Nico's POV

       Percy was the kid. Percy was friends with Bianca. Percy's stepdad was abusive. I took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's go." I said finally.

        "Are you okay dude?" Jason asked softly.

        "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. A bit shaken up. I'm fine." I unbuckled my seatbelt, then did Percy's for him. 

        "Jason?" I asked, gesturing to Percy. He nodded and got out, walking around the front of my black truck.

       He opened Percy's door and motioned for him to jump on. Percy hesitantly did so and looked back at me. I nodded, not sure of what I was approving, then got out of the truck. I started to walk towards the door,  Leo and Jason following behind. Percy slid out of Jason's grasp once we were on the snowless porch and got behind me, grabbing my shoulders lights. Jason looked back and stifled a laugh. "What? What's he doing?" I asked.

       "He's trying to hide behind you." Jason said.

       "But... He's like six feet and I'm barely five feet!" I exclaimed, looking up at Percy, who was looking worriedly at the door. "Hey, Percy. Don't worry, okay? Don't worry about anything, they're nice people."

        "Annabeth." Was the only word Percy said. Annabeth broke up with Percy for 'Faking' depression, so I could understand why he wasn't eager to see her again.

        "She's different now. And she has a girlfriend now." Jason told him. "Don't worry about her."

        Percy nodded weakly, but still held onto my shoulders tightly- Well, as tightly as a person who hadn't left a cell for twelve years could. Which wasn't very tight. He probably needs physical therapy.

        "Are we going to go in or..?" Leo asked. I realized I had zoned out and nodded.

       "Yeah. Let's go." Jason opened the door and let us all in before walking in and shutting the door behind us. 

      "Perce, do you want to let go? You don't have to." I offered.

       I looked up and saw him shaking his head. "Okay, let's go then."

       Leo and Jason went around us, heading inside. I walked towards the door, Percy following behind hesitantly. "Don't worry about it Percy. You're fine." I whispered.

        He nodded and we walked a but further until we were right outside the door. I looked up at him and he looked down at me. "You good?" I asked.

       He nodded and I stepped in. It was chaos, to be honest. Thalia had Jason in a headlock, Piper was trying to get a book out of Annabeth's reach, Leo was trying to open a large jug of soda that he got from gods knows where, and Frank and Hazel were the only calm ones. Great. I cleared my throat and everyone froze. Annabeth and Piper sat on the nearest couch, Thalia let go of Jason, who sat on a chair next to Thalia, Leo plopped down on his butt on the floor, and Hazel and Frank turned their attention to me- Or more specifically, Percy. 

       There was a long awkward silence. "Are we just going to sit here? Welcome back dude, glad you're out." Thalia said. I could see Percy smiled slightly at her.

       "C'mon, you can sit you know." I told him. I took his hands of off my shoulders and grabbed his forearm, half dragging him to the most vacant couch, which happened to be the one next to Hazel and Frank, as they took the largest couch.

        "Hi Percy, nice to meet you." Hazel said, smiling gently at him. 

        Percy looked at me curiously. "She's my adopted sister, Hazel." I explained. I pointed to Frank, who looked momentarily startled.

        "I-I'm Frank, nice to meet you." He stammered out. 

        He nodded. So he's mute right now. "You obviously know Leo, Thalia, Jason and I, that's Annabeth, and that's Piper."

        He nodded, wincing at Annabeth's name. "You can sit, you know." I told him, gesturing to the couch. He looked at me blankly.

        "C'mon Percy, you're not going to die if you sit." He flinched for some reason but sat tentatively on the arm of the couch.

        "I didn't- Okay." I sat down next to Hazel and Percy, who was shifting uncomfortably.

        "So, what do we want to do?" Thalia asked.

        "I have no clue." Annabeth admitted, studying Percy closely. Like she wanted to remember something about him but couldn't. 

        "We could do truth or dare." Leo offered, still trying to pry the top off of the soda bottle.

        "Sounds good. We're doing it." Thalia said, ending all objections. Once Thalia's finalized  something, there was no arguing.

        We all sat in a circle, except Percy, who stood to watch the first few rounds. "So, I'll go first. Piper, truth or dare?" Thalia asked.

        "Dare." Piper immediately responded.

        "I dare you to make out with..." Thalia looked around the room until her eyes landed on Jason. "Jason." Both of their jaws dropped.

        "But we just broke up, like, a month ago!" Piper exclaimed. Thalia sighed.

        "Fine. Annabeth, I guess." 

        Piper turned to Annabeth and kissed her, Annabeth kissing right back for about five minutes before Thalia said time was up. "Right. Piper, your turn."

        "Annabeth, truth or dare?" Piper asked.

        "Truth." Annabeth immediately responded.

        "Hm... Who was your first kiss?" Piper asked.

        "Ugh, it was some guy in second grade I think." Annabeth shrugged, then went studied Percy. "He's seen enough to know how the game works. Percy, truth or dare?"

       Percy tensed slightly and shifted on his feet. I looked at him, making sure I had his attention. "For truth hold up one finger for dare hold up two fingers." I told him. He nodded and held up a one.

       "Truth... You seem familiar. Where have I seen you before?" She asked. 

       "You've all seen me before... Other than Hazel..." Percy whispered quietly. "You all used to know me. Back in Pre-Kindergarten through second grade."

        Everyone stared at him with blank looks. "I... Don't think so. I think I would have remembered you." Thalia said slowly.

        "No, I think it's true." I said. "He knew Jason and Thalia were siblings, and we never did anything to give it away. No one would even guess they were siblings." Some people shifted uncomfortably.

        "I remember you guys..." Percy whispered. "I remember Leo's full first name. I remember nicknames, birthdays, everything..."

        "My full name? Dude I only told one person in my li-" Leo stopped his sentence dead in his tracks. "No way... No way you're him... He..."

        "What, Leo? What do you mean?" Thalia asked.

        "What's my full name?" Leo asked Percy.

         "Leonidas Hephaestus Valdez." Percy responded quietly.

         "That's... That's not right!" Leo exclaimed. "You can't be him!"

         "Who's him Leo!?" Thalia yelled.

         "He's... He... He's gone!" Leo shouted at no one.

         Then it hit us. We all knew his exactly this was at the exact same moment, and there was a stunned silence. "But... He... He died..." Thalia whispered.

        "No, I didn't." Percy whispered quietly.

        "It was all over the news!" Jason exclaimed. "You died man, you actually died! There was a funeral and everything and..." 

        "No open casket. No family. No. I'm alive." Percy whispered.

        "Where were you then? Why didn't you come back to school? Tell your best friends you were alive!?" Thalia exclaimed.

        "I couldn't." Percy whispered solemnly. "I was locked."

        "You were locked? What does that mean?" Piper asked.

        Percy shrugged, then took his hand and grabbed his wrist, then did the same with the opposite hands. "You were locked away? Why?" Leo asked.

        "Accused. Accused murder." He whispered, looking down at his palms. "Innocent. Gabe killed him. I didn't."

        "Who's him?" I asked. He frowned.

        "My boyfriend." His frown deepened. "Luke Castellan