Nico's P.O.V.

Stepping out of Percy's apartment building I looked up and glared at the setting sun, as it cast rays of light toward me. Where could Percy be! Seriously it's annoying enough he still can't decide on what he wants, and now when I'm trying to find him, he's not home.

I was pretty much in a bad mood... getting kicked out of another school that morning. When I "accidentally" opened a fissure on the gym floor when the popular kids shoved me to the wall.

Sighing I remembered Percy's mom said he would probably be at Central Park with that red head Rachel. Smiling I thought of how Annabeth would take that news. He's gonna get in trouble. It amuses me how he hasn't figured Annabeth likes him yet.

Stuffing my hand in my pants pocket as a small breeze blew and the sky was turning dark, I crossed the street and headed to Central Park at a brisk walk. It would have been better if it was night, then I could just shadow travel their without using up too much energy.

Percy's P.O.V.

It was getting dark, and we still hadn't found any sign of Trina. We looked in almost every high buildings and she wasn't there.

I started getting worried at the thought that she really might be injured. Looking at the western horizon I saw the sun setting and tried to remember when I was suppose to get back to Rachel.

"Boss, I'm gettin tired, can we stop looking now?" Blackjack whined in my head.

Scanning the roof tops of another dozen building I decided to give up for today and replied, "Yeah, I guess we can stop now, lets get back to Rachel before she yells at me."

As we soared over the building I thought of the fact that monsters are stronger at night and it bothered me.

Finally landing at the northern part of Central Park, where there wasn't a lot of people, I saw Rachel sitting on a park bench lazily picking at a pretzel and throwing it at the pigeons crowding on the grass.

"Hey Rachel."

Looking up she responded annoyed, "Oh my gods Percy! You're like an hour late! Jeez do you know it's 9 now?!"

"Whoa calm down, sorry but it's hard to actually notice people on roof tops. Besides I don't wear watches." I said pointing at my wrist.

Crossing her arms Rachel looked at me, "Well any signs at least?"

"No, not that I know of."

Throwing her hands up, she startled the pigeons who eyed the pretzel she was still holding. Then she burst out, "well that's just great Percy! Now what are we going to do?"

I felt like saying I wanted to give up, because that's what I was going to do anyways. Well after I find Nico to do the rest of course. I frowned getting a little mad, I mean seriously since when had Rachel gone all worried over one camper, "We can find..."

My sentence was cut of because from the corner of my eye I saw a guy walking from an empty jogging path. Wearing all black, waving at us.

I watched in confusion, and suddenly I broke out into a grin, it was Nico di Angelo. Just in time too. Probably here to annoy me about his idea again, but I felt relieved because then I wouldn't have to go find him.

"Percy, gods! Do you know how hard it was to find you, if I didn't see Blackjack flying over here I would never have found you by tonight." Nico said crossing his arms, then noticing Rachel on the bench, "Oh hi, you must be Rachel. Percy's mom told me you were with Percy."

Blushing she looked at him and said hi, then turned to me with her death stare.

"Don't look at me! My mom has her ways of knowing things and besides I told her I was taking a walk with you." Turning to Nico I said, "Look, you must be here for an answer... again. But I don't know yet okay, not now. Besides we need your help. A campers gone missing, Chiron and her adopted parents said we gotta find her quick too."

Nico's face darkened and he said slowly, "who's lost?"

I showed him the picture of Trina and he nodded in understanding. I looked at him confused, "You know her?"

"Yeah, haven't you stayed at the Hermes cabin too?" Nico said, appearing surprised.

"Yeah but it's not like I actually pay attention to people." I responded irritated.

"Figures you wouldn't actually care about anyone but your close friends, Percy. She's the kid at the Hermes cabin that people kept saying might be a child of Apollo because of her archery skills. She's one of the few people that actually talked to me while I was at camp too." He said it like I was missing out on everything.

A child of Apollo, that's interesting, I thought. Getting angry at myself I wondered why I never noticed her. Or maybe I did but actually never paid much attention. Then I said to Nico, "Well, can you help us?"

"I'll help. Why do we have to find her quick?"

"Because Chiron and her adopted parents are worried something bad is going to happen if we don't." Trying to keep my calm.

"Adopted Parents? Where's her real ones?" He asked suddenly interested.

"I-D-K" Rachel replied spelling the words out like she was texting someone, "No one knows her real parents, except her adopted ones. The mom knew info but she can't tell us cuz she swore on the river Styx."

Thunder boomed on the dark purple horizon.

"So can you go look for her now. Since you said that you work better at night and all, me and Rachel can wait at my house." I said relieved, that I wouldn't be looking anymore for tonight.

"Oh sure, I have to do all the work since I can sense death." Nico said sarcastically.

"Me and Blackjack already checked this afternoon, we found nothing. Anyways it's getting late. I would help, but I've got a feeling I gotta get ready to head back to camp quickly." I commented looking at the trees behind Nico, trying to convince him I tried my best.

Without responding he nodded his head and turned around and walked away into the darkening path. I turned to Rachel who yawned and threw the other half of her pretzel at the birds and stood up.

"I like him." She said out loud, brushing crumbs from her pants, to no one in particular. Then turned to me and said, "Come on Percy, let's get to your house before your mom starts getting worried."

We walked to my apartment building in silence, kind of annoyed at Rachel's random comment.

Nico's P.O.V.

Trina's gone, I thought trying to process it in my slow brain. I never knew her very well but we talked sometimes. She was different in a way, never liked to actually talk a lot, and hanged out at the weirdest places like on roof tops and tree branches. Also was the best in archery too, well asides from some of the Apollo cabin members.

What struck me as odd was the way she can make people feel... welcome I guess. I remembered just being around her made me feel part of camp. It was nice. I was surprised she didn't mind my obsession with mythomagic, that game I kinda still like. She was on the cabins roof top when she saw me walking by with a bunch of cards about a year ago.

Walking slowly around the lamplight filled sidewalks of downtown I thought of how she was still unclaimed, but hid all the sadness and acted strong and confident. At least I knew she isn't dead... yet.

Suddenly rounding a street corner I felt a presence near me, I stopped in my tracks and looked everywhere. There was nobody near me, only cars passing and buildings closing for the night. But it was the feeling I got that someone near me was going to die. I felt uneasy, closing my eyes I concentrated on the persons mortal life.

Probing through the life forces around me I found it. Gasping I opened my eyes noticing the persons life had the familiar glow of a demigod. Thoughts started to swarm inside my head. It must be her, She's dying!

Focusing on the shadows of a nearby tree I concentrated on bringing the darkness to me, and I plunged into shadow traveling.

As I felt energy leaving me, I saw the glow of the moonlight on the pavement. I looked around, feeling confused as I took in my surroundings. I saw tree tops and sky scrappers.

Then, realizing I was on top of a building I scanned the rooftop. There, huddled in the far corner of the building was a pegasus with a silver coat and a golden mane. The moonlight made its coat shimmer when it moved. It was laying down, it's legs tucked underneath it and it's wings draped over something.

Looking closer I noticed the pegasus's face was troubled, and under it's right wing was a... girl. I sucked in a breath as I looked at her.

Her face was deadly pale and she seemed to have trouble breathing properly.

I took a step closer and the pegasus looked at me, bolted up and stood in front of the girl. He looked pretty mad.

I frowned as I remembered how all the pegasi hated my aura that clearly radiated death. Holding up my hands I whispered, "Easy there, I don't want to hurt anyone," Pointing at the girl I said to the pegasus, "I need to take her somewhere safe... now."

The pegasus whinnied understanding me. Turning around it placed it's head on the girls hand and her eyes opened. She slowly looked around and her eyes fell on me, a sad smile crossed her face and disappeared. She nodded at the pegasus and he moved away.

I walked over to her and bent down slowly. Yeah, she was Trina alright. Noticing after seeing her camp necklace with six beads on it. Asides from Annabeth, she's the only one I knew that came to camp longer than the others.

She looked terrible, and it made me almost hysterical to look at her. It looked like her neck was almost broken, turning purple and she had a hard time breathing. Then looking at her arm I slowly sucked my breath in. It was bleeding really badly, it looked like it was like that since the afternoon.

I cursed in ancient greek and holding back tears I whispered, "Trina? Trina can you hear me," she nodded slowly and drew a ragged breath.

"Trina, what happened to you?" I said more to myself as I tore a piece of my t-shirt and wrapped it around her arm, trying to stop the bleeding.

I took her by the shoulders and lifted her into sitting position, resting her head on my shoulders. I looked at her after a while and saw she could barley talk at all and I kept going, "Look, we have to get you out of here okay. You need help, we have to take you somewhere safer."

She turned away and stared at the empty dark blue sky, then turned back to me nodding weakly. The pegasus came over slowly, looking uneasy. Probably because it was still freaked out by my aura.

Trina reached out her good hand and placed it on the pegasus's forehead. After a while it nodded and looked at me a bit nervous.

I kind of got the clue, lifting Trina slowly I placed her head on the crook of my neck and whispered in her ear, "you're going to be alright, okay. Everything is going to be just fine." I felt like a liar, here I was telling her she was going to be ok when I can sense that she would die soon. It surprised me how light she was too.

Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat I walked over to the pegasus and careful not to move Trina a lot, I slowly sat on its back. Making sure Trina was safe in my arms.

The pegasus slowly trotted to the edge of the building and with a small whinny, jumped off. Looking back I noticed it was the MET, well Percy forgot to look there I thought bitterly. Then facing forward I directed the pegasus to Percy's building.

...

A few minutes later we landed in front of the main doors to Percy's apartment building.

I looked down at Trina slowly breathing in my arms and I panicked. Her mortal life was fighting to stay alive and I held back tears as I felt her pain.

I hopped gently off the pegasus and Trina once again placed a hand on it's forehead. Taking her hands off, the pegasus nudged her and looked at me before shooting toward the buildings rooftop. Looking toward it, I wondered for the hundredth time how Trina could communicate with it.

Wedging my foot on the slightly open doors I opened it and quickly stepped inside. Putting Trina's weight on my other hand I scanned the board for Percy's buzzer. Seeing his last name and his room number I quickly pressed on it.

The buzzer went on and I heard Percy talking to someone in the background, "Rachel I swear if you touch another of my cookies, I will kill you."

Yelling into the receiver I said, "Percy! Open the door! I found her!"

Percy sounded confused for a moment and then said, "Nico? Is that you, calm down..."

"OPEN THE GODS DAMN DOOR!" I yelled. Lighting thundered outside and I cursed again, watching Trina struggling to take a breath.

The doors clicked and I pulled it open quickly. As I ran to the elevator I heard Percy still on the receiver, "Nico jeez, calm down I opened it. Nico? Hellooo? Nico you still there?"

I impatiently waited for the elevator. When the doors opened I rushed inside not bothering to look at a mans stunned face as he watched me frantically clicking the 7th floor. He must have thought I was pretty crazy carrying a half dead girl around because he shook his head walking out and grumbled, "Kids these days, always having fun drinking and the next thing you know someone gets hurt." I didn't have time to tell him how wrong he was as the doors slid shut.

When the elevator stopped at the seventh floor and opened the doors, I bolted out of there and past a couple of doors to Percy's apartment. I knocked frantically.

I heard footsteps approaching and heard the clicks of the locks opening. When the door swung open I saw a confused Mrs. Jackson with Percy and Rachel right behind her. They look at me to Trina and back again.

I burst past them. Being hysterical I said, "Do you have nectar and ambrosia?! She needs them now!"

"Whoa Nico dude. Calm down, she isn't going to die... " Percy tried to say.

"SHE'S ALMOST DEAD PERCY! I can feel it, she needs help. NOW!" I yelled at him some more.

Percy looked at Trina in horror as that sunk in, and then he turned saying to his mom, "Mom can you get the nectar and ambrosia we keep?"

She nodded and quickly left for the kitchen.

"Here, lets take her to my room." Percy offered trying to stay calm as he glanced at her.

I carried her quickly to Percy's room and gently set her on his bed.

"Thank the gods your mom actually cleaned your room Percy." Rachel snickered.

"Shut up Rachel, I can't tell where all my stuff are now." Percy huffed crossing his arms.

"Oh quit whining Percy, your room was such a mess when you left this morning." His mom said as she entered with a Tupperware of ambrosia and a glass of nectar.

She set down the glass and Tupperware on the night stand and walked over to the bed. Placing a hand on Trina's forehead she frowned and said, "She's really cold. Rachel, be a dear and get an extra blanket from the closet please."

Rachel nodded and left the room. I looked at the food and then hopefully at Percy. Thank the gods he seemed to understand because he took the ambrosia and holding Trina's hand told her, "Trina, can you eat this ambrosia. it's going make you feel better kay?!"

She must have understood because she nodded slowly and took the ambrosia from Percy. I came over and sat on the end of the bed. She bit into the ambrosia and winced as she tried to swallow it. Coughing she shook her head and put the ambrosia down.

I looked at Percy in horror, "She can't swallow it, try the nectar."

He nodded and took the cup. He shifted her a little so she could drink, and poured the glass of nectar in her mouth. We waited as she struggled to swallow it and she took another shaky breath and seemed to relax a little.

Rachel came in with the blanket. Suddenly Percy drew a breath as he looked down and saw my torn cloth soaked with blood wrapped around her arm.

Frantically looking around he grabbed a piece of cloth and poured some leftover nectar into it and dabbed her arm, wiping the dried blood too.

I watched as Trina winced from the sting.

Percy looked at us slowly and whispered, "She'll be okay, I'll just wrap some cloth with nectar around her and put some on her throat too."

My breath was shaky as Mrs. Jackson said, "Come on Nico, Rachel, lets get you something to eat."

I stood up reluctant to leave and stopped at the doorway looking back one more time at Trina's fragile face and felt sorry for her.

Percy's P.O.V.

I was just finished tying the nectar soaked clothes on Trina when she spoke in a whisper, "Where... am I?"

I choked on my words as I looked up at her, "you're at my apartment room, you'll be safe here I promise."

She nodded at me and went back to resting her head on the pillows. But I wasn't finished talking. I regret giving up so easily, she must have been injured longer than I thought. It made me feel guilty to stop, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to give up finding you. I promise, whatever happens that you won't get hurt like that again."

She opened her eyes, and looked at me troubled. She raised her eyebrows and said slowly, "You don't have to be sorry about anything, I... was the one who left. There's no need to promise me anything. I didn't know people would be looking for me anyways."

"What happened?" I whispered breaking the silence.

She turned to the window and watched as a plane went over the city, turning back to me she said, "Empousas. They almost killed me, but something saved me..."

I stared at her face in concern, "what saved you?"

"All I remember was a burst of light and energy leaving my body..." She slowly took a breath, resting her head again and closed her eyes, "Thanks..."

I realized she didn't know who I was. Looking embarrassed I said, "oh I'm uh Percy. Percy Jackson. Nico was the one who found you."

She smiled with her eyes closed, "Thanks Percy. Tell Nico I owe him one."

I sat their beside the bed for a few more minutes until I was sure that the nectar was doing it's job and left the room quietly.

Outside I heard Nico and Rachel talking at the kitchen table,

"And you are...?" Rachel was asking.

"14. Turning 15 in November." Nico responded.

"Hmmm, but you're like about 80 or something technically right?"

"I don't really know, and do I really look like i'm 80!?" Nico said gesturing at himself sounding offended.

"No, but you probably are anyways right?"

"Maybe."

"Sure..." then Rachel saw me and stood up saying, "Percy! How is she?"

Nico got up too and both of them stared at me with anxiety. I mumbled slowly swallowing the lump of guilt in my throat, "She's fine. She's sleeping right now. I... talked to her, she told me to say thanks to Nico."

Nico looked somewhat relieve and sat down again, "That's good... we should call camp to tell them that she's found."

"In the morning, and uh you have drachmas right? I ran out of mine."

"Yeah sure."

I sat down with them and suddenly broke the silence saying, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give up like that, if I just knew she was that close to dying I would have looked harder..."

"Percy, man, she was on top of the MET. I didn't know you would give up like that so easily." Nico stated like that was the first place I should have looked.

"Well, look I take all the blame on this one..." I went on still feeling terrible.

"Whoa Percy, since when did you care about another girls life asides from Annabeth?" Rachel commented with an amused smile.

"Since I saw her injured, That's when. If I looked harder I would have found her..." I said feeling more terrible.

"That's enough. Percy stop feeling angry at yourself. She's found and safe! No need to worry about her... or try to commit suicide. Besides what would Annabeth think," Rachel said smirking. I noticed she's been doing that a lot lately, and it annoyed me.

Nico's eyebrows shot up and looked at me while I felt my face turning a deeper red, "What do you mean about what Annabeth would think!?"

"Gods Percy! You are really hopeless. I'm going to go now before I choke you to death, I don't think Chiron will be happy about that." Rachel stood up and pushed the chair aside. Going to the living room to say good bye to my mom. "I'll meet you guys tomorrow before you call Chiron. Kay?" She said halfway out the door.

"Kay." Nico said looking down at the table top playing with a piece of paper.

I smiled noticing it had a phone number written on it, probably Rachel's. that was a first, Rachel usually never does that.

"How'd you get that?" I asked smiling.

Nico blushed and shrugged saying, "Uh she gave it to me. Look I didn't beg or ask for it, she just gave it.

"That's a first," I grinned, trying to distract myself from my guilt.