This might just become a story at this rate. Anyway! Day what is this eight??

Society of the Paranormal 6

When Percy felt like it, he could run rather fast. His mind was racing at speeds he didn't know was possible. His chest was thudding. His sneakers hit the ground in a rapid beat, beat, beat. If it wasn't for that noise he would have bet his life that he would have been flying.

"Percy!" Annabeth and Grover yelled after him no doubt trying to get those answers they wanted.

No. Percy reminded himself, The answers they deserved. Percy had run out of real excuses to be keeping these secrets. He had seen what those answers could do. He'd lived them....

He ran into the great hall finding the doors already open. The bad feeling in his gut grew from a grape to a watermelon. Percy cursed again, seeing exactly what was left on the floor. There were only two people left in there.

"Percy?" Cecil asked. His eyes widen, "What the--"

"Percy Jackson! What is your problem!" Annabeth demanded out of breath as she and Grover slid into the room. Cecil closed his laptop with a click and took off his headphones. Lou Ellen was right by his side standing up.

Percy ignored them, and muttered something even he didn't understand under his breath. He turned on heel and whipped back around breaking between Annabeth and Grover and was off again before they could catch their breaths.

Reyna...what had she said? Percy closed his eyes, as he ran pulling back the memory from yesterday. Why hadn't he thought of that before! As he moved the hallway took on a golden tint that only he could see. Reyna and her blank face expression, leading the trio of visitors down the hall. Lou Ellen snapped the pictures, Nico glared as his other selves back.

Percy's sneakers slid on the floor as he rounded the corner nearly tripping on the ground. He grabbed the wall and blinked again, bringing up another vision, later in the conversation.

"I wanna solve it!" Lou Ellen said popping a piece of bubble gum into her mouth. Percy's other form stepped away, wrinkling his nose at the smell.

Reyna shrugged, "Be my guest. I think only one or two people actually know the key, Piper being one of them."

"The maze." Percy said, "Of course." He ran back down the hall, hearing the faint sounds of the group running after him and shouting his name. He scrambled to the garden doors, pushing away the rose design for the chill of the outside air.

"Nico!" He yelled, "Don't!"

With relief he saw the boy in black, along with the two blonde had not entered the maze yet. They all whipped around at his yell. Jason had his hands curled into fists, Will looked extensively annoyed. Nico's eyes narrowed as he saw Percy charging at him. He looked paler than normal, which of course was a side effect of the power he just used.

"What are you doing here?" Nico demanded, "You said--"

"Yeah, I followed my hunch." Percy said, "Don't go in there."

"Why not?" Jason butted in, "If Reyna is in there--"

"If Reyna's in there than you don't want me or him in there at all!" Percy retorted, "Especially not him, if he just used the locator Pentagram!"

Will nearly dropped his first aid kit, "You know?" The rising sun danced off his blond hair.

Percy ignored him, grabbing Nico's arm and dragging away from the entrance, "What exactly did you sense?"

Nico yanked out of his grip looking just short of punching him into next month. His hand was frigid, which Percy didn't think was a good thing. "A lot," He answered, in a tone colder than his skin, "Don't touch me. And get out of here, we had a deal."

Percy scowled, "Yeah right, but no proof Di Angelo. I'm not going until they bring back Reyna. And if you don't think I will duct tape up you to the pavement right here to keep you out of that maze, then you have got another thing coming for you."

"That's a negating statement." Nico hissed back at him, clearly seething, but he waved to Will and Jason.

The blond boys shared a look, obviously at wits end about their situation. Jason himself looked like he was about ready to dead into a dead faint. Percy couldn't blame him. Even if Nico and co had took the time to explain exactly what their expertise was, it was more to swallow than time could allot. He had probably just seen an assuming boy in black drop the temperature in the room and levitate at least five feet off the ground. Then have it cut out suddenly just to find this kid now knew where every being alive and dead was in his castle?

Percy was surprised Jason was still standing.

Will shrugged and unfolded a single sheet of loose leaf paper. He frowned at it. "When we get back, Nico, I'm teaching you how to draw a real map okay?" He said, and plunged into the shrubbery. Jason hesitated for a second and then ran after him.

That would be the moment when the rest of the followers finally made it in. Cecil was hugging his laptop still cords wrapped between him and the computer and dragging on the ground. Lou Ellen tripped on the step and fell into a comfy cushion of Grover. They both hit the stone pavement with a sound that made even Nico wince. Annabeth was last walking angrily with her arms crossed.

She locked eyes with Percy and suddenly he knew that this was not going to end well. She would bury him. Bury him alive right here in this cute little garden, and then laugh as he slowly ran out of oxygen and died. Annabeth stormed past the mess of Lou Ellen and Grover and even past the panting Cecil.

She walked right up to Percy and grabbed his shirt collar, bringing him dangerously close to her face.

"What." She said in a deadly calm tone.

Percy swallowed hard, stuttering some excuse that he knew she would shoot down before the words got out of his mouth. They were really close. Suddenly Percy remembered that he had not brushed his teeth that morning. His breath must smell terrible. He doubted that Annabeth had brushed hers either but for some reason she smelled wonderful. Did she put on perfume when he wasn't looking? Did she even wear perfume? Percy couldn't remember.

"Let him go." Nico said, saving Percy from a possible slow death at the hands of his best friend. "He's not worth it."

Percy shot him a glare which he returned in full.

Annabeth let go of Percy's collar with stiff reluctance. Her face was flushed, but she tried to look impassive. "Well you two look to be on better terms," She snarled.

Nico shoved his hands into his ever-present jacket and turned away from them. "I don't feel like talking to the police about another death I was witness too."

Percy felt an explosion of hatred suddenly flare up in his chest. It took every ounce of his goddamn will not to attack the boy. If he knew...If he had actually been there---

"Another?" Annabeth said, still looking at Percy. She no doubt noticed his stiffness and made a connection that wasn't nearly as true as either of them thought it was.

"Did you find Reyna yet?" Cecil asked, cutting off the conversation.

"Will and Jason are getting her." Nico responded, "You want to go after them?"

Cecil looked uncomfortable, he tugged at his necktie of computer cords. His glance landed back at Lou Ellen, who was apologising to Grover profusely. She must have felt his gaze and looked up at him. "Nah I'm good."

Percy didn't miss his underlying tone. He could place it, but something flickered in Cecil's eyes as he looked back at the two dark haired boys. It almost as if he knew more than both Nico and Percy combined, so much in just his look. But as soon as Percy saw it, it had vanished.

"They can handle it!" Cecil responded brightly, as if he had no clue about what exactly they could be "handling".

Annabeth pressed her lips together, "Handle? If she is hurt or injured--"

"Will's a doctor." Lou Ellen said, "He's really good, so don't worry." Percy would be lying if he said he didn't detect the distracted sound in her tone. Everyone seemed to hear it as she glanced into the hedge maze. Her green eyes unfocused for a second, seeing something that none of them could see.

Percy locked gazes with Nico who stiffly nodded to his unasked question. Percy snorted.

"Why aren't we all going after them?" Grover asked, picking up on the nervous tension in the air. Percy no doubt thought he had a lot of experience handling weighty tension--between him and Annabeth things were never quite "settled" ever-- but the way he eyed them with Nico thrown in the middle was the same way someone watched a bomb counting down. It was going to explode, and he knew it was going to, but disarming it was not an option.

"They don't need our help," Lou Ellen told him, wringing her hands. She spoke as if that explained everything. Percy wondered what she was seeing with those green eyes. The past, the present, or the future? Or maybe she was just watching?

"For two--three, members who claim to be part of a team," Annabeth hugged herself, "That's just brilliant, sending only one of your teammates inside. What if the kidnapper is in there? What if the murderer is in there?"

For what it's worth, Cecil only snorted. He was smart enough to wipe the grin off his face before the dangerous blonde wheeled on him.

"Something funny?" Annabeth asked, "They could be dead! Or dying!"

"I'd love to see them try." Cecil remarked typing one-handedly on his computer.

Annabeth let out a frustrated growl, "Percy! Even you can see logic sometimes! Back me up!"

Percy swallowed hard. Suddenly he found that the tulips planted nearby were an amazing color for this time of the year. The vibrant orange was nowhere near the chilly grey of Annabeth's eyes. And the brick? He hadn't noticed earlier but it was made of different shades of red, creating the shape of an intricate rose.

The small court was silent for a count of three-- just enough for Annabeth to get that shocked look on her face. Percy had seen it before. She cleared her emotions, except for the ones directly in her eyes. It was the same look she'd given him when he'd take that bullet for her. "Percy?"

Nico didn't say anything but Percy got the feeling he was enjoying himself.A secret for a secret for a secret was a dangerous way to live. And they both knew it. Unfortunately, Percy had made a promise that made that the only way he could live.

A Secret for a secret for a secret.

"What the Hell?" Grover said. His eyes were trained over Cecil's shoulder, staring at the laptop screen. Cecil himself had gotten distracted by the drama. Everyone's attention drew to the two of them. "Was is that?"

Cecil squinted back at his screen. "Uh, Frequencies. I'm pulling them off your phones and really anything nearby...." He hummed with confusion, "That's...not right."

"What's not right?" A tired voice called. There was a scuffling and then the two blonde guys appeared from the maze looking unharmed. Other than the fact Jason looked like he had lost seven years of his life, He seemed to be handling the logistics of Nico's power and whatever else he had encountered in the maze with surprising ease.

Percy crushed a swell of bitterness before it turned into anything.

Jason was carrying Reyna on his back. His arms looped around his legs, and her head hanging over his shoulder. It was like he was giving her a piggyback ride. Will strolled next to him frowning deeply.

"Cecil is here okay?" Will asked, "Far enough out?"

The brunette tapped a key or two, looking conflicted, "Great Hall, I don't want to chance it."

Nico broke his statue look, "Chance what, Markowitz? What are you seeing?" He slid behind the other boy as if he could make out what was on the computer better than their resident techie. Percy resisted the urge to join them. The bad feeling in his gut seemed to fill his entire body.

"Nothing good." Cecil said, "They're moving! Like spiralling. Rapidly. I've never seen anything like this."

Grover frowned and looked up at the sky as if to see the invisible waves.

"Great Hall it is." Nico agreed. Jason didn't argue. If he felt that carrying Reyna's unconscious form was a burden, he didn't say anything. After all what was a few more halls?

The blonde man shuffled by Percy and Reyna's head bobbed forward.

"Wait," Lou Ellen said, calmly, "What's that on her neck?" Jason strained his neck back to see whatever Lou Ellen had caught a glimpse of. The girl gently moved a lock of Reyna's dark hair and exposed the side of her neck to the frigid air.

Percy's breath caught in his lungs.

A dark blotch. Most would overlook it as a birth mark but it was far too distinct for that. It was a sharp line with two more lines crossing it, like a Capital F made from a knife slice that went too far. Percy had seen this before, and last time Bianca Di Angelo had died.

He glanced at Annabeth and Grover, both whom looked well beyond confused. It was such a sight, Percy wish he could take a picture. His hands were cold as he spun away and walked towards the door.

"Percy!" Grover yelled, "Where are you going?"

The raven haired boy was well aware of the eyes that were suddenly on him. Annabeth's most of all. Her skeptical gaze was filtered with the glimmer of betrayal and of a misery Percy hated to see in her beautiful eyes.

"Moscow, Probably." He said without look back, "I'm sorry. But I'm keeping my end of the deal." Nico crossed his arms, a scowl on his face, that was darker than usual. Cecil and Lou Ellen shared a look.

Percy shoved his hands in his pockets. He refused to look backward, and instead plunged back into the castle to collect his things. He didn't want to see whatever faces his friends were making at his back. He didn't think he could handle it again. There was a burn in the back of his eyes, that made it hard to see without needing to blink back tears.

"You win, Di Angelo."