show him that it's going to be okay and he's capable of being loved because he is. By that gods damn boy. You're on the high counsel of both camps. Make it happen."

"Leo, it's not—"

"Did I fucking stutter?" I responded, knowing that when this sort of shit happens, ever second wasted can be a second you regret later on in life. "Go."

"Oh my..." Annabeth remarked as Jason set off for cabin 13. "What's going on?"

"A lot," I explained. "Mainly about your ex boyfriend being suspended because he's suicidal and now Nico's freaking out about it because, by camp code, he's not allowed to go and see him to make sure he's going to be okay."

"Per... I'm sorry," Grover said, processing it quicker than Annabeth could. "He's what!? How do you know?"

"He told Nico, and Nico told Jason. Jason told me what was going on." I explained to them. "I don't know anything else. Talk to Chiron or Mr. D. It's their rules."

Percy

I really wasn't expecting visitors after I finished unpacking and my parents had to go back to work. I was feeling a little better. My parents forced me to eat lunch. Still can't sleep.

Good thing I didn't go to bed, though. Because, as I was walking to the kitchen, I got a knock on the door.

"It's open!"

I saw a small frame come through the door, closing it behind him as he looked around and I walked over to see who it was.

I mean, word couldn't get out that quick that I was home. Demigods aren't allowed to leave camp unless on a quest or battle call.

Suddenly, I was being hugged and I recognized who it was. It was Nico.

I don't know why I thought he'd just learn to live with this. It's Nico. He doesn't give a shit about what Chiron and Mr. D say he can and can't do.

We sat down on the floor after a minute. He asked how I was doing.

"Better," like I've said before, I can't lie to him anymore. "Last night was just really bad. I don't know why. Too much thinking, probably. How did you get out of camp alive?"

"Jason had to go to Camp Jupiter." The son of Hades explained as he held my hand. "He told them that I had to go with for some dumb reason. Because I'm the ambassador or something or another. So yeah. He dropped me off here. Meaning I have no idea when I'll be able to go back. Unless I shadow travel. But that's a lot of work."

"We'll figure it out," I assured him.

Leo

It took a while, but we got Chiron and Mr. D to budge. To leave camp. To watch a play. About Greek Mythology.

But hey, it was modernized.

It was actually about Percy's first summer. Because we begged.

And they claimed that it was all true. It all happened. It just didn't seem like it could actually happen.

I mean, a demigod, a leader of Camp Half-Blood, leaving to rebel against the gods?

We weren't actually allowed to leave the camp. They just let Percy come back.

So of course, we're catching up with Percy. Grover was gods know where. Annabeth and Thalia with him. So really, Percy was the oldest demigod here. Greek. There's always Octovain. And he's gotten better this summer. He was hanging out with us.

"That can't be true," Frank had insisted as we we're talking to Percy. "I mean, one, you're not even allowed to leave this place. Two, Kronos? How was he that dumb?"

"He wasn't dumb," the son of Poseidon told us, shrugging. "He just... He got tired of this place. Tired of his dad. It happened. You can call up the others and ask. I mean, Kronos was rising. He knew that it wasn't the smartest way to get it done. But it was easier. Faster."

"Why would you let him leave?"

Again, he shrugged.

"I had no control over Luke," Percy tried to explain that to us, failing. "He was set, and he was stubborn. He was a good guy—"

"He tried to overthrow Olympus." Jason reminded him.

"Let me finish."

Percy took in a breath.

"What Luke did wasn't the smartest way to go," the son of Poseidon told us. "But do I blame him? No. He was rash and he made deals with the wrong guy. But he ended up as a good guy."

"Where is he now then?" Octovain suddenly took interest in this. "Luke Castellan, right?"

"Luke?" Percy looked like he didn't want to say much about it. I guess there was reasons we didn't know about this. "Luke is dead."