Solangelo 2

PERCY

Will has the slightest bit of a plan, and I can see him latch onto it. I don't know much about Will, or his past, but my assumption for all kids at camp half blood is that he has suffered loss.
There are times, I've learnt, as I'm sure he has too, where death is to be accepted. But I can see in his eyes, in the way he's pleading with me, that he cannot accept it. I know that this will break him.
It would be kinder of me to stop him now, rather than let him hope and try to bring Nico back. But I can't.
I get Annabeth, Jason. Everyone who can spare themselves. Frank has to stay back to look after the camp, as Reyna refuses to stay behind. But we all find ourselves back by the water, waiting to go back to camp.
'Nothing?' Annabeth asks, holding onto my arms.
'It happens.' I say, 'I can hear some, but they're preoccupied. I can't ask them to come.' She looks at me and realised what I'm thinking.
'Percy, you can't take us all.' She says, 'you'll black our half way through. We'll all drown. It's a stupid idea.'
'Jason can blow us in the right direction. When I get faint, Reyna can lend me some energy.'
'Of course.' She says, 'whatever you need.'
'No problem.' Jason agrees.
'What are we doing?' Hazel asks, stepping tentatively into the ocean. Just like Jason, Nico and Thalia, she still doesn't like the water.
'It's safe.' I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. She nods, 'I need you all to link arms, make a circle.'
'What's he going to do?' Jason asks Annabeth.
'He's making an air bubble for us all.' She explains, 'he normally only does it for small amounts of time and not many people.'
'Desperate measures.' I say, and she stays quiet. Everyone arranges themselves how I ask, and I create a bubble around us all, and we go underwater. 'Wind, Jason.' I say, and we instantly start moving. I watch them all for a while, looking out into the water, the fish, plants. I forget how beautiful it is sometimes.
But soon I close my eyes so I can focus on keeping the air. As soon as I show the slightest sign of my head dropping, I feel Reyna's hand on my shoulder. I have a surge of energy. The trip finishes quickly after that.
As soon as everyone has made it safely back onto land, I collapse, submerged in water. Annabeth and Jason loft my arms up and wrap them around their necks so they can carry me in.
'You did so good.' Annabeth says, sitting me down and giving me some Ambrosia, 'take as long as you need. You too Jason.'
Jason quickly waves her off, 'my end was easy.' He says, 'I can move wind like Percy can breathe under water, it comes naturally.'
'Still. You did good.' She says. He places a hand on her shoulder briefly before moving over to check on everyone else.
'Do you know what Will's planning?' Annabeth asks, sitting down beside me.
'I don't know.' I say, 'it won't work. You know that. Whatever it is.'
'I know that we've done crazier things. Why are you suddenly so pessimistic?' She asks, half joking, half serious.
'I just...I know how losing someone feels, and I know that it's worse after you try and try to save them. I don't want to lose again.'
'This is Nico we're talking about.' She says, 'we have to try.'
'That's the reason why it's so much worse. It's Nico. I...I can't lose him, I can't...if this doesn't work then he's gone. And...'
She quickly wraps her arms around me after she notices I've gotten flustered. I stop talking, just focus on breathing.
'You don't want to try, because if you try and fail, it's worse than not having tried at all.' She says, articulating it perfectly for me.
'Yeah.' Is all I reply.
'I get it.' She says, 'I do. But you and I both know that either way, we're going to do everything we can to bring Nico back. So we're just going to have to win.'
'Your optimism is astounding.' I say, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
'My optimism is necessary. It's purely tactical.'
'I don't doubt it.' I reply.
'You feeling better?'
'Not in the slightest.'
'Great. Let's get started.'